Is it possible to not lose weight but just inches?

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  • Dawnika1
    Dawnika1 Posts: 3
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    This is what's happening to me as well. I've only lost about 7lb in the past 3 weeks, but I can fit into some of my smaller jeans now. Any thoughts, or comments are welcome!
  • Dawnika1
    Dawnika1 Posts: 3
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    Indeed! The scale sucks!
  • sdpasque
    sdpasque Posts: 12 Member
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    Absolutely it's possible. I had difficulty during the month of February and it seemed that I wasn't losing weight on the scale. However, I could feel my clothes getting looser and looser. All of a sudden, I've experienced a "whoosh," and the weight is melting off.
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
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    Inches are what matters. The number on the scale represents a variety of things...bone density, fat, muscle, water, waste, etc...but people only tend to identify the number on the scale as fat...so they don't see the scale move, or watch it fluctuate and they just automatically jump to fat without taking into account a bunch of other stuff that number represents.

    This.

    Also, I'm in a similar boat. I've stayed within the same 3-ish lbs since December, yet have just dropped another 1.5". In total in a year I have lost only 10-13lb, but 18.5".

    I aim to lose another 6" and have given up caring about the scale. If I stay 141-144lb for the next year and lose those 6", I wouldn't care. May be confused, but not upset!
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
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    Inches are what matters. The number on the scale represents a variety of things...bone density, fat, muscle, water, waste, etc...but people only tend to identify the number on the scale as fat...so they don't see the scale move, or watch it fluctuate and they just automatically jump to fat without taking into account a bunch of other stuff that number represents.

    This.

    Also, I'm in a similar boat. I've stayed within the same 3-ish lbs since December, yet have just dropped another 1.5". In total in a year I have lost only 10-13lb, but 18.5".

    I aim to lose another 6" and have given up caring about the scale. If I stay 141-144lb for the next year and lose those 6", I wouldn't care. May be confused, but not upset!

    ...Although I would probably lose another 3 pounds or so, which could still keep me near 138-141lb.
  • NavyKnightAh13
    NavyKnightAh13 Posts: 1,394 Member
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    Yep, I have been bouncing around the same 3lbs for about the past two months or so but have been losing inches. Eventually the scale will catch up, but for right now I am okay with toning up :bigsmile:
  • iorahkwano
    iorahkwano Posts: 709 Member
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    Fat does not weight much, where as muscle weighs a lot more. Your body is likely losing fat AND gaining muscle (Good job!) so the weight that disappears when the fat is gone is replaced by the weight of the muscle you put on. And muscle is good because the bigger the muscle, the more calories it burns at rest. And you will have that toned look instead of "skinny fat" (Slim, but no muscle & weight is mainly from fat).
  • WendyBlendy
    WendyBlendy Posts: 124 Member
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    I would take inches lost over weight lost any day.

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero

    ^^^ Amen!!!
  • sallyaj
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
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    It is absolutely possible -- and a nice sign that you are losing body fat, not lean muscle. Keep doing what you're doing. The scale will catch up to you eventually.
  • slwells1983
    slwells1983 Posts: 31 Member
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    Do not let the scale determine what your strength is..... Use your clothes as a gauge!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Fat does not weight much, where as muscle weighs a lot more. Your body is likely losing fat AND gaining muscle (Good job!) so the weight that disappears when the fat is gone is replaced by the weight of the muscle you put on. And muscle is good because the bigger the muscle, the more calories it burns at rest. And you will have that toned look instead of "skinny fat" (Slim, but no muscle & weight is mainly from fat).

    Since it seems there is confusion in many of these comments that you can put on muscle at some enormous rate, especially for women, while eating at a deficit.

    You aren't.

    There is more to LBM than muscle, which is just part of Lean Body Mass - which is everything but Fat Mass. Water being big part of it.

    Here's study of men, so better able to add muscle.
    New to lifting, so better able to add muscle.
    And eating at TDEE, so better able to add muscle.

    They dropped fat and gained LBM (they didn't measure actual muscle, but likely some was) at the rate of 3.5 lbs per 16 weeks.

    Less than 1 lb per month.

    No, you are not gaining as much if any muscle as you think. LBM yes, and as study shows, that increases metabolism, which is great.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/778012-potential-muscle-gain-lifting-and-metabolism-improvement

    And yes, you can gain great strength without gaining any muscle. Unless you burn it off eating and exercising wrong.
  • xoTalim
    xoTalim Posts: 212 Member
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    I'm going through this same thing. It's really frustrating. I look in the mirror and don't see much of a difference in how I looked when I first started my diet. Everyone says they can see a difference but I just don't. I've been losing pounds and my clothes are getting big on me now but I just feel so discouraged when I don't see a difference myself. I took some before pics as well as some more recent pics. Maybe I should take some more soon and compare.

    Don't give up. I'm sure you'll start to see those pounds coming off soon. :)

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