Is it better to lose weight or cm ( inches )

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Allijee
Allijee Posts: 15
in Fitness and Exercise
Well i have been on MFP for 40 days now and i must with in the first 5 days i lost 1kg ( 2lbs ) which really was great .
But since then i have lost nothing except for cm ( inches ) off my waist and hips .

So my question is is it better to loose cm ( inches ) or the weight first ?

At the moment i work out 3 - 4 times a week min a hour long . I also do a bit of weight training and cycling in my workout .

Really getting annoyed that im not seeing the scale move but happy that im loosing cm ( inches ) .


Any help suggestion PLEASE !!
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Replies

  • nenamartinez
    nenamartinez Posts: 140 Member
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    Losing inches/centimeters is definitely more important! It might seem frustrating because the number on the scale isn't changing, but that's probably because you're converting fat into muscle. So there's less of you overall, but you weigh the same because muscle weighs more than fat.

    Don't worry about it, though! Power through the number plateau-- those new muscles are gonna help burn fat even more than before. :D

    I'm sure the scale will start to change soon, but in the meanwhile you can enjoy the feeling of your clothes getting baggy on you!
  • shazzahare
    shazzahare Posts: 52
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    I have had same problem either way you know things are heading in the right direction. Just stick to it..... all will be well.
  • melcowenfitness
    melcowenfitness Posts: 221 Member
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    Picture yourself in that pair of pants you've been wanting to wear forever.... would it matter how much you weighed if you were actually in them? Probably not. As women, we tend to be fixated on the scale when in reality what we want most is to look a certain way.

    So, if you look at the pants example above, you got into them because you lost inches... and you probably got there because you're increasing your muscle mass which, by volume, weighs more than fat while taking up less space.

    Short answer: inches are more important than pounds

    Mel
  • elizamc
    elizamc Posts: 285 Member
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    I share your frustration, you are certainly doing a good lot of exercise and am assuming you eat well?

    My scales go up and down a few pounds but never downwards as much I'd like to see. BUT, my body shape has changed and clothes look and fit better so I'm trying to be happy with that and not focus on the scale so much.
  • world2c
    world2c Posts: 178 Member
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    inches. the pounds will eventually come off too... but you are transforming your body.
  • tracymnx
    tracymnx Posts: 105
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    Im in exactly the same position, ive lost 10lb since June which compared to many on here isnt a lot. But in the past 2-3 wks the scale hasnt moved at all, but ive been able to wear clothes I havent been able to fit into in years! The inches are literally melting away. Initially I was disappointed that the scale wasnt moving but now im like, hey as long as I can get into my skinny wardrobe who cares!!!

    Youre on the right path, keep at it!

    Tracy x
  • tracym17
    tracym17 Posts: 68 Member
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    Losing inches/centimeters is definitely more important! It might seem frustrating because the number on the scale isn't changing, but that's probably because you're converting fat into muscle. So there's less of you overall, but you weigh the same because muscle weighs more than fat.

    Don't worry about it, though! Power through the number plateau-- those new muscles are gonna help burn fat even more than before. :D

    I'm sure the scale will start to change soon, but in the meanwhile you can enjoy the feeling of your clothes getting baggy on you!



    I'm sorry, I dont mean to be rude but this is nonsense.

    Fat is fat, muscle is muscle - they are two distinctly different tissue types and you cannot convert one into the other. You can burn fat and build muscle but you can never turn a fat cell into a muscle cell. Also one pound of fat weighs the same one pound of muscle.

    As you are exercising, you will increase your muscle mass which may cause you to weigh more overall but if you are also doing cardio you will burn fat by shrinking the size of your fat cells. If you eat less calories than you need, you will lose weight. What is important though is that you feel fitter and healthier.
  • stevwil41
    stevwil41 Posts: 608 Member
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    Definately be more concerned with the inches. You don't say how much you think you need to lose and that could be a contributing factor as well. If you only think you need to lose 10 or 15 lbs it may be that you won't really see that much of a difference in the scale as you build muscle and burn fat. I can't remember where I saw it but a woman posted a before and after picture of herself last week showing herself at 127ish and again at 135 after she had started exercising and and she looked much, much better at 135. Good luck with it:)
  • Luandanielle1979
    Luandanielle1979 Posts: 747 Member
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    Inches are sooooo important. I think its a great feeling when you can fit into clothes which were to tight before. Stick at it and you will prevail!!! Good luck xxx
  • umachanxo
    umachanxo Posts: 926 Member
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    I'd much rather lose inches that pounds xD
  • lipglossjunky73
    lipglossjunky73 Posts: 497 Member
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    Losing inches for me is the most important. I don't walk around with my weight on my forehead, so people don't see that number anyway!
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    In my opinion losing inches is more important than losing scale weight. I focus on my body fat percentage,pounds of fat and inches loss. Scale weight loss and fat loss aren't the same thing.

