Losing inches, but not pounds?

megbee617
megbee617 Posts: 100 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

Has anyone else experienced this? My clothes are fitting better and I've had people who haven't seen me in a while say that it looks like I've lost weight, but the scale has been the same! What gives! I'm doing more cardio and a little more weight training, but I didn't think it'd be enough to make a real difference.

Replies

  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    megbee617 wrote: »
    Hi all,

    Has anyone else experienced this? My clothes are fitting better and I've had people who haven't seen me in a while say that it looks like I've lost weight, but the scale has been the same! What gives! I'm doing more cardio and a little more weight training, but I didn't think it'd be enough to make a real difference.

    How long has this been happening? Have you been exercising?

    If you just started exercising, it's likely that the weight is actually water retention, and you'll probably experience a "whoosh" on the scale once your body adjusts to the change in activity level to reflect the weight that you've actually been losing. Just be patient, keep doing what you're doing. It'll show up on the scale sooner or later.
  • leooftheyear
    leooftheyear Posts: 429 Member
    that's where i am right now. Ignore the number on the scale, if you're feeling better and clothes are fitting better that's all that really matters!
  • tarcotti
    tarcotti Posts: 205 Member
    I almost feel like your scale could even be broken just because when I lose weight, its always several lbs to one inch in measurement. Or maybe you are just weighing yourself at the wrong time of day?

    I only do once a week in the morning, right after I wake up, remove all waste from my body and before breakfast. Its always consistent.
  • RRB2000
    RRB2000 Posts: 77 Member
    Same here. When I used to strictly do cardio, I dropped weight quickly and the scaled showed a loss almost weekly. Now that I'm back again, I joined the gym and do cardio and strength training and my scale is barely moving, but my clothes fit better and I feel better. The scale can be our own worst enemy. If you feel better, try to remember this journey isn't all about weight LOST on the scale, its about getting healthy!
  • peque_872
    peque_872 Posts: 1 Member
    If you haven't been at it for long, it could also be muscle building. Muscle is heavier than fat, sometimes your body gets slimmer but you weight more. I would say wait for a while.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    You should start measuring yourself. Honestly if you're losing more size than weight, you're doing it exactly the right way - a lot of the time people lose lean body mass (muscle, basically) along with fat, leaving them with a slowed metabolic rate and muscle and bone weakness. Because that muscle is denser than fat, it will show up more on the scale but less in the mirror. If you're shrinking without losing, that is a good indicator that you are preserving your muscle and your loss is mostly fat. That's A+++ weight loss. But only a measuring tape will tell you for sure that that's what's going on.

    If you love your size and shape, why care about your weight?
  • megbee617
    megbee617 Posts: 100 Member
    RRB2000 wrote: »
    Same here. When I used to strictly do cardio, I dropped weight quickly and the scaled showed a loss almost weekly. Now that I'm back again, I joined the gym and do cardio and strength training and my scale is barely moving, but my clothes fit better and I feel better. The scale can be our own worst enemy. If you feel better, try to remember this journey isn't all about weight LOST on the scale, its about getting healthy!

    This is true, but tell that to my primary care MD. It's all about the numbers to her.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,744 Member
    megbee617 wrote: »
    RRB2000 wrote: »
    Same here. When I used to strictly do cardio, I dropped weight quickly and the scaled showed a loss almost weekly. Now that I'm back again, I joined the gym and do cardio and strength training and my scale is barely moving, but my clothes fit better and I feel better. The scale can be our own worst enemy. If you feel better, try to remember this journey isn't all about weight LOST on the scale, its about getting healthy!

    This is true, but tell that to my primary care MD. It's all about the numbers to her.

    Well, body measurements and clothes sizes ARE numbers. Honestly, just because someone is a doctor does not mean they have all the knowledge they should when it comes to health. Your clothes fitting better and your body measurements going down is much more of a victory then the scale only! That's great! Keep doing what you are doing.

    Track both your measurements and your weight and you will learn over time that all of the different measurements change at different paces and at different times. If you go to the doctor and the scale says the same number it always has, make sure you tell her your clothes are fitting better, you feel better, and your weight loss is visibly noticeable to others. Making progress is what is important!
  • dawne000
    dawne000 Posts: 44 Member
    Story of my life!!! Lol. I lost 12 inches and only 2 lbs over the past month. Makes no sense but my clothes are falling off.. I'd def rather lose inches then lbs. I decided to stay away from the scale. I was becoming obsessed with it - it would make or break my entire day.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    How long has it been? Is your exercise routine new?

    Any time you start a new exercise routine (or drastically change the exercise routine you were doing before), your muscles retain water to help with repair. That's 100% normal, but it will mask weight loss in the short term (so you may not see a change on the scale). If that's what's going on, you just have to stick to your guns and wait it out.
  • ar9179
    ar9179 Posts: 374 Member
    Lost inches with little scale movement = fat loss. Fat is the thing we WANT to lose and minimizing muscle loss is going to serve you better when you get to goal. Preserving your lean mass can mean higher maintenance calories and your body will be "tighter".

