losing inches but not weight

AmandaTheNewMe
AmandaTheNewMe Posts: 83 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am sure this has been asked already. I have been trying to lose weight for over a year now. My problem is I am losing inches from some body areas and getting bigger in others. I have been staying in the same body weight as when I first started. Is this normal?

I do weight training 3-4 days a week and walk/run three days a week increasing my runs each week.

Replies

  • dcain2
    dcain2 Posts: 102 Member
    I don't know if it's normal or not, but this happened to me too. I was stuck at the same weight for a VERY long time. I was losing inches and I lost several pant sizes but the scale hardly moved. I am happy to say that I didn't give up. I did make some changes in what I ate and added more running and I have lost more weight and moved into the lower weight range that I wanted to be in~~FINALLY. Clean eating and running made the difference for me. I hope you find what works for you, just don't give up. The scale is not the only thing that measures success.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    same issue here, but i dont see it as a problem (yet). the main goal is to lose body fat right?

    if i end up a size 4/6 and 200 pounds i'm probably not going to care because i'll be showing off my size 4/6 *kitten*, not a scale
  • DarcyGibbs
    DarcyGibbs Posts: 44
    This is ****ing great news man! It means not only are you losing fat (because fat takes up more space than muscles, so losing inches = losing fat) but you are also gaining muscle (as increased weight with absence of inches proves). This is common to people who are eating in a good range and doing strength training. Don't let the scale be your only vantage point. Can you see the difference in the mirror? I hope so, because you should. Keep going the way your going, it is obviously working well. Another thing that can affect weight A HUGE AMOUNT is when you are weighing yourself and also how much 'water weight' you have which can be changed if you are eating more or less sodium or creatine than before as well as just generally how much water you are drinking :)

    Keep up the good work mate, you are on the right path!
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    same issue here, but i dont see it as a problem (yet). the main goal is to lose body fat right?

    if i end up a size 4/6 and 200 pounds i'm probably not going to care because i'll be showing off my size 4/6 *kitten*, not a scale
    She said it.
  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    Check out my photo...then guess my weight..and ask me if I care :-)

    Hulk Hogan is 6ft 5, 290lbs and 13% fat...he doesn't care that he's nearly 300lbs.

    I hate scales for this very reason.

    Keep it up.

    Cheers
  • JenKillough
    JenKillough Posts: 474 Member
    Sounds like you're changing your body composition... losing fat while retaining and maybe even gaining muscle. Good job!
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    What matters more? The scale number or how you look and how your clothes fit.

    (Jen, I would KILL to look like that in a thong.)
  • tairaven
    tairaven Posts: 72 Member
    same issue here, but i dont see it as a problem (yet). the main goal is to lose body fat right?

    if i end up a size 4/6 and 200 pounds i'm probably not going to care because i'll be showing off my size 4/6 *kitten*, not a scale

    Same issue here too! Scale won't budge, but I just bought clothes in another smaller size! Cool, but kinda depressing not to get those "woot ya lost" messages.
  • amann1976
    amann1976 Posts: 742 Member
    250lbs @ 10% fat is not the same as 250lbs @27% fat

    so as others as said if you are losing inches from your frame that is a good thing that just means you are getting leaner...

    start measuring your body as measurements are the true indications of success not just a number on the scale...
  • ttknowles01
    ttknowles01 Posts: 255 Member
    same issue here, but i dont see it as a problem (yet). the main goal is to lose body fat right?

    if i end up a size 4/6 and 200 pounds i'm probably not going to care because i'll be showing off my size 4/6 *kitten*, not a scale

    What she said :-)
  • pullipgirl
    pullipgirl Posts: 767 Member
    It means you are getting smaller in size this is good
  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    Woot..ya lost! Inches and a pant size! Yay

    :-)


    same issue here, but i dont see it as a problem (yet). the main goal is to lose body fat right?

    if i end up a size 4/6 and 200 pounds i'm probably not going to care because i'll be showing off my size 4/6 *kitten*, not a scale

