Scale not budging but inches are.

freyaheart · February 2014

I have been stuck between 215 and 225 pounds longer than I would like to admit. Everyone keeps telling me I am getting thinner and I am buying smaller sizes now but I feel like at the rate I am going I am going to be a size 6 and 221 pounds. I know muscle weighs more than fat. So i'm not loosing weight I am just becoming more dense I suppose. It's just so frustrating to keep seeing the same numbers on the scale constantly. It's not just my scale either the one at the gym says the same thing. My scale is also a Fitbit Aria and it is still saying my body fat % is over 45%!!!

benefiting · February 2014

I would go see a professional about it if it bothering you that much. Also, body fat is meant to be measured by your measurements too so don't go solely off scales.

Fuzzipeg · February 2014

I am tempted to say you have cracked it.

On a more serious note, possibly you would do as well to get yourself checked out. Probably, I'd try to have a full spectrum of blood tests done to establish if there is anything untoward going on and you have inadvertently hit on the right way to combat it all. You may well have rebalancing issues going on, with the changes taking time you may avoid the loose skin which can accompany fast weight loss.

All the very best as you work your way through all this.

WheezyFbb · February 2014

It is likely that you traded in your fat for a small amount of muscle.

Muscle doesn't weight more than fat. A pound of fat and a pound of muscle both weight the same, the muscle is denser and takes up less pace, therefore it will make you look thinner in the mirror compared to fat.

jillianbeeee · February 2014

I went through this at one point in my weight loss too. I think i was at the -30 range. My pants were getting way to big but the scale got stuck. I decided not to weigh myself for a month and focus solely on the inches, amp up my exercise and weigh and measure my food a little better. Before I knew it the scale starting moving again. Good luck!

4legsRbetterthan2 · February 2014

The scale can be tricky and irritating, sometimes you just have to have patience unfortunately. You are getting smaller and happier so just keep it up and don't lose faith!

Amanda_Gx6 · February 2014

You cannot trade fat for muscle, they are two totally different properties and fat will not turn into muscle. You can burn fat and then build muscle but fat simply does not morph into muscle. Fat also doesn't weigh more than muscle its just that muscle is denser therefore a pound of fat is larger in proportion to a pound of muscle.

If I were in your position I'd make an appointment with my primary and ask to be referred to a nutritionist for the just in case but sometimes the scale doesn't move, the scale is an evil thing but the tape measure doesn't lie. But since you are worried about your scale maybe you should try a different one. Over time scales can become less accurate and perhaps they (especially the one that gets so overused at the gym) need recalibration. Also pick the same day every week to weigh yourself, stark naked that way you know the number on the scale is reflecting only your body. Best of luck to you!

dctucker · February 2014

I was absolutely killing it 2 years ago, eating super clean and doing P90X 5 days/week in a group. I was also absolutely stuck. COULD NOT get under 223-225 lbs. By BMI standards, I'm supposed to be under 180. Measurements weren't moving either.

I spent a whopping $8 on these http://www.amazon.com/AccuMeasure-MyoTape-AM-3000-Fitness-Personal/dp/B002VAPHXW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392212295&sr=8-2&keywords=body+fat+caliper+accumeasure

I very quickly understood why I couldn't lose any more. No matter what method I used (multiple tape measurement methods, multiple caliper methods from the simplest 1 caliper measurement to 6-8 measurements), I came up with an 8% body fat measurement. Under 4%-6% and it actually starts to get unhealthy, per the research I did. There's just no way I was going to lose any more weight than that without losing muscle or going absolutely insane on what I ate. My Weight Watcher's body fat scale was saying 30% as I recall. I stopped even looking at the body fat on the scale. I have zero faith in body fat measurements by scales, the number seems bounce around SO much. Calipers are the best readily available, repeatable method.

I've since fallen off the wagon for about 18 months and ballooned back up to 252 as I've gone through a divorce. I've been getting back on track the past months, lost 5, and as of Saturday, my body fat was 17%, again by multiple methods. I'd be 233-235 lbs at 10% fat, which I'll be happy with, if I'm fit again. I just adjusted my daily calorie balance to -1000 (using Body Media Fit to see what I burn), as the weight wasn't coming off quickly enough at -750 cal. I'm struggling to push play every day on the P90X DVDs at home by myself, but I'm re-establishing the good habits.

So, in a nutshell, get the calipers, practice measuring (with help if possible) until you get repeatable measurements, and see where you stand in terms of body fat %.

lunapetu0311 · February 2014

This is exactly why I threw my scale into the attic. I was doing everything "by the books" to lose weight but wasn't see it on the scales. I went down one pant size, lost belly fat, smaller booty, lost inches in my arms and thighs...looked and felt great. But that darn scale still hovered around the same 5lbs. I couldn't stand it anymore. I finally thought that as long as I felt better and saw results in the mirror and in my clothes, that I didn't want to know what the scale said.

So either try not weighing yourself for a while to get a break -- and focus on losing inches -- or try changing up your routine to see if you can blast through this stall. Try new cardio -- workout longer -- try new foods -- see a trainer, etc.

Lastly, maybe you can see if your doctor will do a thyroid test on you. I do also have hypothyroid, which I think sometimes stalls my weight loss. Good luck!

Scale not budging but inches are.

Replies

Categories