Inches or pounds?

kayleexbabeex
kayleexbabeex Posts: 55 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I usually weigh myself on the scales and see very little changes but Iv read many people swear by measuring inches instead as they see better results. What do you think?

Replies

  • LauriePar
    LauriePar Posts: 257 Member
    I do both- I weigh every day and take measurements every Friday.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Depends on you. I would have quit long ago if I only went by inches. I've lost almost 50 lbs but almost no inches. I've seen a lot of people with the opposite issue - losing a lot of inches but not pounds. I'd suggest doing both for at least a while and see what works best for you.
  • elsinora
    elsinora Posts: 398 Member
    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    Depends on you. I would have quit long ago if I only went by inches. I've lost almost 50 lbs but almost no inches. I've seen a lot of people with the opposite issue - losing a lot of inches but not pounds. I'd suggest doing both for at least a while and see what works best for you.

    This. Find out what works for you. Do both first of all and then find what works best.
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
    Both, maybe? I definitely feel more strongly about INCHES, but measuring pounds is faster and gives me a more workable number.

    I do measure inches, but I'm just not good at it. I don't know if I'm not hitting the exact same spot with my measuring tape or what, but I measure once a week and my waist and thigh measurements are all over the place. LOL! I'll keep doing it, but I'm eyeing the trend on the scale as probably more accurate, for me.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Both definitely. When one is not so good, the other often is. I weigh daily and take measurements @3 months, but you could do it once per month too.
  • rontafoya
    rontafoya Posts: 365 Member
    POUNDS. Inches are a cop out. And that is coming from someone who lost 11 inches off his waist. Granted, weight fluctuates, so the scale will not drop daily. Bottom line is if you are not losing POUNDS over time, you are not in a caloric deficit which means you are not losing weight. The only possible exception is if you are doing heavy weight training and you are gaining muscle at the same rate you are burning fat. But even then, this is undesirable because fat loss (and therefore loss of pounds) should be your primary goal if you are overweight.
  • ehrenlynae7
    ehrenlynae7 Posts: 63 Member
    I weigh weekly and take measurements twice a month. Depends on your goals. I'm 5'6 and have over 60 pounds to lose - I'm focused on the scale right now. I know people that have less to lose and they focus more on inches and how clothes fit. Just depends on your goals.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    If the scale isn't moving, use inches. If the inches aren't changing, check the scale.

    Personally, inches. I don't care what I weigh, I care how big I am!
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Both, plus take photos!
    I am petite and when I was losing it was so slow neither the scale nor the tape were showing any progress.

    Comparing photos, front, side, and back, in a bikini really showed how my body re shaped over time.
    A pound in a month was frustrating, errors in measuring, and the places not measured, makes this method an estimate only.

    Seeing that bloop below your tummy is shrinking, and the fat around your knees or shoulders is less can be a real eye opener when things don't seem to be moving.

    Cheers, h.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    kayleexbabeex wrote: »
    I usually weigh myself on the scales and see very little changes but Iv read many people swear by measuring inches instead as they see better results. What do you think?

    I weigh myself once a week and take body measurements once a month.
    To me they are 2 different measurements of progress towards my goals. I still have my weight goal and a different measurement goal. The measurements change slower for me than the number of the scale so I don't think it would be very encouraging alone.
    When I started my waist measurement was bigger than my hips. That is an unhealthy waist to hip ratio. So getting a healthier ratio became a goal.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    rontafoya wrote: »
    POUNDS. Inches are a cop out. And that is coming from someone who lost 11 inches off his waist. Granted, weight fluctuates, so the scale will not drop daily. Bottom line is if you are not losing POUNDS over time, you are not in a caloric deficit which means you are not losing weight. The only possible exception is if you are doing heavy weight training and you are gaining muscle at the same rate you are burning fat. But even then, this is undesirable because fat loss (and therefore loss of pounds) should be your primary goal if you are overweight.

    Inches for me, waist in particular as that's where my fat goes. If I am the same size when heavier, I think that's healthier, or if someone is smaller but the same weight, it would mean they lost fat and gained muscle, right?
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    Do both. If you are doing resistance training but eating at maintenance you may lose inches and not pounds, and that can be motivation to keep up the exercise. If you are eating at a deficit you should lose lb, but may not lose inches all the time as the fat can come from anywhere. They are both tools in your possession to evaluate your current health condition and progress so why not use both?
  • rontafoya
    rontafoya Posts: 365 Member
    Inches for me, waist in particular as that's where my fat goes. If I am the same size when heavier, I think that's healthier, or if someone is smaller but the same weight, it would mean they lost fat and gained muscle, right?[/quote]

    Only if they are getting a lot stronger. People who lift light weight and doing cardio and are "getting smaller" but not losing weight are mostly losing water from eating healthier and detoxing. People who are not pumping heavy iron and not looking at pounds are rationalizing and trying to justify not eating at a caloric deficit. Caloric deficits are difficult to do and sustain over time and people will come up with whatever they need to come up with in the way of excuses to avoid them. In addition to "inches" people tend to not track calories accurately and are therefore eating way more than they think they are. In my observations, those who are not lifting heavy weight are usually overestimating how much muscle they have gained and and underestimating how much of their weight loss is just water.
  • avj_78
    avj_78 Posts: 35 Member
    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    Depends on you. I would have quit long ago if I only went by inches. I've lost almost 50 lbs but almost no inches. I've seen a lot of people with the opposite issue - losing a lot of inches but not pounds. I'd suggest doing both for at least a while and see what works best for you.

    This genuinely surprised me. How could someone lose so much weight and not lose significant inches?

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