Losing inches not pounds... Why ??

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Getting frustrated because I seem to be losing inches but the scale isn't budging much .

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  • aurmston
    aurmston Posts: 31 Member
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    How long have you been trying? It took me over a month to see any significant weight loss.
  • meljustcole
    meljustcole Posts: 29 Member
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    This happened to me back in January. It depends on a lot of different factors. Water weight, your monthly cycle, water retention, salt intake, poop!!!!! LOL!! ....try not to focus so much on the scale. It's just a feedback number and doesn't define you or the journey you're on! I know, it's easier said than done. But I lost 3" in January and only 1 pound!!! I'm relieved that I measure myself as well as use the scale, because I would have been severely discouraged in January and might have given up.
  • soo4real
    soo4real Posts: 6
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    Working out everyday for 2 weeks. Can see body changing and I'm counting calories
  • meljustcole
    meljustcole Posts: 29 Member
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    Another thing I'd like to add, now seeing you've only been doing this for 2 weeks; be patient. This journey is a slow one, and can be frustrating at times. If you're seeing changes in your body and you feel better, focus on those successes. Make small, short term goals. 5 lbs. per month isn't a lot of weight, but that's what I shoot for. Anything more than that, I get discouraged if I don't reach.
  • aurmston
    aurmston Posts: 31 Member
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    Seeing changes = good! Keep it up. I'd suggest a day of rest though. Your muscles need time to recover- that's when they'll best respond. I know it might seem like you should work out every chance you get, but 5-6 days is o.k.
  • soo4real
    soo4real Posts: 6
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    You all are awesome. I thank you so much for the feedback.
  • meljustcole
    meljustcole Posts: 29 Member
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    :smiley: You're so welcome!! We're all in this together!
  • happykelly209
    happykelly209 Posts: 29 Member
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    IGNORE THE SCALE. Inches are actual fat gone from your body!!!! . Be proud of what you are doing and only weigh once a month. Water weight, your period ect can affect the numbers you see. <3
  • healthymentality
    healthymentality Posts: 4 Member
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    You can be losing inches because there's less fat, and the scale number might not reflect it immediately because the fat weight is getting replaced by muscle, which weighs more than fat. So the number doesn't define your progress as accurately as you might think! Keep up the good work and you'll definitely keep losing chunk while gaining healthy muscle! Numbers might not add up but it's how you feel that makes the difference! :D
  • landfish
    landfish Posts: 255 Member
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    I think we are all pretty stoked for you. It means you are losing fat and gaining muscle which also means you are doing it right.

    I lost a lot of weight in my 30's but I didn't do it right and lost a lot of muscle. I gained most of it back over the course of a few years. I'm trying to do it right now.

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    landfish wrote: »
    I think we are all pretty stoked for you. It means you are losing fat and gaining muscle which also means you are doing it right.


    Losing fat, yes. Gaining muscle? On a calorie deficit? When we don't even know her stats and programming? Most likely not. Saving muscle? Possibly.
  • flab2fab760
    flab2fab760 Posts: 47 Member
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    I bet would be that you are lean muscle through your workouts. Which a great thing! I am pretty sure you're not lifting heavily to be a body builder but any kind of weight training will gain some muscle, however small.

    I would agree with most of people here that you are losing fat and it's probably from your muscle gain.

    Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you gained a pound of muscle and lost a pound of fat, your scale would stay the same, but you'd be losing inches.

    You can see it two ways, 1. if you took a pound of fat and a pound of muscle and placed them side by side, you'd have more fat . 2. If you took a 6" x 6" x 6" box and filled one with muscle and one with fat, you would have the same amount by volume, but when you weighed the box, the box of muscle would weigh more!

    keep up the great work!!
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
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    Losing inches is a good thing :) when you lose inches, it can sometimes be more noticable than losing pounds (depending on how much).

    Things are going in the right direction! Keep doing what you're doing and you'll get there! :)
  • meljustcole
    meljustcole Posts: 29 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Muscle does not weigh more than fat, it just takes up less space. Hence the fact she's losing inches. A pound is a pound. http://bamboocorefitness.com/one-pound-of-fat-versus-one-pound-of-muscle-clearing-up-the-misconception/
  • soo4real
    soo4real Posts: 6
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    Knowing there are others that truly understand the struggle, is awesome . So glad I added this app. Thank you all !
  • flab2fab760
    flab2fab760 Posts: 47 Member
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    Mel, you need to read your article you posted again. I copied and pasted my points from YOUR article below...and in fact...muscle does weigh more than fat...

    And I stated that in my example...if you put a pound of fat next to a pound of muscle, you'd have more fat by volume.

    FROM YOUR ARTICLE - The truth is that when placed on a scale, one pound of fat is going to weigh the same as one pound of muscle – just like one pound of bricks is going to weigh the same as one pound of feathers. Where the confusion comes in is that muscle and fat differ in density (muscle is about 18% more dense than fat) and one pound of muscle occupies less space (volume) than one pound of fat.

    That is why I stated to put the same amounts in an equal size vessel and weigh them, you would find that vessel with muscle would weigh more...and it also says that in your article....

    FROM YOUR ARTICLE - So yes, muscle seems to weigh more because there is a difference in the volume between the two. When a cubic inch of muscle and a cubic inch of fat are measured, the cubic inch of muscle will weigh more. As you add compact muscle mass to the body, body weight may increase.

    TTFN!
  • tcip03
    tcip03 Posts: 15 Member
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    http://bretcontreras.com/dont-be-slave-scale/

    Worth the read, gives a little perspective.

    Start measuring yourself by body part (to help from getting discouraged. ) Lost inches are still good. Keep up your good work.