Losing inches

misssmarita
misssmarita Posts: 130
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5"3, 277 lbs, 22 years old, and at the very beginning of my weight loss journey. I've never been very into measuring inches as a way of assessing how you're doing/what you've accomplished, even though I've been told it's a good way to go, because the scale will sometimes play tricks on you when you have a losing-fat-but-gaining-muscle thing going on. So my question is: what kind of inch loss can I expect to see? I know it's different for everyone, and it depends on where you lose weight from first, but roughly? What has your inch loss been like? If it makes any difference: I'm quite big everywhere, but I think I carry a lot of my excess weight around my middle.

Replies

  • toomuchbootyindapants
    toomuchbootyindapants Posts: 811 Member
    Uhm, lots of them.

    Focus on getting your waist and hip measurements to a healthy number.
  • sandradev1
    sandradev1 Posts: 786 Member
    Yes, as you lose weight you will also lose inches its true. How many inches will depend on what type of exercise you do. I do not know your stats, but I will tell you mine.

    I started on here in October 2012 I am 5ft 6ins and I weighed 181 lbs. I did Jillian Michaels 30 day shred first and then changed over to heavy lifting and am doing Stronglifts 5 x 5 and some light cardio on a treadmill on non-lifting days.

    I am currently 168 lbs and have 18 lbs to go to get to my goal.

    My measurements were/are as follows:

    Chest was 41 inches is now 37 inches
    My wait was 37 inches is now 31 inches
    My hips were 44.5 inches and are now 41.5 inches.


    I know that besides having a healthy deficit of calories for weight loss, the 30DS but particularly the heavy lifting is what is changing my shape mostly.

    Hope this helps.
  • okeedokee5
    okeedokee5 Posts: 46 Member
    Hi!

    First off, congrats on starting your weight loss journey. Unfortunately, it's hard to tell what kind of inch loss to expect because everyone is so different. So I'll just tell you my experience and maybe that might help a little. I'm 5'2, and when I started I weighed 227. At the beginning, I did not rely on inches lost. I had so much extra weight to lose, that the scale worked in my favor at the beginning. Although I did some strength and weight training, a good chunk of my focus was on cardio exercises in order to burn calories and get rid of the weight. I took the measurements that MFP suggests (neck, waist, hips) but didn't pay much attention to them, really (and honestly, still don't). When I got down to about 165 and heavily increased the weight training (therefore gaining muscle) the scale stalled out, and I've had to work at putting my effort on focusing on how my clothes fit and my body fat percentage instead of the scale number. Currently, I'm down to 142. I originally had a goal weight of 125, but I'm not positive how attainable that is, or if I'll even look good at that number. I have a goal body fat percentage of 20%... so I guess whatever number is on the scale when I get there will ultimately be my goal.

    People say to go by inches because yes, the scale can be very mean and it plays mind tricks. It will ultimately stall out and that's when people get frustrated and give up. Although I've been very frustrated over the past 4 months because of the slow-down, I've kept pushing forward and I've seen a lot of changes in my general physique that the scale isn't picking up on. I've dropped pant sizes with the scale barely moving because I've replaced fat with muscle.

    Hope that helps! Keep pushing!
  • mayflowermn
    mayflowermn Posts: 52 Member
    Good advice from everyone!!

    Definitely take measurements! I have roughly the same measurements I had when I lost a ton of weight a few years ago.....however, I am roughly 10 - 15 lbs heavier! Difference being I didn't starve myself like last time and I've made a lifestyle change and commitment that allows me to enjoy food and really get my body into shape (completely in love with lifting heavy!).

    So take those measurements girlfriend! : ) And best of luck with your journey! Remember....we're all in this together and pulling for ya!!!

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