Scale not moving, but inches gone

_KitKat_
_KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I know this can happen but can anyone explain why. About a month ago I started my journey, I have been watching my calories and going to the gym 3-6 times a week (goal is 5/6) I mostly do strength training and circuit with some cardio machines mixed in. My ticker says I lost 7 lbs. not sure because I can also fluctuate almost that many but my tape measure has been showing great results, I always measure in the same spots, like 5 inches off of my lower belly, 5.75 in off of my waist and minor losses elsewhere (thighs actually fluctuated an inch, confused on this one). I know the whole you are gaining muscle loosing fat, but from all that I read that is harder than it sounds, so can anyone explain what is really happening. I am happy, but I would really love to see the scale move more.


Edited to add: I also noticed my Iron intake is very low, I have been anemic during pregnancy and not sure if it was tested in my normal yearly exam. Can low iron hinder weight loss and do I need a supplement from my doctor, or preferably what foods can help with iron intake?

Replies

  • CorlissaEats
    CorlissaEats Posts: 493 Member
    Are you measuring your food intake? Because a lot of people are actually undereating. Your actual daily goal is good.
    Try dividing your calories better throughout your day. Coffee for breakfast is not ideal. You want to wake up that metabolism in the morning. I eat a fried egg- not many calories but good protein source. I am not huge on eating first thing in the morning.

    You might need to focus on weight training to drop pounds if you are close to your goals. That means watching to make sure you are getting enough protein and cutting the sugary crap in your diary. What you eat does actually matter, its not just about meeting the magic calorie number. I tend to take a training approach rather than a dieting approach- eating to meet my bodies physical needs.

    Leafy or dark green foods and meat will boost your iron, as will eating liver. :laugh:
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Water can mask fat loss on the scale. If you are lifting your muscles will retain water and fat cells will take in water after the fat is gone. If you are concerned with iron take a good multivitamin and fish oil.



    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    Water can mask fat loss on the scale. If you are lifting your muscles will retain water and fat cells will take in water after the fat is gone. If you are concerned with iron take a good multivitamin and fish oil.



    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

    Interesting article, thanks
    Does this mean drink more water or not? I have been working to up my water intake. Still relatively low.
    Try dividing your calories better throughout your day. Coffee for breakfast is not ideal. You want to wake up that metabolism in the morning. I eat a fried egg- not many calories but good protein source. I am not huge on eating first thing in the morning.

    Breakfast has actually been a goal of mine, I tried keeping up with it, but I feel sick to my stomach for half the day if I eat early. I am not close to my goal, but I am weight training and try to hit about 25/30% protein.

    I am happy with the inches especially since they are coming off of my belly first, just curious on why the scale stays the same.


    Edit:
    If you look into my diary the last week has been bad, I had a severe case of doms in my quads (could barely walk) that made working out near impossible and it was that TOM. Pain and a blah feeling was not good for my eating.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    This is a good one also: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/595473-why-the-scale-goes-up-with-a-new-workout-program-must-read

    Working out - especially if you are pushing yourself so hard as to be suffering to the point where you can't walk is likely causing you to retain a lot of water so anything you are losing is probably being hidden in that water retention. Drink more water and ease up a little, you don't need to kill yourself. Being in pain to the point where you can't work out the next day in the cycle just throws off your grove. Sore is good, crippled means your over doing it.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Definitely drink more water. They suggest half your body weight in ounces. (160 pounds drinks 80oz). I did terrible at that for two weeks then went back to a gallon a day (my normal amount) and I dropped 3 pounds two days later.
  • ThatSoundsHard
    ThatSoundsHard Posts: 475 Member
    ^ Definitely read that thread. It was reassuring to me.

    I went through the same thing for the first 2-3 months I started out trying to get into shape.. It took almost 3 months for the scale to drop a couple of pounds but the inches came off like no one's business.
  • JustYandy
    JustYandy Posts: 221 Member
    spinach and dark greens help with iron intake...I didn't lose much either but went from 29% body fat to 24% body fat with only losing little and also lost inches so it's normal if you want to just lower the weight back off of weight lifting because that causes muscle gain with given enough calories and do more cardio ....if you're doing what I did then you're turning that fat into straight muscle and scale wont move much...
  • BoxingChick
    BoxingChick Posts: 124 Member
    the scale is staying the same because you are gaining muscle and losing fat so you might not see a huge difference on the scale but your losing inches. Muscle takes up less space on the body than fat does. So if you gain 1lb of muscle and lose 1lb of fat the scale will stay the same but your body has shrunk. This is exactly what you want! Unless you are in a sport that forces you to weigh a certain amount, don't worry about that number. The more muscle you can build the better your body becomes at burning calories....

    And if eating breakfast makes you sick then don't do it....waiting until noon is not going to make your body's metabolism slow down. Just get in the appropriate amount of calories throughout the rest of the day.
  • JustYandy
    JustYandy Posts: 221 Member
    Also on another note when I was working out 6 days a week scale didn't move much then I didn't work out for a week and only watched what I ate then dropped 5 lbs.
  • NathanFronk
    NathanFronk Posts: 137 Member
    My ticker says I lost 7 lbs. not sure because I can also fluctuate almost that many but my tape measure has been showing great results, I always measure in the same spots, like 5 inches off of my lower belly, 5.75 in off of my waist and minor losses elsewhere (thighs actually fluctuated an inch, confused on this one). I know the whole you are gaining muscle loosing fat, but from all that I read that is harder than it sounds, so can anyone explain what is really happening. I am happy, but I would really love to see the scale move more.
    I don't understand the point of this post.

    Though to be fair, I can't slam the OP too hard because she states that she's happy and just curious. Still, she's losing some weight (7lbs) and continuously seeing a reduction in inches. My only question relates to her comment, "I would really love to see the scale move more."

    Uhh, why? Put it on top of a roomba or something.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    My ticker says I lost 7 lbs. not sure because I can also fluctuate almost that many but my tape measure has been showing great results, I always measure in the same spots, like 5 inches off of my lower belly, 5.75 in off of my waist and minor losses elsewhere (thighs actually fluctuated an inch, confused on this one). I know the whole you are gaining muscle loosing fat, but from all that I read that is harder than it sounds, so can anyone explain what is really happening. I am happy, but I would really love to see the scale move more.
    I don't understand the point of this post.

    Though to be fair, I can't slam the OP too hard because she states that she's happy and just curious. Still, she's losing some weight (7lbs) and continuously seeing a reduction in inches. My only question relates to her comment, "I would really love to see the scale move more."

    Uhh, why? Put it on top of a roomba or something.

    Lmao, I am happy and inches and jeans size reduction is my main goals...oh and looking awesome naked :happy:
    I would just like to see the scale move some, think instant gratification if you will. The 7 lbs, I don't really see as a loss because I can fluctuate that much without a change to my routine.

    It was more of a curiosity question because I get told I am gaining muscle, losing fat and muscle weighs more, but then I read how hard it is to gain muscle so I was a bit confused.



    Regarding how sore I was, I will not be repeating that. I had done a full workout then asked the trainer at the gym for some pointers and he put me through 25reps/4sets Leg lifts, dumbbell squats, calf raises and 10/4 reverse crunches. Note to self never ask the trainer anything AFTER I already worked out.
  • DeterminedToLoseIt02
    DeterminedToLoseIt02 Posts: 113 Member
    The scale is discouraging but the inches going is soooooooo awesome to see.

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