Q about Insanity

Star_1234
Star_1234 Posts: 123 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Im half way through Insanity, Im losing inches more than Im seeing a loss in lbs which is common on this type of program.

Does that mean that I am losing fat and gaining muscle-hence why im losing inches and because muscle weighs more than fat, i am not seeing a big drop on the scales?

Replies

  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    It means that water retention for muscle repair is likely masking your weight loss for the time being. Weight fluctuates a lot regardless, and when you first start an exercise routine it can get hard to pinpoint your actual losses for awhile.
  • maxphia32
    maxphia32 Posts: 99 Member
    Just started Chalean Extreme a month ago, and the scale has been slow to move but I lost 13.5 inches in a month. Did you by any chance take your measurements? I think the inches lost is a bigger success then the number on the scale... Good luck! :smile:
  • sweetiebt
    sweetiebt Posts: 18 Member
    Stara - the same thing happened to me last year wehn I was doing Insanity. I only lost 2 lbs through the 1.5 months I did it, but lost loads of inches (2 pant sizes). It is because you are gaining muscle which weighs more than fat. When I stopped doing Insanity last year I lost around 8lbs over the course of the next month!!! I was losing the muscles I had built up...the inches is what really matters so keep focusing on that and not the weight!! Keep with it...
  • tkdgirlms
    tkdgirlms Posts: 73
    Muscle does NOT, I repeat, NOT weigh more then fat!! 1 pound of muscle = 1 pound of fat! Muscle is more compact then fat but weighs the same.
  • amcanally1
    amcanally1 Posts: 9 Member
    ^^^This. Apound is apound regardless of what material. The difference here lies in composition. Obviously 1 lb of fat will look different on your body if it is replaced with 1 lb of muscle. The scale may not move as much as you would like but I am sure visually there will be a difference. You will start to look more lean. I like to take pics of myself so i can actually see the change that I might not see on the scale.
  • tRiNaBeAnZz
    tRiNaBeAnZz Posts: 114 Member
    Hey there!
    I just completed Insanity last month. I lost around 4lbs but I lost 3 inches off my waist, and much more in my back and hips. It's hard, but try not to step on the scale as much. That number does not define you. Are your clothes fitting looser? Do you have more energy? The way you feel is much more important than a number.
  • Daws387
    Daws387 Posts: 46 Member
    Reading these responses concerns me a little. I just finished Insanity last week and I've decided to restart it this week. I lost about 30 lbs total and a little over 4 inches around my waist. So my weight was much more impacted than my waist. 4 inches is a lot for a guy I think; I need new pants and a new belt. I've also been lifting heavy in the gym to keep from losing muscle.

    Here's my issue...I have one of those scales that measure BMI, bodyfat, water % and muscle mass. My muscle mass has fluctuated very little; about 2 lbs above or below where I started. my water % increased 3 percentage points, my bf has decreased 4 percentage points, and my BMI decreased by 2. Am I missing something? Is it possible that the scale just isn't that accurate? For the most part I've still been making gains in the weight room and I feel stronger, but the amount of weight I lost compared to eveyone else worries me that I may be secretly losing muscle. Also i'm 6'2", not sure how much of a difference height makes.

    Any thoughts?
  • Star_1234
    Star_1234 Posts: 123 Member
    Thank you everyone for your responses.So my understanding is that.. when losing weight on a low calory diet, we lose fat/muscle so the lbs on the scales drop off easily. When doing insanity on a calory deficit, we are gaining muscle while losing fat simultaneously, hence why the scales dont change much.

    I am losing inches and have taken before and after pics to track my progress and will stop weighing myself.

    Daws387-Congratulations on completing Insanity! Sorry I cant help with your questions as I dont have that type of scales but maybe someone on here might.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Reading these responses concerns me a little. I just finished Insanity last week and I've decided to restart it this week. I lost about 30 lbs total and a little over 4 inches around my waist. So my weight was much more impacted than my waist. 4 inches is a lot for a guy I think; I need new pants and a new belt. I've also been lifting heavy in the gym to keep from losing muscle.

    Here's my issue...I have one of those scales that measure BMI, bodyfat, water % and muscle mass. My muscle mass has fluctuated very little; about 2 lbs above or below where I started. my water % increased 3 percentage points, my bf has decreased 4 percentage points, and my BMI decreased by 2. Am I missing something? Is it possible that the scale just isn't that accurate? For the most part I've still been making gains in the weight room and I feel stronger, but the amount of weight I lost compared to eveyone else worries me that I may be secretly losing muscle. Also i'm 6'2", not sure how much of a difference height makes.

    Any thoughts?

    Those scales are not very accurate. They're decent for tracking trends over time but that's about it. Your hydration level will impact the read a lot.

    You may lose a little muscle, but the main thing is to get enough protein, lift weights, and make your deficit moderate.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Thank you everyone for your responses.So my understanding is that.. when losing weight on a low calory diet, we lose fat/muscle so the lbs on the scales drop off easily. When doing insanity on a calory deficit, we are gaining muscle while losing fat simultaneously, hence why the scales dont change much.

    I am losing inches and have taken before and after pics to track my progress and will stop weighing myself.

    Daws387-Congratulations on completing Insanity! Sorry I cant help with your questions as I dont have that type of scales but maybe someone on here might.

    You're not going to be gaining a lot of muscle. Even if you're lifting and you're experiencing so-called newbie gains, it's not going to be pounds of muscle. More like ounces.

    What you will see is water retention in your muscles, which is part of the repair process.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html
  • Star_1234
    Star_1234 Posts: 123 Member
    Thank you everyone for your responses.So my understanding is that.. when losing weight on a low calory diet, we lose fat/muscle so the lbs on the scales drop off easily. When doing insanity on a calory deficit, we are gaining muscle while losing fat simultaneously, hence why the scales dont change much.

    I am losing inches and have taken before and after pics to track my progress and will stop weighing myself.

    Daws387-Congratulations on completing Insanity! Sorry I cant help with your questions as I dont have that type of scales but maybe someone on here might.

    You're not going to be gaining a lot of muscle. Even if you're lifting and you're experiencing so-called newbie gains, it's not going to be pounds of muscle. More like ounces.

    What you will see is water retention in your muscles, which is part of the repair process.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html

    Thank you for the information :)
  • Daws387
    Daws387 Posts: 46 Member
    Reading these responses concerns me a little. I just finished Insanity last week and I've decided to restart it this week. I lost about 30 lbs total and a little over 4 inches around my waist. So my weight was much more impacted than my waist. 4 inches is a lot for a guy I think; I need new pants and a new belt. I've also been lifting heavy in the gym to keep from losing muscle.

    Here's my issue...I have one of those scales that measure BMI, bodyfat, water % and muscle mass. My muscle mass has fluctuated very little; about 2 lbs above or below where I started. my water % increased 3 percentage points, my bf has decreased 4 percentage points, and my BMI decreased by 2. Am I missing something? Is it possible that the scale just isn't that accurate? For the most part I've still been making gains in the weight room and I feel stronger, but the amount of weight I lost compared to eveyone else worries me that I may be secretly losing muscle. Also i'm 6'2", not sure how much of a difference height makes.

    Any thoughts?

    Those scales are not very accurate. They're decent for tracking trends over time but that's about it. Your hydration level will impact the read a lot.

    You may lose a little muscle, but the main thing is to get enough protein, lift weights, and make your deficit moderate.


    Thanks Iliftheavyacrylics, I'll keep that in mind. I'll just use the scale to track the trends of change over time

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