Pounds Vs Inches

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hanface1984
hanface1984 Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
I've found that i where i have been exercising i've lost inches and i can see that i do look a bit slimmer, however as soon as i step on the scales i always feel disappointed. Am tempted to stop weighing myself and just go by inches or maybe weigh once a month.

Sorry for the ranting but does anyone else have this problem?

Replies

  • Serenifly
    Serenifly Posts: 669 Member
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    Yup I've been training for a Half Marathon for a month

    I've Gained 5 lbs now

    But I've lost 5 inches (4 in my waist)

    I'll take Inches (=bodyfat) over lbs anyday of the year!
  • JenUB
    JenUB Posts: 84
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    Yes. I was just noticing on my calendar today that when I added in circuit training about three weeks ago that I gained a few pounds. The scale is finally starting to go back down again. My body feels and looks different despite the fact that the scale wasn't showing loss.
  • jclji4
    jclji4 Posts: 118 Member
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    I know this lady who has been eating healthy and exercising for 6 weeks and has only lost 6 lbs, but she has lost so many inches that she is down several dress sizes. I am down 16 lbs in 6 weeks and am only down one dress size....I would rather be down several....but its coming. The weight follows the inches lost, just be patient.
  • mandijo
    mandijo Posts: 618 Member
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    I had that problem for about a month and a half. I was losing fat and gaining muscle. I went from 53% bf to 41% in 4 months. Basically I had lost 15 pounds of fat and gained 10 pounds of muscle. Check your body fat once a month and see once what happens!
  • bjberry
    bjberry Posts: 665 Member
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    Trust your inches more than the scale. You are losing fat and gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, but takes up less space. I repeat--trust your tape measure over the scale. Try on your old, larger clothes and see how baggy they are! ;) And have fun on this site. :drinker: (lots of water).
  • Coco_Puff
    Coco_Puff Posts: 823 Member
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    YES, YES, and YES!!!!!! I just posted yesterday that I'm ditching my scale. I can see improvement in my shape and my clothes fit better, so why do I need that nasty little scale telling me I've been bad, when I know I haven't. Consentrate on the positive and kick the scale to the curb!!!!!
  • tj5000
    tj5000 Posts: 69 Member
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    I think it's good to do both. I weigh in once a week and measure once every 2 weeks. Also you could take pictures of yourself at stages and try on clothes that are currently tight or too small to help gauge the weight loss.
  • ncahill77
    ncahill77 Posts: 501 Member
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    I am in the same boat, I have decided I will only weigh about every 3-4 weeks, as long as that number goes down a little but the inches keep coming off I will be happy. Not seeing the scale move week after week gets depressing even with the inches, so if you ignore the scale who can complain about losing inches?
  • lloydrt
    lloydrt Posts: 1,121 Member
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    Toss the scale, its not your friend...........enjoy the inches lost

    Better yet, take the tightest fitting garment that you have in your closet, a dress, or blouse that you have to barely squeeze into, even if you cant breath, put it on

    then when you take it back off, put it DIRECTLY in front of you in your closet......kinda the first thing youll see when you go into your closet to wear something

    then 3 weeks later, TRY IT ON...............See, now who needs that scale anyway:?

    I did this for one year and really didnt depend on the scale to make my day.........my clothes did...............trust me, this will work......Lloyd
  • sunshine79
    sunshine79 Posts: 758 Member
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    I'm in exactly the same situation. I'm giving up the scales for a while and only measuring as inch loss is more important to me. Plus, the scales are just too upsetting, especially when you've been working hard but they show no loss or even a gain.


    Free yourself from the control of the scales!!!!!!! :tongue: :drinker:
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    I'm at a healthy weight but I weigh everyday because I like to see the pattern of fluctuation. I have learned that my weight goes up over the weekend then heads back down during the week. And I gain about 3-4lbs during my TOM. But it took me a while to get used to seeing it go up and down. This week it dropped down another pound!

    And I fit into clothes that were tight on me when I weighed less than I do now. The scale number is just a number. It's the inches that are important.
  • hanface1984
    hanface1984 Posts: 16
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    Wahoooooo thank you for the replies, glad i am not the only one!

    Have decided to ditch the scales and become a proud member of the tape measure appreciation society!!!

    :smile:
  • eyeris2011
    eyeris2011 Posts: 15
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    omg! that has been happening to me...I am so mad lol!...I have working out for atleast 3 weeks..I eat smaller portions.....but I have not lost weight...I have notice my clothes is not as tight as it was and my belly seams tighter less bloated (i try to get atleast 30 sit-ups every day) and do aerobics 2x a week ; ) ....I am hoping and wishing for that scale to show lower numbers ....can't wait to loose my 30lbs...so my point was that yeah I guess it might be that we dont loose lbs but we loose inches most likely is because we doing things the right way ...
  • ♥Violette♥4Ever♥
    ♥Violette♥4Ever♥ Posts: 457 Member
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    This is why I only weigh myself once a month. I signed up with a trainer who told me to try to weigh myself as little as possible because a scale will only frustrate me. She also told me as a woman, our weight is not as steady as a man's because of our TOM. Plus, because I'm weight training and building muscle, the scale may not budge as quickly as this site says I should. She said I should trust how your clothes feel. I've already gone down one size since starting on MFP so obviously I'm losing weight. Last time I weighed myself was on January 21st. My next weigh in is this weekend.

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