    Same issue here too! Scale won't budge, but I just bought clothes in another smaller size! Cool, but kinda depressing not to get those "woot ya lost" messages.
  • schondell
    schondell Posts: 556 Member
    You can never be 200 lbs and a size 4 unless you're extremely tall, jsyk
  • Z3NN4
    Z3NN4 Posts: 58 Member
    same issue here, but i dont see it as a problem (yet). the main goal is to lose body fat right?

    if i end up a size 4/6 and 200 pounds i'm probably not going to care because i'll be showing off my size 4/6 *kitten*, not a scale

    I wish I had your attitude, girl! The scale is pissing me off so bad. I did some calculating and realized that I've lost near 10% of my body weight since August but I'm still closer to 300lbs than 200 and I can't help but feel defeated, even coming to the notion that for the first time in my adult life I am not morbidly obese. According to the new calculations I am 99.5 lbs of fat and 185.5 lbs of lean body mass. Also, I've lost 8 inches off of my bust, 6 inches off of my hips and waist and 4 inches off of my belly putting my heart in a much healthier spot than it was a few months ago. I realize that this is quite the accomplishment but I loathe the number popping up on the scale...:explode:
  • joannathechef
    joannathechef Posts: 484 Member
    Check out my photo...then guess my weight..and ask me if I care :-)

    Hulk Hogan is 6ft 5, 290lbs and 13% fat...he doesn't care that he's nearly 300lbs.

    I hate scales for this very reason.

    Keep it up.

    Cheers

    I think
    185
  • lrcross
    lrcross Posts: 42
    I am sort of hating this as well; so I backed off lifting for a week-and a half and lost two pounds. I was going to pick up lifting again this week, but I do not know...
  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    Wayyyyyy higher....
  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    Wayyyy higher....lol
    Check out my photo...then guess my weight..and ask me if I care :-)

    Hulk Hogan is 6ft 5, 290lbs and 13% fat...he doesn't care that he's nearly 300lbs.

    I hate scales for this very reason.

    Keep it up.

    Cheers

    I think
    185
  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
    Funny story. I hadn't weighed since last January. Then our life insurance was up for renewal so the nurse came and did her thing. So I get on the scale and she goes...oh, that's wrong..makes me get off, turns it off, turns it on, I get back on...she goes...I think the batteries are dead but I just changed them.

    I say no, that is likely accurate with a shrug. And she goes..."but...you're SMALL" with big eyes. I explain about working out, body composition etc.

    Even funnier..she was my height, weighed 30lbs lighter and was a size bigger....

    I will not weigh again for another ten years...when my insurance is again up for renewal...because it just doesn't matter.
  • Dementedllama
    Dementedllama Posts: 177 Member
    It's normal. You're replacing fat with muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. Some people actually GAIN weight and get discouraged. But it's not the number on the scale you should be focusing on at all. It's all in the measurments! Keep working. :)
  • zindasgru
    zindasgru Posts: 6 Member
    your doing really well bud, loosing inches but staying the same weight it kinda what you should be doing. i only weigh myself once a week and never on a Monday! only using this as i guide for my HRM and MFP to guage my calorie intake for the week. never ever take the weight on the scales as gospel, weigh in at 0730 and then 1430 the same day and the difference will be quite substantial!
  • mjrkearney
    mjrkearney Posts: 408 Member
    If you're trying to bulk up with heavy lifting, you can actually gain weight while burning off excess calories. You may be losing fat but unless you're starving yourself, your "extra" weight is just beautiful lean meat.
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
    I just hit my 80 days here(although I was here at the beginning of theyear-took summer off to train for a 1/2 marathon and then came back). In 80 days, I've lost a whopping 2 pounds. But I can see my triceps, quads, calf muscles and my stomach has lost about an inch, maybe more. I'm lifting 4x a week for about 30 minutes and then was doing 20-30 min cardio, but the past 3 days switched it up to 50-60 min cardio in addition to the weight training. I'd rather LOOK like I lost weight than actually lose it. But I will admit, it is SO hard to step on the scale and see the same freakin' number week in and week out. I wish they'd remove that "If you eat like this, you'll weigh _____ in 4 weeks" crap from the food diary. It has NEVER worked for me and ticks me off!LOL I measure about every 2 weeks, and THOSE are the days I'm happy when i log my progress:-)

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