    I know it's frustrating. I've been looking at the same weight for almost a month and I don't like it much, either! However, getting into smaller clothes makes up for it ;)

  • DaniCanadian
    DaniCanadian Posts: 261 Member
    I'm in the same boat! It took 43 days to show a loss on the scale but there's a noticeable difference in how my clothes fit and my muscles are more visible in the mirror. I'm 5'3, start was 196 lbs, current is 153.6. I've changed my workout from cardio heavy to body weight training with hiit cardio incorporated.
  • danni988
    danni988 Posts: 9 Member
    Me too been training since November after having my baby been doing mainly weights and hiit training and have lost 27in altogether but lost under 7lbs can fit in my pre pregnancy jeans and I'm a stone and a half heavier I don't really understand it but it works! Xx
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    megbee617 wrote: »
    RRB2000 wrote: »
    Same here. When I used to strictly do cardio, I dropped weight quickly and the scaled showed a loss almost weekly. Now that I'm back again, I joined the gym and do cardio and strength training and my scale is barely moving, but my clothes fit better and I feel better. The scale can be our own worst enemy. If you feel better, try to remember this journey isn't all about weight LOST on the scale, its about getting healthy!

    This is true, but tell that to my primary care MD. It's all about the numbers to her.

    Tell your MD to get educated, or get another doctor.

  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    Is your doctor going to put you in time out?? I don't understand...if you are losing inches and fitting into smaller clothes, you are indeed becoming a smaller sized person. Who cares what your dr thinks?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Inches trump pounds, WTG!
  • LiveLoveRunFar
    LiveLoveRunFar Posts: 176 Member
    I always lose inches before weight. I can go down 1 to 2 clothes sizes without weight loss, then boom off comes the weight. Wait it out..it happens. If you are doing everything right you will lose. Sometimes muscles and body retain water, so drinking green tea will help eliminate it. Drink lots of water. If you are doing everything right, and you are if you are losing inches....the body can't hold on to that water forever.
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
    Ohhh me too! The scale says I'm losing slowly, but my body is much leaner. My goal was to wear my clothes from about 5-7 years ago...love those summer short skirts lol The scale says I'm about 10 lbs too heavy to wear them. I tried them on this weekend and I am very confused because they are too big... fall-off-my-hips big. Time to go shopping again lol
  • DoreenaV1975
    DoreenaV1975 Posts: 567 Member
    edited May 2015
    albalegume wrote: »
    I always lose inches before weight. I can go down 1 to 2 clothes sizes without weight loss, then boom off comes the weight. Wait it out..it happens. If you are doing everything right you will lose. Sometimes muscles and body retain water, so drinking green tea will help eliminate it. Drink lots of water. If you are doing everything right, and you are if you are losing inches....the body can't hold on to that water forever.

    Question...and I'm not disputing what you're saying at all, I am genuinely curious...how come people say "oh it's just water weight" and then others say drink "lots of water"? Doesn't drinking lots of water cause water weight? Isn't that a bad thing? I drink about 4 cups of water a day so I'm just checking.
    TIA!
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    No, drinking lots of water actually releases water weight. When you are dehydrated, your body holds on to every bit of water, giving you a bloated feeling. Drinking enough water allows your body to properly release fluids.
  • DoreenaV1975
    DoreenaV1975 Posts: 567 Member
    jaga13 wrote: »
    No, drinking lots of water actually releases water weight. When you are dehydrated, your body holds on to every bit of water, giving you a bloated feeling. Drinking enough water allows your body to properly release fluids.

    Oh, okay...got it! Thank you so much for educating me! :smile:
  • kpodaru
    kpodaru Posts: 133 Member
    honestly, this is the best way to do things. the scale isn't important, even though we've been trained to use it as the be all, end all.

    i've been hovering at 130lbs for 2yrs now (give or take a couple of pounds) but i've lost major inches and it's because i lift heavy weights and do other intense exercises. you're basically replacing the fat with muscle which is a GOOD thing :)

    if your clothes are fitting better and you're looking leaner then this is your target.
  • RRB2000
    RRB2000 Posts: 77 Member
    edited May 2015
    megbee617 wrote: »
    RRB2000 wrote: »
    Same here. When I used to strictly do cardio, I dropped weight quickly and the scaled showed a loss almost weekly. Now that I'm back again, I joined the gym and do cardio and strength training and my scale is barely moving, but my clothes fit better and I feel better. The scale can be our own worst enemy. If you feel better, try to remember this journey isn't all about weight LOST on the scale, its about getting healthy!

    This is true, but tell that to my primary care MD. It's all about the numbers to her.

    I go see my doctor this Friday actually and am excited to tell her how good I feel. If she can't see it on the scale who cares, I know how amazing I feel, with more energy, and my clothes fit better, and I can see a difference. Its hard to tell with ourselves too. At least with me...I'm hard on myself, so I look in the mirror and pick everything apart, and have a hard time noticing small changes. So I take pics every couple of weeks...its easier to see changes in pictures.
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