Inches Lost???????

jeffpettis
jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
Not really sure where this should go, oh well. So the other day my wife tells me our friend has lost 10 inches. After seeing this person I realized that she had to mean cumulative inches because I couldn't tell any diifference, at all. This brings me to my point, why do people feel the need to add up all their inches lost into one number? It is an absolutely irrelavent number! If someone tells you they lost a certain amount of cumulative inches you have no idea what they looked like before, everyone's body shape is different, but if someone tells you they lost 5 inches off their waist and 10 inches off their midsection you can get a pretty good visual of what that is, even if you never saw this person before. Anyways, I had to explain to my wife where our friend lost the 10 inches, all over, that's why you really can't tell. And of course she said, "well why did she add it all together?" So that is where this little rant stemmed from because I totally agree with my wife, why add it all together? Maybe someone can enlighten me. LOL!!!

Replies

  • horror_hamster
    horror_hamster Posts: 278
    They like to know that that's how much space they've freed up in the world?

    hehe

    in reality, i havent the slightest idea...
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
    its the number just like the number on the scale messes with your head. if she would have told your wife she only lost a half inch from her waist that would be no big deal, but if you add all those half inches up all over they body then she thinks she has done something great!
  • lawtechie
    lawtechie Posts: 708 Member
    Common measuring points are chest, belly, arms legs. Let's say she lost the below inches from those parts for a total of 10. It is inches lost all over and she may not want to have to spell out the individual parts. Sum of all parts is greater than whole :)

    chest - 2
    belly - 4
    arms - 2
    legs - 2
  • skywa
    skywa Posts: 901 Member
    that is odd. i guess it just makes progress seem greater.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Hmm I would just use one measurement, or I'd at least say which ones I was talking about. Like I've lost 6 inches from my waist and 3 from my hips, but I wouldn't call that 9 inches.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    its the number just like the number on the scale messes with your head. if she would have told your wife she only lost a half inch from her waist that would be no big deal, but if you add all those half inches up all over they body then she thinks she has done something great!

    That's in a nut shell exactly what I told my wife. It just kills me to see people do this. I see it all the time on this site as well.
  • AnitaAntone
    AnitaAntone Posts: 177 Member
    Maybe Because it sounds better ! 10 in total sounds more impressive to her and therefore more motivation to stick with it than the a little from here or there outlook. I tend to say "i lost 6 from here and 4 from here for a total of 10in"

    3697427.png
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Hmm I would just use one measurement, or I'd at least say which ones I was talking about. Like I've lost 6 inches from my waist and 3 from my hips, but I wouldn't call that 9 inches.

    Exactly! But just look at some of the posts on this site, you'll see it constantly. I saw where someone had lost 100 inches!!!

    WHY!!!
  • AnitaAntone
    AnitaAntone Posts: 177 Member
    The better question is why do you care?

    3697427.png
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    I never got this either! Sounds ridiculous when they present a huge number... I like saying WHERE I have lost them! waist, hip etc... especially as you say, people like to visualise!
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    The better question is why do you care?

    3697427.png

    LOL!!! This is just one of those things that bugs me!
  • tina2222
    tina2222 Posts: 94
    I dont know either! if people ask i just say "ive lost 6inches off my waist", then they can look at me and say, "oh yea thats alot!" not look at me and say "where?" lol
  • CharityEaton
    CharityEaton Posts: 499 Member
    I think everyone that reads this should message you their "total inches lost" just to make you nuts! :smile:
    I measure and keep track of inches lost but I don't post it. I just like to know that when there are no pounds lost there is usually inches lost. Helps to see the hard work somewhere even if the scale isn't cooperating.
  • thebigbige
    thebigbige Posts: 99 Member
    People do it because they can see how much area they've lost.

    It's not a perfect system, but it shows that they have made progress to where they want to be. A lot of people don't know how to use displacement to figure out their size though that would be a better measurement. I mean if you were to lose ten inches across your entire body and you were a larger person, it may not seem like a lot, but to a smaller person it would, the reality is that both people lost the same amount, and they have both made accomplishments.

    For me personally I've personally gone from

    701cm-687cm in a couple of weeks, this is about ten inches all around my body, but you probably wouldn't really be able to tell to much from looking at me, it's still a good accomplishment, also there is something to be said about having to break down all of what you are measuring.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    I think everyone that reads this should message you their "total inches lost" just to make you nuts! :smile:
    I measure and keep track of inches lost but I don't post it. I just like to know that when there are no pounds lost there is usually inches lost. Helps to see the hard work somewhere even if the scale isn't cooperating.

    I agree with taking measurements, just not adding it all together for a cumulative total.
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