Muscle vs the scale. I'm so confused and ANNOYED!

puggleperson
puggleperson Posts: 740 Member
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
I am so frustrated!

I seem to look smaller day by day and feel smaller day by day but my scale doesn't budge.

I know people will say that it's muscle because muscle looks more condensed but the thing is that I DO NOT LIFT WEIGHTS (yet)

ALL I DO IS WALK which I thought is suppose to burn the fat, right? So If I am not lifting weights am I still gaining muscle from

walking maybe? Why am I looking smaller but not really moving in weight? For 20 days my scale stayed at one weight with no

fluctuation what so ever, a week or two ago it budged 2 pounds (finally) but now it once again is sticking.

But my real question is about the smaller vs no weight loss... How is this possible, am I gaining muscle from walking? Thanks :)

Replies

  • bobbybdoe
    bobbybdoe Posts: 472 Member
    Lots of factors : Water, if you've used the bathroom or not, clothing, etc.

    Just keep at it. Who cares about the scale if you look great btw?
  • brarew
    brarew Posts: 25 Member
    When are you weighing? I see more difference in the scale if I weigh right after I wake up and pee, then I strip down and get on the scale. I only do this once a week, same weekday, same time. If I randomly weighed in the middle of the week no telling what it would say with water weight, whatever I ate the meal before, etc.... If you feel better and are getting smaller (signs are in how your cloths fit) then you are doing fine, check your scales or weigh somewhere that has a doctors scale. Hope that helped. I have lost 25 pounds since the start of my journey two and a half months ago and slow but steady I will continue. I started at 204 and I am now at 179.....doin the work.


    Motto for the month....

    Until you throw up, pass out or die....keep going.
  • carbonboy
    carbonboy Posts: 729
    No, it's not from gaining muscle. Even bodybuilders who spent ridiculous hours in the gym, and eat to gain will only gain maybe 2 lbs per month. Women even less, maybe 1-1.5 pounds a month. So it's a myth that you will gain enough muscle to offset the bodyfat that you should be losing. It is most likely fluid retention, and eating habits. Don't estimate either calories consumed or calories burned. People notoriously overestimate their burn and underestimate their consumption unless they're diligent about counting. Stay the course (assuming your program is sound) and you WILL start losing.
  • puggleperson
    puggleperson Posts: 740 Member
    Yeah you are all probably right. Although I eat a balance diet, and track my calories burned with a heart rate monitor.
    But now retract my post considering I took some pictures and almost died. I am not looking looking good or losing the weight. Perfect
  • brizzle125
    brizzle125 Posts: 18
    you may not be losing pounds but inches. losing inches will make you look smaller and keep the scale the same. also even though you dont lift weights you all the walking may be giving you stronger mucles especially in your legs and muscle weighs more than fat
  • drjayfataway
    drjayfataway Posts: 4 Member
    It's definitely not all muscle although I am sure you have experienced some changes in the muscles in your legs from the walking (especially if you did not walk much before). Keep in mind that the body's physiology is not as simple as most would like to think and when one changes their diet and exercise habits (especially radically) there are MANY physiological changes which simultaneously occur...some of which impact scale weight (water/hydration changes, blood volume changes, changes in other connective tissues, etc.). Hence why I have individuals virtually ignore the scale when trying to drop fat. There are much better markers than the scale to guage fat loss...why not use them? Here is a blog I just posted ( "If You Follow The Scale ...You Will Probably Fail!") to illustrate a real life example with all the documented data. Best of luck and keep up the effort! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/drjayfataway/view/if-you-follow-the-scale-you-will-probably-fail-134120
  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
    edited to remove advertisement
    Thank you for sharing this link. I haven't *just* begun exercising, but I have just begun a routine that frequently causes muscle soreness, and I had no idea that my muscles were retaining fluid in addition to that.
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