Numbers are killing me

firstsip
firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm starting to go a little crazy here.

I've literally been stuck between 157-158 for 2+ months... but I've lost plenty of inches, my clothes are all loose (not lose), etc.

Great, great... I know the scale means nothing.

But even when I plug in my inches to calculators across the web, my body fat stays pretty steady at 26%... so even the inches I keep losing don't seem to be doing that much.

Obviously I'm not going to suddenly "stop" doing what I'm doing, and I have no thyroid and all the fun issues that go with that, so maybe that's why the number on the scale doesn't change...

But it's disconcerting when I've lost so many inches, I'm definitely healthy... but even the body fat % doesn't change much? It appears I have to lose more weight to get lower on that...

But the number on the scale stays the same!
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Replies

  • notenoughspeed
    notenoughspeed Posts: 290 Member
    Maybe you need to confuse your muscles. If you've been doing the same routine, try to switch things up. You could be plateauing. I don't quite know your food and exercise, but I know, if what you have been doing isn't getting you there, time to try something different. What types of exercise do you normally do?

    EDIT I also noticed "Beer" in your profile. If you still love beer, maybe it's time to put down the pint for a minute. Again, I don't know your lifestyle, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices for other things we want.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Maybe you need to confuse your muscles. If you've been doing the same routine, try to switch things up. You could be plateauing. I don't quite know your food and exercise, but I know, if what you have been doing isn't getting you there, time to try something different. What types of exercise do you normally do?

    The thing is, I'm not "plateauing"... I am constantly losing inches. It just doesn't seem to be enough, at my weight, to change the body fat % reading.

    On this note, I linked to those "different women at body fat %" pictures, and my male best friend and my fiance both thought I looked like the 35% model...

    So wow, this is becoming a morning of crippling insecurity.
  • notenoughspeed
    notenoughspeed Posts: 290 Member
    I hear ya. Shiiiii___, I don't even want to know what my body fat range would be. Probably high 40s. It gets tough. The other day, I was hitting a wall at 304 for nearly a week. I ended up eating a pretty low calorie day mixed up with some P90x. I broke the leveling off with that. What kinds of exercise do you love to do?
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    I do everything, and I switch it up. Biking, walking, HIIT jogging, rock climbing, swimming (when it was warm), lifting weights. I do all of these frequently.
  • notenoughspeed
    notenoughspeed Posts: 290 Member
    Hmm, if you get enough exercise, maybe it is something with your calorie intake? I don't know. It has to be something. How about alcohol intake? (no judgments here)
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    ... I'm losing inches. My diary's open. Alcohol =/= instantaneous weight gain.

    This is the "motivation and support" forum.

    And don't ****ing call me sweetheart.
  • notenoughspeed
    notenoughspeed Posts: 290 Member
    My badd. Edited. I'm still new to this site. I just noticed the diary button there.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    The issue isn't, "help me look at my diary!" The issue is... I'M LOSING INCHES. CONSISTENTLY.

    Still no pound droppage.
  • BenderFitness
    BenderFitness Posts: 349
    Body fat calculators aren't very accurate. If your weight is staying the same, but you are losing inches, you are most likely losing fat.
  • notenoughspeed
    notenoughspeed Posts: 290 Member
    I wish you the best with finding your success. Maybe someone with more experience here can help. Good luck.
  • notenoughspeed
    notenoughspeed Posts: 290 Member
    I started researching the "losing inches, but no pounds" on the web. Looks like you eat healthy, and get plenty of exercise. You may be building muscle while losing fat at the same time which is why you are losing inches, but not pounds. Keep at it.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Body fat calculators aren't very accurate. If your weight is staying the same, but you are losing inches, you are most likely losing fat.

    Would you recommend calipers?
  • eileenchristine
    eileenchristine Posts: 228 Member
    Are you doing your diary every day? I looked at it and seems days were missing or meals were? Try staying around 1500 calories a day for 3 weeks, see if anything happens then? Sounds like you are working out enough. From looking at diary looks like food might be issue? Try cleaner eating, less eating out? I know when you are young its easy to eat out frequently.

    I just started my journey so dunno what else to tell you. Just log honestly daily and after looking at it, see what better choices you can make the next day. Working for me doing that.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Are you doing your diary every day? I looked at it and seems days were missing or meals were? Try staying around 1500 calories a day for 3 weeks, see if anything happens then? Sounds like you are working out enough. From looking at diary looks like food might be issue? Try cleaner eating, less eating out? I know when you are young its easy to eat out frequently.

    I just started my journey so dunno what else to tell you. Just log honestly daily and after looking at it, see what better choices you can make the next day. Working for me doing that.

