No weight or inches lost but I am smaller???

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kittikat1119
kittikat1119 Posts: 96 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, kinda random and I am curious if this has happened to anyone else. I have been consistently exercising and eating within my calorie range for about a week now, doing great and am not really looking for exercise or calorie advice. Though I am sure I will get a bit anyway :wink:

However, I started noticing my clothing is starting to get bigger on me...GREAT!!! So this morning I got on the scale...+1 lbs. Ok, no big deal, I am working out really hard so some water gain makes since. Pull out the tape measure with the reasoning that if my clothes are getting bigger on me there must be at least a minor change in inches (even 1/4" would make since).....Nope. Not a change anywhere on me. Hmmmm, but ALL of my clothes are looser, some jeans are even starting to fall off of me that fit just a week and a half ago. So SOMETHING is happening but no way to measure it. Usually when I see this much of a change in my clothes fitting there is something measurable on the scale or tape. Weird.

Anyway, I am not trying to look a gift horse in the mouth, cause I am so happy there are some changes I can see but has anyone else had this happen? Or does anyone have an explanation for it, besides little elfs coming into my home and stretching all of my clothes just to mess with me.

Replies

  • j_bark
    j_bark Posts: 1,274 Member
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    Nice job on sticking to exercising and eat right!

    Bodies will change shape in the beginning. Trade muscle for fat. Curves move around. Lines adjust. Just keep to your goals and all will come together in the end. It takes a body almost 4 weeks to realize that it needs to be doing something different and then you start to see real progress.

    Sadly it takes a body only about a week to forget to keep doing something different.
  • kittikat1119
    kittikat1119 Posts: 96 Member
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    Thanks J_bark. I get what you are saying, but even when your body starts changing shape logic would say that measurements would change with body composition. This isn't my first weight loss journey, I lost 40lbs after my first pregnancy and maintained that loss and fitness level for 4 years until my last pregnancy. So I know there are periods of 0 measurable improvements. What I have never had happen before is seeing real results before being able to measuring them. Just really weird for the way my body loses weight. So I was just curious if anyone else has this happen. It's just a new thing my body decided to do.
  • lamps1303
    lamps1303 Posts: 432 Member
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    Try not to overthink it too much. If you look and feel better, and you're noticing change when you look in the mirror (are you?) then use that as evidence - not necessarily numbers. It's only been a week, review again in a couple of weeks time and see if there is a change (good or bad).
  • kittikat1119
    kittikat1119 Posts: 96 Member
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    So true, I know I am over thinking it. And yes there are some good changes in the mirror. I am really not worried about it, just curious for other experiences. I know measurable results will be here soon enough, just entertaining myself until then. :happy:
  • Fedup23
    Fedup23 Posts: 80 Member
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    Maybe someone switched your clothes.. I remember on the Brady Bunch, the kids switched Bobby's pants out for shorter ones when he was trying to stretch himself by hanging in the closet.

    Kidding of course.. but if you are feeling good and positive, then thats a good thing! Personally, i never put any weight (<--) into ANY results good or bad based on one week of results. :)
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
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    I wish I had taken an odd measurement when I started - on an angle from the top of the belly to around the butt cheeks. I haven't lost many inches in the normal measurements of waist, hips and thighs. It's the extra "fill" that's coming off and letting me fit into a smaller size.
  • elsyoommen
    elsyoommen Posts: 155 Member
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    yes this has happened to me - I have little to change change when using the tape measure, a small change (just under 10lbs) in weight loss, but I have a significant change in body fat % (about 9%) and my clothes are certainly big on me now.

