Is it possible to not lose weight but just inches?

Wimbledongal
Wimbledongal Posts: 64 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there - I have been losing and gaining the same 2 or 3 lbs for the past 4 months....
Meanwhile I walk at least 10k steps (fitbit) per day and see a trainer once a week and do body pump twice a week and spin occasionally.
The good thing is that since December I have lost 5 inches from hips, 4 from waist and 3 from bust and feel much more toned. The weight just isn't budging! I am 200lbs today, 5'9. I am eating at 20% below my TDEE and following the roadmap. I am eating more protein and reducing carbs especially in the evening.
I know that it's inches that count but I'd really like to lose some weight by my wedding in June - any thoughts gratefully received.
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Replies

  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
    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
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    Yes I believe it is completely possible. We have very similar stats, last summer I stayed at 205 for 5 months but went down 2 dress sizes and everyone kept telling me how skinny I was getting. I lift heavy 4 times/week and do a bit of cardio so I'm sure that has a lot to with it. Since I'm still hovering around 200 but still wearing the smaller size.
  • ElizabethKG1983
    ElizabethKG1983 Posts: 76 Member
    I was wondering about this too! I have gone down a size and feel like I look much more toned but the weight is not going down very fast!
  • Wimbledongal
    Wimbledongal Posts: 64 Member
    It's silly isn't it really - I am feeling great and getting compliments but it is the psychological thing of actually losing lbs!
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    It's silly isn't it really - I am feeling great and getting compliments but it is the psychological thing of actually losing lbs!

    I know! Such a hard thing to grasp! I look at it like this "Even if I'm not losing scale weight, I look better, feel better, I'm stronger, I'm much more confident, others do notice and I am way better off than I was 5 years ago before I started this lifestyle."
  • nicruns
    nicruns Posts: 201 Member
    I have HIP-envy!!!
  • bioniccheese
    bioniccheese Posts: 43
    Inches are certainly the main thing for me, weight is not an issue but I am a chap so it's a bit different. You should certainly be proud because losing that many inches easy. It's great you're feeling better too, I am sure the lb's will follow.
  • tisha_rae
    tisha_rae Posts: 216 Member
    yep, it's possible.

    5 lbs of fat & 5 lbs of muscle weigh the same 5lbs!!!!

    BUT the muscle you have built takes up much less space - - - so you see inches lost instead lbs. :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    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.
  • heatherhbeardall
    heatherhbeardall Posts: 6
    So glad you posted this! I have been struggling with the same thing. Down 3-4 inches around my waist and hips but only down 4 lbs on the scale. I agree with you, I know it is silly to focus on the scale rather than getting smaller, but I can't help it. You see people loosing 5 lbs a week and wonder "what am I doing wrong". Sorry I am not much help, but know that I totally understand where you are coming from!
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    before my kids, I lost a lot of inches. I lost 2-3 pants sizes and didn't lose any weight at all. It was kinda surprising, but cool.
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,585 Member
    Yes, it's possible. I've only lost a couple of pounds in the last 3 or 4 months but am much smaller, sod the scales! :flowerforyou:
  • perfectionisntme
    perfectionisntme Posts: 205 Member
    You and I are in the same boat and following the same plan. My thought on it is, forget the scale. If the clothes are getting smaller, why does the scale even matter? If thats what's happening, then it show how fit you are. It become a good number. So, don't let it fool you.

    Good luck! You're dong great!
  • MizSaz
    MizSaz Posts: 445 Member
    Absolutely- muscle and fat don't have the same density.
  • NaturalinCO
    NaturalinCO Posts: 164 Member
    Yes I believe it is completely possible. We have very similar stats, last summer I stayed at 205 for 5 months but went down 2 dress sizes and everyone kept telling me how skinny I was getting. I lift heavy 4 times/week and do a bit of cardio so I'm sure that has a lot to with it. Since I'm still hovering around 200 but still wearing the smaller size.

    Exactly. We too have similar stats, but I've been stuck at same number since last March - :( I only just realized it's been a YEAR at the same weight. But I can wear smallest size I've been at since I had my daughter 12 yrs ago, so something is working. To answer your question, yes, I'm living proof...for better or for worse. And regarding your wedding, just keep doing what you're doing because you will notice inches lost far more than pounds!! Congrats btw.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Just means you are eating at a very small deficit to burn fat, but still increase LBM (maybe muscle if new at lifting).

    Eventually, if truly at a deficit, you'll increase LBM for all it is able to, and then just the fat will drop.

    If not really at a deficit, you can keep trading fat for LBM at a very slow pace. And if working out for a while and done with initial gains, that is probably what is actually happening - no deficit really in place. That could be because of under-eating for level of activity and body too stressed to allow a deficit so it slowed down, or just eating too much.

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

    If lifting though, and really want the weight down to, just have to accept not making progress in the lifting, plateau the progress you might say, and just lose the fat and weight.
    That means bigger deficit. More protein and the lifting will retain muscle mass you got, so no concern there.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    Yup. :)
  • reyna99
    reyna99 Posts: 489 Member
    I weigh about the same that I did last year at this time, but i'm 3 sizes smaller!
    and hello muscle :))

    When it come to health and fitness the scale doesn't know anything/ :noway:
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    If you are losing inches and getting skinnier, why do you care what the scale says? Why would it even matter? Unless you're the type to brag about how much she weighs...which I hope is not the case, cuz that's just classless.