    Lol, this pisses me off. I am always the person to say, "Don't use excuses, etc.," but goddamn. I DO log honestly, that's why you see the occasional 1800 calorie day (which still isn't even my TDEE which apparently is slightly over 2000).

    I have been at this a long time; I do not need to always track, I know what I'm eating, and I don't hover around a computer very often on the weekends. I cycle calories. I practice an IIFYM, with an emphasis on clean eating. I ate within my macros (seeing those little red numbers by carbs doesn't concern me when I have them set purposely low... so you know, going over by 30g on a day that puts me at maybe 120 net carbs is NOT setting me back).

    I'm not coming on here saying, "I've eaten pizza for two months, why haven't I lose weight?!"

    I'm coming on here saying that, even with consistent inches lost, the numbers on my scale are not budging.

    Really. I've lost close to four total inches in two months, but my weight STILL hasn't moved in 2+ months. I never "fluctuate" (save for my boobs round TOM), i'm not even maintaining... I'm losing. My body fat, hovering around 25-26% according to various calculators, also doesn't seem to be changing much despite losing inches.

    So, I'm losing, and my occasional day of eating out and your critique of what you think my diet is isn't preventing me from losing. The inches keep dropping, the clothes keep getting loose.

    I'm just not changing the number on the scale.

    EDIT: And I did the math, and I actually lost 2.25 inches this week, so over 5 inches since summer... and, you know, the whole offense of, "LOL I THINK YOU SHOULD EAT CLEAN." Listen lady, I'm not dropping beer or the occasional pizza. That was the first pizza I'd had in weeks. DON'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    If the inches are coming off, I'd be happy personally.

    For me, while I could see the inches on my belt, it was only as I started to get decently low that the mirror and BF% calculations really started to be nice - obviously the lower you get, while it's harder to lose a lb of fat, it also makes a much bigger difference.

    Ie, at my current weight, I'm around 12.5% BF say - so 20lb of body fat. If I lose 4lb of body fat I should be at around 10%.
    But of course the difference between where I started at 225lb and losing 4lb would be 1.5% not 2.5%, as I had more to lose - obviously partly just 'lucky' being a man I can reasonably have lower BF.

    I got my scales which do BF% for £10 (so about $15) on sale at the local supermarket.
    Calipers should be more accurate if used correctly - but really you need to get someone else who knows what they are doing to use them. I did consider getting some, but am quite happy using the mirror and my belt as a measure now.

    How are you calculating TDEE/exercise?
    What's your deficit set at?

    For me, the calories in vs calories out DOES work - but I'd certainly be happy losing inches and staying the same weight, as that'd suggest I was both losing fat and gaining muscle.
    Do you notice improvements in weights done etc?
    It's hard to say, but I generally comfort myself on 'bad days' that some of it should go towards building muscle at least - as I tend to have been climbing that day or the day before, done some other similar anaerobic stuff, etc.

    Remember that muscle underneath fat will still make your body 'look' bigger too; but as you get the fat down and down, you really start to see the 'tone' through, so the more that comes off the better you look underneath.
  • PaprikaPrincess
    PaprikaPrincess Posts: 89 Member
    You could see if you have a bodpod in your area. It's a bit of cash but it would give you an accurate baseline on your fat % - it's what they use on the biggest loser. I live outside of Akron and the University has one. It's free to employees and $50 to outsiders.

    It's a bummer that you are doing what you need to do and the weight isn't coming off. I have a favorite tumblr poster and if I can find the link I will post it. She talked of her weight coming off pretty steady and then she had a plateau for a few months. She said she changed her calories up after doing the bodpod (using the BMR calc on the Fit 2 Fat) and incorporated weight training and then she said it came off in a big woosh.

    Keep on keeping on, it will come off!
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Thanks, geeb. My TDEE is set at "1-3 days worth of exercise," when really I exercise more than that, but have justified the balance with "I work at a computer." I definitely see improvements in my strength with lifting weights 4x a week. I am almost always adding 2.5 to 5lbs weight every week. I've been eating up from 1200 to routinely around my BMR, with occasional higher days if there's an event or going out (you know, like my cake tastings if you'd read my note on my diary, eileen :grumble: )... and those NEVER tip over 2000.

    So yeah, I've actually been pretty darn happy with my progress so far, because I've gotten down to my "normal weight jean size" (although my hips are just wide set, so that doesn't really strike me as "YAY NSV."), my clothes are loose, and I have always lost inches everytime I check in.

    It was just today, I guess, where the failure to lose pounds... yet again... was negating the 2.25 inch loss (hell, my legs are now smaller than most of the ripped girls on here).

