Can someone explain the physics in dummy terms?

micheleb15
micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am losing inches, but not weight, which I am completely fine with. I just want to understand how/why it happens. I know I am not gaining pounds of muscle, but losing about 6 inches all over, in my head I feel like I should have at least lost 2-3 pounds with so many inches lost. So what makes the scale not move? What am I gaining that counteracts the inches lost? Is it still water? The scale number means absolutely nothing and I only weigh about once every 3-4 weeks, I am just interested so I can be more knowledgable about what my body is going through.

SW - (6 weeks ago) 154
CW - 154.8

FYI, I am 5'2 eat around 1600-1900 calories a day an do insanity 5 times a week with upper body weights.

Replies

  • DhiaUK
    DhiaUK Posts: 28 Member
    In simple terms: your body composition is changing.

    1 pound of fat = 1 pound of muscle. However, since muscle is denser, 1 pound of muscle takes up less space than 1 pound of fat in the same way that 1 pound of gold takes up much less space than 1 pound of feathers.

    Thus if you reduce fat and increase muscle you will lose inches.

    Hope that helps.
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
    While you are losing fat your muscles are retaining more water and glycogen to facilitate (function, repair, recover) your increased activity level. This why they will appear bigger, but not actually "gain" muscle mass. It's perfectly normal. And perfectly healthy. You body is essentially getting rid of stuff it shouldn't have and putting those recources to work where they should be.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    Thanks! As long as I am getting smaller, I must be doing something right.

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