Why do you lose inches but not weight?

jasmineheaven
jasmineheaven Posts: 189
edited October 4 in Fitness and Exercise
I've been working out and eating under my weight loss goal. So far I have only lost one pound but I lose 8 inches from waist...why is that I am losing inches but not weight?
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Replies

  • tiggerbounce411
    tiggerbounce411 Posts: 401 Member
    BUMP..Curious myself about this
  • prunella1066
    prunella1066 Posts: 89 Member
    BUMP..Curious myself about this

    Me too!!
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    You could have gained muscle mass and lost fat. In theory.
  • 8dozendiets
    8dozendiets Posts: 47
    Why does everyone lose inches except me????? ;(
  • Nikki_is_Knotty
    Nikki_is_Knotty Posts: 248 Member
    You could have gained muscle mass and lost fat. In theory.

    ditto
  • Tujitsu56
    Tujitsu56 Posts: 392 Member
    Are you complaining? Haha, no I understand and hear this quite often. I'd say it's due to muscle gains. Muscle is MUCH denser than fat, so if you put on a little muscle while losing some fat, the difference in inches will be much greater as opposed to weight.
  • NicLiving
    NicLiving Posts: 261 Member
    Oh My Goodness! So, I'm not crazy lol. I have been asking people this all month. I went from 39" to 34" and only lost 1.4#
    I thought I needed a new scale lol. :laugh: :tongue: :laugh:
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Body composition is shifting.
  • embersfallen
    embersfallen Posts: 534 Member
    This has happened to me a lot too... I DO think it's the muscle... because I've dropped inches, and the scale hasn't moved at all during a 3 month scale plateau. Better inches then nothing.. ;)
  • Sepheara
    Sepheara Posts: 208 Member
    1lb of muscle weighs the same as 1 ln of fat but is more dense, it takes up less space, so you you will lose inches because muscle takes up less space, but not lose weight because 1lb = 1 lb weather its fat or not.
  • Cfkearney
    Cfkearney Posts: 197 Member
    Muscle weighs more than fat. It is also leaner than fat. That's why people have a tendency to lose inches before they lose pounds. The pounds will come. The more muscle you have the faster the calories burn. Personally, I think the inches are more important. I just want to fit into my skinny jeans. I don't care how much I weigh if I can do them up! :)
  • bens_mommy
    bens_mommy Posts: 219
    From the way I understand it, a pound of fat takes up more room than a pound of muscle (since muscle is indeed denser than fat).

    The result is, you're burning fat and replacing it with muscle. Since there is less fat and more muscle, there's less "stuff" hanging out on your body, and voila, you're smaller. =]

    This is why measuring in addition to the scale are more effective than just the scale alone.
  • jmxxiiii
    jmxxiiii Posts: 231 Member
    you "gain muscle"
  • yummy♥
    yummy♥ Posts: 612 Member
    it's the weight of everybody's jealousy on your shoulders
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,985 Member
    Because even if you are in calorie deficit, depending on how you exercise, sleep, and nutrients you consume, fluctuation of water in muscle, under skin, etc. can keep your weight up.
    It's practically impossible to gain muscle on calorie deficit. But it's not hard to have fluid in your body be retained by how the cells react to sodium, potassium and even niacin.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    8" is a pretty big number not to have lost any weight. IMHO here.
  • lor007
    lor007 Posts: 884 Member
    So many intelligent thoughts going on in this thread..
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
    So many intelligent thoughts going on in this thread..
    My head is still spinning at the thought of lean fat.
  • KnottyJen
    KnottyJen Posts: 1,070 Member
    Sounds like you might have a parasite: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/386975-parasites

    I just spit soup everywhere....Thanks a lot....
  • lor007
    lor007 Posts: 884 Member
    So many intelligent thoughts going on in this thread..
    My head is still spinning at the thought of lean fat.
    Wait, fat is lean? I thought muscle was lean and fat was fatty. I am so confused.
  • Tujitsu56
    Tujitsu56 Posts: 392 Member
    I've heard this before, but it does seem to baffle me a bit. If someone has been sedentary and then starts to exercise, they'd have to increase their muscle strength right? I mean with that wouldn't the muscles in essence be growing? Even if they are on a caloric deficit, I'd think it be possible to make some gains. Maybe nothing monumental, but something. Even if it's due to how their metabolism is handling their caloric intake. Maybe you could shed some light on this for me.
    Because even if you are in calorie deficit, depending on how you exercise, sleep, and nutrients you consume, fluctuation of water in muscle, under skin, etc. can keep your weight up.
    It's practically impossible to gain muscle on calorie deficit. But it's not hard to have fluid in your body be retained by how the cells react to sodium, potassium and even niacin.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    Because even if you are in calorie deficit, depending on how you exercise, sleep, and nutrients you consume, fluctuation of water in muscle, under skin, etc. can keep your weight up.
    It's practically impossible to gain muscle on calorie deficit. But it's not hard to have fluid in your body be retained by how the cells react to sodium, potassium and even niacin.

    Assuming that person is that honest about their diet.
  • jasmineheaven
    jasmineheaven Posts: 189
    I'm not gonna lie...this is kind of getting confusing :/
  • tiggerbounce411
    tiggerbounce411 Posts: 401 Member
    Muscle weighs more than fat. It is also leaner than fat.
    Muscle is denser than fat so it takes less room, hence inches are lost. However there is not one that weighs more then another. A pound is a pound.
  • CLC900709
    CLC900709 Posts: 49 Member
    You could have gained muscle mass and lost fat. In theory.
    This
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    And to the OP, without knowing your diet and exercise programs (they are not viewable publically), trying to find out why this happened is like shooting skeet with a blindfold.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    keyboardrage4ov.gif
  • DeBiKin
    DeBiKin Posts: 107 Member
    I've been working out and eating under my weight loss goal. So far I have only lost one pound but I lose 8 inches from waist...why is that I am losing inches but not weight?
    The waist is a tricky area for measuring... It will measure larger if your stomach is full (I you've recently eaten) and smaller in the morning when you are still hungry.
    Inches lost in your hips is less likely to vary as much.
    Everything everyone is saying is also true about how much more space fat takes up than muscle especially since you said that you are working out.
    There is also fat that is stored near the organs so you won't notice inches being lost when the scale starts dropping pounds from that area.
    Keep up the good work, its all going to come together.
    :flowerforyou:
  • maine7290
    maine7290 Posts: 17 Member
    This is a good article to read: http://exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/a/losinginches.htm

    and here is another one: http://www.livestrong.com/article/388780-can-you-lose-inches-not-pounds/
  • Rain_Howard
    Rain_Howard Posts: 155
    Ask a few doctors and see what they say. I can't count the number of times I've been told to chuck the scale and just judge by how my clothes fit. Scales are dangerous, they can make you crazy, confused and frustrated. If the jeans you once couldn't fit in are now falling off, that's a pretty good indication you're doing something right.
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