    It just gets discouraging when I think, "Well, ****, my scale isn't changing... my body fat % MUST be, right?"

    But it doesn't ever, because every body fat % calculator is still asking for my weight... hell, the Bailey one where you input more than just your wrist and waist says I'm around 22.8%... so yeah, i'm guessing the calculators across the web aren't remotely accurate enough for me to really gauge my progress that way.

    I might invest in one of those scales, even though the whole "current" going through your body makes me go :noway:

    I guess it's just the awful insecurity, former ED poking through and making me hate myself... or hormones.
  • notenoughspeed
    notenoughspeed Posts: 290 Member
    Are you doing your diary every day? I looked at it and seems days were missing or meals were? Try staying around 1500 calories a day for 3 weeks, see if anything happens then? Sounds like you are working out enough. From looking at diary looks like food might be issue? Try cleaner eating, less eating out? I know when you are young its easy to eat out frequently.

    I just started my journey so dunno what else to tell you. Just log honestly daily and after looking at it, see what better choices you can make the next day. Working for me doing that.

    Lol, this pisses me off. I am always the person to say, "Don't use excuses, etc.," but goddamn. I DO log honestly, that's why you see the occasional 1800 calorie day (which still isn't even my TDEE which apparently is slightly over 2000).

    I have been at this a long time; I do not need to always track, I know what I'm eating, and I don't hover around a computer very often on the weekends. I cycle calories. I practice an IIFYM, with an emphasis on clean eating. I ate within my macros (seeing those little red numbers by carbs doesn't concern me when I have them set purposely low... so you know, going over by 30g on a day that puts me at maybe 120 net carbs is NOT setting me back).

    I'm not coming on here saying, "I've eaten pizza for two months, why haven't I lose weight?!"

    I'm coming on here saying that, even with consistent inches lost, the numbers on my scale are not budging.

    Really. I've lost close to four total inches in two months, but my weight STILL hasn't moved in 2+ months. I never "fluctuate" (save for my boobs round TOM), i'm not even maintaining... I'm losing. My body fat, hovering around 25-26% according to various calculators, also doesn't seem to be changing much despite losing inches.

    So, I'm losing, and my occasional day of eating out and your critique of what you think my diet is isn't preventing me from losing. The inches keep dropping, the clothes keep getting loose.

    I'm just not changing the number on the scale.

    EDIT: And I did the math, and I actually lost 2.25 inches this week, so over 5 inches since summer... and, you know, the whole offense of, "LOL I THINK YOU SHOULD EAT CLEAN." Listen lady, I'm not dropping beer or the occasional pizza. That was the first pizza I'd had in weeks. DON'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME.

    I know things can be frustrating at times. Keep enjoying the things that you enjoy in moderation. If you're still seeing inches come off, the scale will eventually start going down. You know based off the inches alone, that you are becoming a healthier person each day. 2.25 inches lost in a week is fabulous! Try not to get discouraged by the darn number on that flat plate we all step on.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Are you doing your diary every day? I looked at it and seems days were missing or meals were? Try staying around 1500 calories a day for 3 weeks, see if anything happens then? Sounds like you are working out enough. From looking at diary looks like food might be issue? Try cleaner eating, less eating out? I know when you are young its easy to eat out frequently.

    I just started my journey so dunno what else to tell you. Just log honestly daily and after looking at it, see what better choices you can make the next day. Working for me doing that.

    Lol, this pisses me off. I am always the person to say, "Don't use excuses, etc.," but goddamn. I DO log honestly, that's why you see the occasional 1800 calorie day (which still isn't even my TDEE which apparently is slightly over 2000).

    I have been at this a long time; I do not need to always track, I know what I'm eating, and I don't hover around a computer very often on the weekends. I cycle calories. I practice an IIFYM, with an emphasis on clean eating. I ate within my macros (seeing those little red numbers by carbs doesn't concern me when I have them set purposely low... so you know, going over by 30g on a day that puts me at maybe 120 net carbs is NOT setting me back).

    I'm not coming on here saying, "I've eaten pizza for two months, why haven't I lose weight?!"

    I'm coming on here saying that, even with consistent inches lost, the numbers on my scale are not budging.

    Really. I've lost close to four total inches in two months, but my weight STILL hasn't moved in 2+ months. I never "fluctuate" (save for my boobs round TOM), i'm not even maintaining... I'm losing. My body fat, hovering around 25-26% according to various calculators, also doesn't seem to be changing much despite losing inches.

    So, I'm losing, and my occasional day of eating out and your critique of what you think my diet is isn't preventing me from losing. The inches keep dropping, the clothes keep getting loose.

