Are inches really better than pounds?

Heck yeah inches are better than pounds....What do other people see when they look at you----inches or pounds???? They see inches

wow couple days ago i was asking myself and my hubby the same question!
I settled for Inches baby!!
for one thing Inches mean less saggy skin while losing weight.. Inches mean toning those floppy arms
So Heck ya to INCHES!!

loll a little excited here

Heck yeah inches are better than pounds....What do other people see when they look at you----inches or pounds???? They see inches

^ What she said!

People can see how you look just by looking at you. They only know how much you weight if they are peeking over your shoulder while you weight yourself. Use your scale as a guide but pay attention to how your clothes fit you, how you look and how you feel! Keep up the great work, you are doing fantastic! :flowerforyou:

Is that a serious question. You are asking whether we'd rather look fat and weigh less, or be thin and weigh more. I'll take door #2 Monty.

Of course! People see ME-not the scale.

I think its silly the way some people record how many inches lost.
Let's see, I lost 2 off my forearm, 1 off my wrist, and I have two arms so that's 6 inches so far,
and then I lost 1 off my ankle and 2 off my calves and 3 off my thighs, times 2 legs, so that's another 12 inches..
and on and on.
Maybe if the standard was just around the mid-section and combined with pounds lost, maybe put it in a ratio of inches to pounds like
3 inches / 15 pounds or something.

I think its silly the way some people record how many inches lost.
Let's see, I lost 2 off my forearm, 1 off my wrist, and I have two arms so that's 6 inches so far,
and then I lost 1 off my ankle and 2 off my calves and 3 off my thighs, times 2 legs, so that's another 12 inches..
and on and on.
Maybe if the standard was just around the mid-section and combined with pounds lost, maybe put it in a ratio of inches to pounds like
3 inches / 15 pounds or something.

:laugh: I agree. If I wasn't in a measurement challenge this month, I'd only be measuring my waist and hips. That's really the only thing that matters to me when it comes to measuring.

Inches fo sho. Once again. Read. This. Now http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

Technically inches are more visible and will get in smaller clothes but I still feel more excited when I get on scale and its gone down by a significant amount and don't get the same feeling from knowing I've lost an inch or two off waist.

Yes, I'm thrilled to get from size 20-16 already, but I know it won't match how I'll feel when I get on wii fit one day next year and it tells me I've reached from 9 st 3 finally (from 12 st 7 this June).. I still see myself as 'fat' cos I'm still over 11 st, even though at 11 st 5 this morning, its the lightest I've ever been at this TOTM for YEARS!

I have been exercising for about 2 months now. And so far I have lost only about four pounds, but about 13 inches total since my last measurements. Which makes a big DIFFERENCE in my appearance. I just was wondering are inches better than pounds, or are vise versa.

Exercising is good... we all need to get off our butts and move more even if it's only a walk to the shops and back instead of taking the car.

Exercise alone will only realistically help you lose weight if you are also eating in calorie deficit to your TDEE.

Toning and trimming is fantastic... but there is probably only a few places where less inches really count: neck, chest, waist and hips for women. Sure it's great is you lose inches around your thighs, legs and upper-arms and forearms, but adding them all up and getting a big number ... well if that's what floats your boat!

I'm not saying that folk who count inches aren't putting in the effort, nor am I saying that the scale is almighty and must be worshipped; but I believe you do need to look at a combination of factors to assess how well you are doing.

Body Fat % is my primary concern. My weight is too, because I've a lot to lose. Inches are the icing on the cake. Fitting into smaller trousers/shirts, having to give away clothes that are now way too large and baggy to wear, fantastic! The accumulative effect this all has on my well-being... immeasurable!

It's not about one thing... it's the overall result that really matters. Well done and keep up the excellent work :flowerforyou:

I think we are so conditioned to look upon it as 'weight loss' and that means the scales moving.

But losing inches means that there is something still going on even when the scales aren't moving so I do think both are important so you don't get discouraged.

My scales can fluctuate depending on where they are put (example I was a whole stone lighter when the scales were in the bathroom than I was when I was in the bedroom) so I have to keep focussed on the inches other wise I would feel miserable and like all my efforts were for nothing if my scales are showing me heavier even though I have been working out and eating right.

But I know what you mean, even though I am losing inches and look leaner, until I see the scales moving downwards it doesn't feel 'real'.

Who cares how much you weigh if you look and feel good? Weight can be a good guideline for how much you're losing, but why would you care about the number as long as everything else is right? Seems silly.