    Screw the scale, it jut gives you a meaningless number. It does not accurately tell you how healthy/strong/beautiful you really are.
  • Mamalea32
    Mamalea32 Posts: 134
    My weight has been a steady 116 but people say I lost weight even though I didn't. I think I firmed up a bit, which means my muscle gain has been equal to any fat loss that may have occured. Muscle weights more than fat!
  • IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym
    IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym Posts: 5,573 Member
    it is definitely possible to lose inches and not weight. In fact, I've gained weight (on purpose) and lost inches, because I lost body fat.
  • soni_me
    soni_me Posts: 95 Member
    Absolutely possible. The scale hasn't moved in a couple of weeks, but I can feel muscle definition I've never had and all of my current clothes are too big.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Been there - six months bouncing up & down the same few pounds, but lost fat & inches and dropped a full pants size during that time.

    Nobody is going to compliment you on a scale number they can't see, but they WILL see you getting slimmer and fitter and looking awesome due to less fat and inches!
  • Lt_Starbuck
    Lt_Starbuck Posts: 576 Member
    #doingitright
  • cparkburke
    cparkburke Posts: 27 Member
    Hi! When I look at your diary, it's clear that your eating, exercise, and journaling habits are exemplary. Nice!

    Losing inches but not weight is common when you've got the right exercise plan but are still eating too many calories. Your plan of staying under 20-25% TDEE is fine in theory, so my best guess is that your estimated calories for exercise, base metabolism, or both is too high. For example, circuit training and spinning typically doesn't burn as many calories as it advertises. The estimate for strength training looks about right.

    Since you're going up and down on 3-4 pounds, I'm thinking you only need to make an adjustment of about 100-200 calories per day to see some weight loss. A couple of ways to adjust for the high estimates:
    (1) Change your profile to "sedentary" if it's not already set to that.
    (2) Change your goal to lose 1/2 pound/week.
    (3) Stay 25-30% under TDEE instead of 20-25%.

    Good luck! Please feel free to friend me! Would love to see your progress! I use Fitbit, too, and I think you would motivate me! :-)
  • mikeyrs
    mikeyrs Posts: 176 Member
    Yes, it's absolute possible. I too follow the 10,000 steps per day program and I also do Yoga, Circuit Training with a PT, cardio workouts at the gym, etc. and I have not lost more than 6.5 pounds since January. But my waist measurement shrunk by more than four inches since December, when I first started measuring my waist. I then began tracking my Body Fat using a handheld Omron % Body Fat Monitor and found my body fat had dropped from 30% to 24% during that same time period. Until that point, I was getting frustrated by a seemingly endless plateau during a time period where I was unrelenting in my commitment to a strict low-calorie diet and rigorous exercise until I discovered that I've significantly, but not completely, transformed my body composition into a lot more lean mass.

    FYI... one day of water (8 cups) totals 64 ounces and weighs 4 pounds. If you want to see a 4 to 5 pound weight loss or more within a week or two, start consuming fresh Parsley with all your proteins and add fresh Dandelion leaves to your salads and to your sandwiches. These are both really great natural diuretics that are very effective at correcting and maintaining sodium balance within your body chemistry and offer the added bonuses of enormous boosts in Potassium and Magnesium, not to mention Vitamins A, B, C, and D. So, you get a diuretic effect (if you need it) but you don't deplete your essential minerals or spike your blood sugar in the process of shedding excess water weight (which prescription diuretics are well known for). There are Hydration charts and tables that can tell you how much water your body needs for your age and weight and you can also find out through a standard blood test how much sodium your body contains if you're interested. But rest assured, your body is typically very effective at self-regulating its sodium balance and fluid balance unless it becomes super-saturated with both. Then, a little help from Parsley and Dandelion can really make a significant difference to your weight and your level of optimism.
  • Wimbledongal
    Wimbledongal Posts: 64 Member
    Thanks for all the comments everyone I know it isn't a bad issue to have but 200lbs just sounds so heavy for a bride to be! I'll just have to wow them with my toned body!
  • yesmikan
    yesmikan Posts: 98 Member
    But rest assured, your body is typically very effective at self-regulating its sodium balance and fluid balance unless it becomes super-saturated with both.
    OK. So then why do I need the diuretic?
  • mikeyrs
    mikeyrs Posts: 176 Member
    But rest assured, your body is typically very effective at self-regulating its sodium balance and fluid balance unless it becomes super-saturated with both.
    OK. So then why do I need the diuretic?

    I'm not sure you do need a diuretic. Your doctor can determine that through a blood test. But, if you drink four pounds of water a day and you only shed three or less of those pounds a day, you'll probably know better than I if you feel bloated or not. Swollen ankles or a swollen ring finger and other common indicators might be a valid clue your kidneys are not keeping up with your water intake, and might need a little assistance. That's when I'd try fresh Parsley and fresh Dandelion leaves in my salad or on my sandwich. I recommend avoiding prescription diuretics if possible. Prescription diuretics tend to deplete essential minerals such as Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium and antagonize an elevation in blood sugar.
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    Are you sure you are eating 20% below TDEE - it seems you are actually just about eating at your BMR.....and then doing massive exercise on top of that.....

    I am also 5'9, and weigh 213lbs and my BMR is 1990 - TdEE is around 2700 from memory......Looking at your exercise logged I would be very surprised if yours is not very similar.....

    I kept "fighting" accepting those numbers, but after months of losing the same 5 kg's over and over i am now actually trying to eat 2100 to 2300 calories a day - and what do you know - the scale is moving!!

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