    check your body fat%?
  • kittikat1119
    kittikat1119 Posts: 96 Member
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    I wish I could check it. I don't currently have a way to measure body fat, but that would be awesome. Do you have a way you measure that you could recommend?
  • kellymac518
    kellymac518 Posts: 132 Member
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    when is the last time you threw your clothes in the dryer to shrink them back to normal size? if it has been a while it is possible they have stretched out and are not fitting right for that reason. if that is not the case then i think what the above people mentioned is a possibility as well.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    One thought... Sometimes I lose in areas that I didn't measure. I've discovered that I can lose a bit around my rib area or my upper arms & that makes a difference in fit.
  • RonnieLodge
    RonnieLodge Posts: 665 Member
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    .....Nope. Not a change anywhere on me. Hmmmm, but ALL of my clothes are looser, some jeans are even starting to fall off of me that fit just a week and a half ago. So SOMETHING is happening but no way to measure it. Usually when I see this much of a change in my clothes fitting there is something measurable on the scale or tape. Weird.

    Anyway, I am not trying to look a gift horse in the mouth, cause I am so happy there are some changes I can see but has anyone else had this happen? Or does anyone have an explanation for it, besides little elfs coming into my home and stretching all of my clothes just to mess with me.

    I weigh and take body fat measurements using a weight watchers scale (so the BF measurement is probably a bit of a guesstimate).

    I also measure my bust, waist, hip and tummy at bellybutton height with a tape.

    When I put on or do not lose weight, if there is a change, it will show in the BF or the tape measurements.

    Jeans or cotton clothing tend to stretch with wear and shrink again when washed.

    My cotton trousers/jeans are always looser in the evening than they are in the morning.

    Or it could be the clothing elfs. :wink:
  • kittikat1119
    kittikat1119 Posts: 96 Member
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    Thanks for the idea. I always dry my clothes in the dryer, and when they come out they are still loose on me. I actually put my jeans through the wash twice yesterday just to make them shrink more and it didn't help. They are loose when they come out and falling off of me if I wear them the whole day.
    As for measurements, I measure arms, chest, natural waist, belly button, hips, thighs and calfs. Seriously, no change on any and I know I am correctly measuring. I guess it will just be a mystery. Oh well.
  • elsyoommen
    elsyoommen Posts: 155 Member
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    I wish I could check it. I don't currently have a way to measure body fat, but that would be awesome. Do you have a way you measure that you could recommend?

    I use a tanita machine at my gym (my trainer checks me about monthly). I know that no machine or method is supposed to be accurate but I figure that my measuring using the same method and conditions I can at least see that I'm going in the right direction (weight/body fat/inches). Most of the change has been in the body fat and in the fact that my clothes fit much loser than before. I agree that it should show in the measurements and it is a mystery but I'm happy with it anyway. I can now see my collar bones clearly, my "back fat" is not so obvious, my waist is more obvious, my face is thinner.... maybe these kinds of changes don't show up as well with the usual horizontal measurements? I agree with the person who said it would be good to do some weird measurements.
  • charcoalgriller
    charcoalgriller Posts: 17 Member
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    I have noticed that my posture noticeably improves when I start working out after an, ahem, "sabbatical". :blushing:

    and my clothes fit differently....
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
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    Since May 2013 I have not lost any inches off of my thighs but I have lost 20 lbs in that time.
  • j_bark
    j_bark Posts: 1,274 Member
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    Read these today. Thought of this thread. Great reads....

    http://greatist.com/health/understanding-scale-bloat-and-weight-loss

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
  • lamps1303
    lamps1303 Posts: 432 Member
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    One thing to remember when taking measurements is consistency - you need to make sure your measurements are taken from the same point each time. Also ensure you're measuring in the same conditions each time, i.e. the morning after a rest day before you eat anything.

    If you're slightly out (e.g. 1/2inch above or below the point of your last measurement) it may skew your results. You need to also make sure you're consistent with how much pressure you put on the tape measure. For example, if you take a waist measurement, and tighten the tape as hard as you can, but next time you keep it loose, it will look like you've gained inches, when in fact you most probably haven't. If you want to measure your BF% you may want to invest in a set of calipers. You can get some really affordable ones online - I am looking at getting myself some.

    Also, take progress pictures. Just because the numbers don't change, doesn't mean your body isn't changing shape. Pictures are fool proof way of monitoring progress

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