    I'm just not changing the number on the scale.

    EDIT: And I did the math, and I actually lost 2.25 inches this week, so over 5 inches since summer... and, you know, the whole offense of, "LOL I THINK YOU SHOULD EAT CLEAN." Listen lady, I'm not dropping beer or the occasional pizza. That was the first pizza I'd had in weeks. DON'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME.

    I know things can be frustrating at times. Keep enjoying the things that make you happy in moderation. If you're still seeing inches come off, the scale will eventually start going down. You know based off the inches alone, that you are becoming a healthier person each day. 2.25 inches lost in a week is fabulous! Try not to get discouraged by the darn number on that flat plate we all step on.

    Thank you! I think the nerves of seeing my fiance's family on Thanksgiving (who have critiqued me for being both too thin and too fat in the past) is just making nothing seem right today!
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
    Throw your scale out if its "killing you". You are obliviously doing something right, 5in is huge. Your clothes are getting loose. You are gaining muscle and losing fat. Be happy!
  • hollyspoth
    hollyspoth Posts: 4 Member
    Great progress with the inches!

    I looked at your diary. I only glanced at about a week, but it looks like you eat most of your calories for the day at dinner time.

    What if you tried switching your meals around? Eat a bigger meal at lunch time instead of dinner? That might shake things up.
  • frood
    frood Posts: 295 Member
    Body fat calculators aren't very accurate. If your weight is staying the same, but you are losing inches, you are most likely losing fat.

    Would you recommend calipers?

    You could get one of those scales that do bioelectrical impedance analysis. The actual number it gives is likely not accurate, but if you use the same scale under the same conditions (time of day, water consumption, etc) for each weighing, you will be able to track your density changes over time.
  • notenoughspeed
    notenoughspeed Posts: 290 Member
    If you have a goal, don't let your fiance's family get you discouraged from achieving them. Everyone's a critic, that's for sure. You are obviously doing something right if inches are coming off in a matter of a week. It sounds like you have the determination.
  • Nerdy_Rose
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
    Internet body fat calculators rely on weight, usually. There are some that use measurements, but I feel like those are pretty inaccurate. The most accurate body fat % measurement method that I know of is the weird one where they submerge you in water, but I think it's rather pricey...

    That said, if your measurements are changing, your BF% is going down, it's just really difficult to measure.
  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
    Get your body fat tested by a gym or doctor. Calculators are estimates at best.
  • bradwsimmons74
    bradwsimmons74 Posts: 4
    Physical fitness is a life long habit. It's about being able to carry your groceries up 2 flights of stairs at 65 years old with energy left to put them away and start cooking without breaking a sweat. Body fat is not the greatest predictor of cardiovascular fitness, endurance or absolute strength. Keeping eating a healthy mix of foods, stay active (and off the scale) and smile. Genetics literally has 95% (not made up percentage) to do with your body composition. Good job and have fun!
  • minchakc
    minchakc Posts: 2
    Don't worry about. If your losing inches who cares what you weigh. I weigh 136 pounds and wear a size 2. I can't find clothes that fit me. i don't care what the scale says. It doesn't own me. I know that I am healthy, exercise, eat right and look good. Maybe your at your target weight. Ya know, sometimes you get to a weight and your just not going to loose anymore. For God's sakes, you don't want to look like a crackhead, do you? '
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    You probably want to hear something different, but oh well.

    inches > scale weight


    Don't stress! Enjoy your pant size.


    And just for fun/fyi:
    I am still wearing my pre-MFP jeans, so they are loose, but once I lose more inches like you, then I will wear a smaller size too!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Maybe you need to confuse your muscles. If you've been doing the same routine, try to switch things up. You could be plateauing. I don't quite know your food and exercise, but I know, if what you have been doing isn't getting you there, time to try something different. What types of exercise do you normally do?

    EDIT I also noticed "Beer" in your profile. If you still love beer, maybe it's time to put down the pint for a minute. Again, I don't know your lifestyle, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices for other things we want.

    Beer is just carbs. If it fits in your carb macros, then it's part of a healthy diet.
  • nznatural
    nznatural Posts: 45 Member
    If you end up going to the doctors to get your bodyfat percentage weighed, get a blood test at the same time.

    I also have no thyroid gland (no fun at all!), and I find that whenever my weight drops, my T3 levels change - I go near the hyperthyroid end of the spectrum, and usually have my thyroxine dose reduced, which helps me lose more weight.

    Yours might not be affected, but if youre heading along to the doctor anyway to get your bodyfat measured, it cant hurt to find out for sure.

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