Is it normal to lose weight but not inches?

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paradisochick
paradisochick Posts: 83
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I guess me title asks all I want to know. Lately I have been dropping the pounds (only about 15 so far) but I have not lost any inches anywhere (boobs, waist, hips, legs, arms etc.)

Is this normal? I started this with the mindset that it's okay if I didn't drop any weight on the scale but as long as I saw the inches dropping, it'd make me happy. That hasn't happened yet ....

I have about 95 lbs to go - Im sure those inches will drop off eventually, but at this point in time that number on the scale doesn't mean anything to me if I still think I look the same and my clothes are not fitting any differently. I was really counting on those loss of inches for a pick me up because at this point I feel like giving up. You'd think I'd be happy with the scale telling me differently but to me, I'm still the same.

Replies

  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
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    If you've got a lot to lose it can take a little while to really start to see it. I was 250 lbs when I started here 2 years ago before getting pregnant and it was around 225-230 lbs that I really started to see a difference. And then I dropped straight from a size 22 to a size 18!

    You may also be retaining water--try tracking and cutting sodium, and water bombing to flush it out (try drinking 10-12 cups per day).
  • MamaWeil2018
    MamaWeil2018 Posts: 62 Member
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    I've noticed the same thing- lost a little bit in measurements at first but then stopped dead. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, it will happen eventually!
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
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    Are you doing a little exercise as well?

    Are you measuring all over legs/arms/tummy/chest?

    The reason I mention exercise is because if you have another 95lbs to go if you do not start now with some exercise/toning you will find that you have some excess skin(flabby bits) that you will struggle to get into shape.

    I did not start with weights at the start because I did not think I would succeed in losing weight. I just walked a lot. After the first 25lbs - 30lbs I started doing some strength/resistance exercises. I wish I would have started to do them at the very beginning and had more faith in myself.

    What I am getting to is keep up the good work, but add some/more exercise to get good results
  • paradisochick
    paradisochick Posts: 83
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    Thanks for the responses -

    I walk on the treadmill about 5 times a week for an hour. I also do some very light strength training 2-3 times a week, focusing more on my abdomen and upper body than legs.

    Im new to this and for some reason, I was really wanting to see those loss in inches more than the weight dropping off ... its great that Im losing the weight but its still hard to look in the mirror and not see a "change". I guess that will take a while before before I start noticing a difference.
  • paradisochick
    paradisochick Posts: 83
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    By light strength traiining, I mean about 25-30 lbs for my arms and just some normal sit ups on the mat. I find it hard to even squeeze into the abdomen machine LOL
  • wikitbikit
    wikitbikit Posts: 518 Member
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    I think I may be the same way, maybe... but I think it's actually a problem with measuring myself. If it's not exactly the same place, same tightness, same phase of the moon, whatever, it's going to feel like--at best--nothing is happening, or possibly that I'm even gaining inches, egad! I just recently ordered a MyoTape for about $5 which I'm hoping will make it easier to account for at least some of those variables and let me actually bask in the awesomeness of shrinking.
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
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    Thanks for the responses -

    I walk on the treadmill about 5 times a week for an hour. I also do some very light strength training 2-3 times a week, focusing more on my abdomen and upper body than legs.

    Im new to this and for some reason, I was really wanting to see those loss in inches more than the weight dropping off ... its great that Im losing the weight but its still hard to look in the mirror and not see a "change". I guess that will take a while before before I start noticing a difference.
    Yes it's normal and there are plenty of places on the body you can't measure so you could be losing it from there.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
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    If you want some free exercise to follow try www.hasfit.com there are so many tutorials that you can follow to help you. I have been using some of their 12min routines and can already feel and see the results.

    Good luck you can do it :smile:
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I hope so because I haven't lost any inches yet. But I have started doing more strength training so hopefully that will change soon.
  • TripleJ3
    TripleJ3 Posts: 945 Member
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    That is a great mindset to have about worrying less about scale weight and more about inches. In the past I had lost 30 pounds but remained the same clothing size. My goal is clothing size and Ill take whatever number the scale gives me. Its such a terrible judgement of what the "weight" is.

    I like to think of it as the more muscle I have the more I weigh. The more I weigh, the more I get to eat!!
  • triggsta
    triggsta Posts: 140
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    If you want to lose more inches, I would suggest more strength training. Cardio will only get you so far, and you may actually end up losing more LBM than BF, which would only lower your body's metabolism. Strength training leads to muscle which burns fat, which is the ultimate goal in losing weight.

    If you are uncomfortable working with weights, I highly recommend getting a personal trainer or going to bootcamps at a gym. Even a month with them will give you invaluable advice on how to do a 30-60 minute strength training session that you can do on your own. If they are a good trainer, they will give you some sort of workout plan so you only see them once a week but you're strength training 3x+/week and set you up for success once you have exhausted your sessions with them (if you find it expensive and can't continue).
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
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    I agree about measuring different places. My waist has barely budged at all, but I've lost 2 inches around my ribs right under my breasts.
  • paradisochick
    paradisochick Posts: 83
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    Thanks ladies - I will for sure up the strengh training side of things. I always thought it'd be better to drop the weight and then tone up but now I see differently. It never occured to me to strengh train more to see more results in inches lost.

    THANKS!!!
  • paradisochick
    paradisochick Posts: 83
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    If you want some free exercise to follow try www.hasfit.com there are so many tutorials that you can follow to help you. I have been using some of their 12min routines and can already feel and see the results.

    Good luck you can do it :smile:

    Just checked this site out - looks pretty awesome! I like that a lot of it I can do at home. Thanks! :happy:
  • Froody2
    Froody2 Posts: 338 Member
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    Perhaps you are losing visceral fat (which is a very good thing). Additionally, you could be losing it from places you haven't measured - back, neck, arms, face etc ...
  • paradisochick
    paradisochick Posts: 83
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    Hopefully some of it's from my face ... this double chin has got to go! LOL ...

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