Losing inches but not weight

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betterhealth2010
betterhealth2010 Posts: 53
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone
I'm doing what I am suppose to as far as exercising and eating but my scale is not moving. However, I am losing inches. I didn't know why so I did some research and found this article on www.about.com.

Focus on Fat Loss, Not Weight Loss

When you talk about losing weight, what you usually mean is slimming down. But slimming down doesn't always mean losing weight. It may sound odd, but it's possible to get thinner without actually seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight may stay the same, even as you lose inches, a sign that you're moving in the right direction. But, if the scale doesn't change, you may not even be aware that you're getting real results. Knowing the difference between losing weight and losing body fat can change how you get results and may even change how you look at your own body.

Is there any truth to this?

Replies

  • mlgrimmer
    mlgrimmer Posts: 6 Member
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    Yes! I had the same thing happen to me - didn't lost any weight for 2 weeks and got very frustrated. But when I went in for my first weigh-in and measurement after a month, I had lost 6 pounds of body fat! Everything you quoted from your research is true. I can also tell you that even though my scale didn't show a decrease for 2 weeks, my pants did. I think that is all the proof I need now.
    Good luck and just keep doing what you are supposed to be doing!
  • ReneDavidson
    ReneDavidson Posts: 86 Member
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    Boy , I hope so!!!! Maybe I'll go do my measurements...with all the sweating and exercise something has got to be going on!!
  • KristiMillner08
    KristiMillner08 Posts: 66 Member
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    There is absolutely truth to that article. My doctor has a special scale that is a body fat analyzer. It measures my body fat, muscle mass and even water weight. When I was exercising a lot, I was not losing weight on the scale, but my print out showed that I was losing fat and gaining muscle. My percentage of body fat was dropping like a rock. Keep it up. Basically what will eventually happen is all that muscle will increase your metabolism and your body will begin to naturally burn more fat. The scale WILL eventually move, but during the muscle building process it will not show it a whole lot. Keep in mind that you may want to incorporate more cardio into your workout. This will help the scale move some during this process. GOOD LUCK and DON'T give up.
  • ddss37
    ddss37 Posts: 36 Member
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    Yes - this is true; but, I can tell you from experience - it can be frustrating! That is why I use a variety of measurements to keep me motivated. I use weight, inches from head to toe, amount of minutes exercising, clothes sizes, blood pressure, amount and type of sleep, etc.

    To give you my example - I started November 1st with focusing on better food and exercise. My scale says I have lost about 7 pounds - not very motivating. But, my body fat and muscle tests show that I have lost 12 pounds of fat and gained 4 pounds of muscle. That's 16 pounds of GOOD! So - I am feeling great about my results.

    Hope that helps - blessings on your journey!

    Donna

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