    Scale weight doesn't determine what size clothes a person wear and not even if they are healthy or not.

    You're losing inches. Keep up the good work.
  • thecrossfitter
    thecrossfitter Posts: 424 Member
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    I've honestly considered throwing away my scale, but I like to check every few months out of sure curiosity. I think initially - a year and a half ago - the scale was really useful for me, and I could really see how I was doing by my weight. But at this point, it isn't a tool that's very helpful to me. The three pictures I have set for my profile photo were taken this year in August, September, and November.

    I weigh 140lbs in the before photo on the left, and am at 150lbs today in my current photo.

    I've been doing a lot of strength training, and I honestly what I think is happening is that my body is in this weird place where it's building muscle but still has a lot of fat to burn (just my guesses, feel free to correct those who are more educated in this process!) I have no clue where my weight will land in the next few months. And I don't care :) I'll take how I look now at 150 over me at 140 any day!
  • janet_pratt
    janet_pratt Posts: 747 Member
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    I don't care if I weigh 250 pounds if I can wear a size 8!
  • RoosterB
    RoosterB Posts: 214 Member
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    Guess it depends where from :noway:
  • JasonZA246
    JasonZA246 Posts: 1
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    nenamartinez wrote: »
    but you weigh the same because muscle weighs more than fat.

    That statement is incorrect.

    1Kg of muscle = 1Kg of fat
    100g of muscle = 100g of fat
    etc.. etc..

    The difference is that muscle is more condensed than fat. Hence, your size is smaller, but the scale still reads the same number.
  • gabbo34
    gabbo34 Posts: 289 Member
    edited October 2014
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    I'm in the same boat and admit the scale can be a source of frustration. I started in July with the goal of losing 30 lbs (203 to 173). Eating clean, started a c25k program which lead to running 3-4 days a week and weight lifting. My goal was to be at my goal weight or within 3 lbs of it by a reunion with a bunch of friends in early November.

    By early September I'd lost 15 lbs. Over the next month I lost 3 lbs. I was getting incredibly frustrated by the lack of movement on the scale.

    But I did notice that all of my old clothes didn't fit anymore. I had to have all my slacks/suits taken in 2 inches and moved back to my old jeans/shorts (from a size 38 to a size 36 and even those are a little loose.)

    Even though the scale wasn't moving, people were commenting on my weight loss...so I feel like I look better...even though the scale isn't moving as fast as I hoped.

    With 3 weeks to go until my meeting, I don't think I will reach the number. But I like how my body weight is distributed. My upper body and shoulders are becoming bigger and more defined while the midsection has gotten a lot smaller.
  • garnerish
    garnerish Posts: 67 Member
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    JasonZA246 wrote: »
    nenamartinez wrote: »
    but you weigh the same because muscle weighs more than fat.

    That statement is incorrect.

    1Kg of muscle = 1Kg of fat
    100g of muscle = 100g of fat
    etc.. etc..

    The difference is that muscle is more condensed than fat. Hence, your size is smaller, but the scale still reads the same number.

    Related to this, the amount of muscle you can build in a short amount of time vs the amount of fat you can lose doesn't really add up. You aren't gonna be gaining 2lb of muscle per week.
  • pope66682
    pope66682 Posts: 249 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Pounds don't necessarily mean anything. You can gain muscle and lose fat and weigh the same. Inches = look different

    And for the last time, muscle does not weigh more than fat :s
    100lbs of rocks or 100lbs of feathers still weigh 100lbs.
    Muscle has less mass than fat meaning takes up less space, means you look smaller.
  • marie3221
    marie3221 Posts: 77 Member
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    tracym17 wrote: »
    Losing inches/centimeters is definitely more important! It might seem frustrating because the number on the scale isn't changing, but that's probably because you're converting fat into muscle. So there's less of you overall, but you weigh the same because muscle weighs more than fat.

    Don't worry about it, though! Power through the number plateau-- those new muscles are gonna help burn fat even more than before. :D

    I'm sure the scale will start to change soon, but in the meanwhile you can enjoy the feeling of your clothes getting baggy on you!



    I'm sorry, I dont mean to be rude but this is nonsense.

    Fat is fat, muscle is muscle - they are two distinctly different tissue types and you cannot convert one into the other. You can burn fat and build muscle but you can never turn a fat cell into a muscle cell. Also one pound of fat weighs the same one pound of muscle.

    As you are exercising, you will increase your muscle mass which may cause you to weigh more overall but if you are also doing cardio you will burn fat by shrinking the size of your fat cells. If you eat less calories than you need, you will lose weight. What is important though is that you feel fitter and healthier.

    True, but one pound of fat takes up more space than one pound of muscle. I think maybe you are getting confused about what op is saying (or asking) So the scale may not be moving as much as inches off her body.

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