Can someone exlplain inches vs. pounds to me?

ShapeUpSidney

I don't understand. If you are losing inches, then it is the assumption that you are gaining muscle? Therfore your scale doesn't move? You are losing inches, due to FAT loss. Then the assumption would have to be; if I am losing fat (inches), but my scale doesn't drop, it must be replaced by muscle. That would be a 1:1 ratio in weight. I say that is impossible. You can't lose a pound of fat, while simultaneously replacing it with a pound of muscle.

The 1 for 1 example is just the most clear way to illustrate it, though in reality it is difficult to build a pound of muscle and simultaneously lose a pound of fat. But if you consider the core concept, it is realistic to expect that your measurements may be more dramatic than the movement on your scale.

If I were to discuss the truly complicated nature of this relationship, I'd lose most of the audience. So the direct 1 to 1 example is an extremely oversimplified way to view what is happening, but is helpful for people who are curious about this topic. You're just being very literal in your interpretation.

albayin

I am by no means an expert on the subject, but only speak from my personal experience. When you lose weight, and do some exercise at the same time, you muscle could get tighter and all together more toned. Notice that I am not saying you are gaining muscle at 1:1 ratio. When losing the fat layer, my muscle that was hidden underneath starts showing, and of course it means less inches.

And when I eat lots of greasy high fat food, my scale goes up but I still have the smaller inches as before.

albayin

I don't think it's that easy for women to gain muscles so quickly, as quickly as losing water weight and fat. That's just my personal experience.

vicki915

Bump.... I need to finish reading this later! :huh:

Jenna70

Some people do lose muscle mass when they diet and lose weight. These people are not eating enough healthy food for the body to use as fuel so it starts consuming the stored muscle and saving the fat as emergency fuel. Eating too many calories is bad and eating too few calories is also bad.
If you eat plenty of healthy food each day in an amount that is a deficit overall (intake minus output) then you will reduce the fat content in your body and keep your lean muscle mass and you will be smaller. Because the muscle is denser than fat, you get smaller and your clothes get looser. This effect can be increased by doing some weight training and toning exercises. It's also good because a pound of muscle can burn 25 times the amount of calories as a pound of fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn, even when you aren't working out.