WHAT the *&^%!!!! Gained lbs but lost inches. ????

K2T4e2n6
K2T4e2n6 Posts: 50
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been losing weight steadily over the past few months but my ab circumference wouldn't budge. Today I went to the doctor and I've GAINED 9 lbs but lost 5 INCHES....how is that EVEN POSSIBLE?? I'm so frustrated I could scream right now.

Any ideas??

Replies

  • K2T4e2n6
    K2T4e2n6 Posts: 50
    I've been losing weight steadily over the past few months but my ab circumference wouldn't budge. Today I went to the doctor and I've GAINED 9 lbs but lost 5 INCHES....how is that EVEN POSSIBLE?? I'm so frustrated I could scream right now.

    Any ideas??
  • mandyc1108
    mandyc1108 Posts: 57 Member
    Muscle weighs more than fat.
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
    There's a few possible explanations.

    1. Your doctors scales and yours are not calibrated. You should always calculate weight loss from the same scale.
    2. Some of the weight gain could be water weight. Your body weight can fluxuate up to 6 pounds in one day. Don't let a single weight measurement stress you out. In addition to always using the same scale, always weight at the same time of the day and on the same day, no more than once a week (I personally recommend every two weeks).
    3. Although it is difficult, you could have actually gained muscle while you were losing fat. Since pound for pound, muscle takes up less space, you'll lose inches.
    4. It could be a combination of all of the above.

    Bottom line, 5 inches loss is awesome! Be proud of that. :bigsmile:
  • themetra
    themetra Posts: 174 Member
    Muscle, muscle, muscle!!
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    Why does it matter so much???
    If you weighed 500lbs but were a svelty size 2, would you care?
    Give your body time to catch up with the weight loss.
    Also, is this a 9lb difference from your scale to the dr office scale? If so, you can discount that number.
    Were you weighing at a different time of the day? If so, discount that number.
    Do you weigh nakkid at home but fully clothed at the doctor?
    Many many factors here.
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    Muscle weighs more than fat.

    Actually a pound of anything weighs a pound.....a pound of muscle takes up much less room than a pound of fat....there was a post about this last week I think with a great visual....
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
    A volume of muscle weighs more than an equal volume of fat. :wink:
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    were you fully dressed was it after you have eaten and drank something. I hate weighin in the middle of the day. Because Im dressed and I have ate and drank.
    And when I weigh at home its early Morning and im naked

    When you increased 9lbs when was the last time you weighed yourself?
    was it within days? hours? weeks?

    I mean if you weighed in on Sunday then you weighed on Tuesday 9lbs isn't possible to gain that fast.

    But good job on the inches.

    As far as a muscle weighin more than fat - a pound is a pound regardless what it is however a pound of muscle is more dense and takes up less space then a pound of fat.

    Look at people who are 130lbs with a high fat percentage (they are called the skinny fat) then look at someone 130lbs with 12-15% body fat there bodies look completely different even though they technically weigh the same amount except the one that has the low fat % looks like she is 115-120 even though the scale says 130
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    A volume of muscle weighs more than an equal volume of fat. :wink:

    Exactly what I said - one pound = one pound....if you take the space of one pound of fat, you would fill it with much more muscle....

    so if you've lost inches - you can't use that as the reasoning....
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
    A volume of muscle weighs more than an equal volume of fat. :wink:

    Exactly what I said - one pound = one pound....if you take the space of one pound of fat, you would fill it with much more muscle....

    so if you've lost inches - you can't use that as the reasoning....

    Yup, I was just clarifying because that whole thing seems to come up pretty often. I am with the rest of the posters though, inches lost is way more important than weight gained.

    I need to find myself a tape measure, haha.
  • codykitty
    codykitty Posts: 729
    I've been losing weight steadily over the past few months but my ab circumference wouldn't budge. Today I went to the doctor and I've GAINED 9 lbs but lost 5 INCHES....how is that EVEN POSSIBLE?? I'm so frustrated I could scream right now.

    Any ideas??

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/51781-muscle-does-not-weigh-more-than-fat

    Please read this topic...
  • K2T4e2n6
    K2T4e2n6 Posts: 50
    Well, first, YES, actually I would care if I were a size 2 and 500lbs because my doctor measures both my waist circumference (which was my past issue) and also my BMI (which is my new issue since according to that I am now considered overweight-despite my ab circumference I was at a normal BMI previously).

    I have been weighing myself at the gym once a week-I'm not sure about their calibration. According to those scales I was nine lbs lighter a week ago than I was at the drs today.

    My waist circumference was done two months ago by the same person who did it today.
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    Well, first, YES, actually I would care if I were a size 2 and 500lbs because my doctor measures both my waist circumference (which was my past issue) and also my BMI (which is my new issue since according to that I am now considered overweight-despite my ab circumference I was at a normal BMI previously).

    I have been weighing myself at the gym once a week-I'm not sure about their calibration. According to those scales I was nine lbs lighter a week ago than I was at the drs today.

    My waist circumference was done two months ago by the same person who did it today.

    Check again at the gym today you'll see if there's a difference...bet it's the scales....I weigh about 5 pounds less at home than at doc office
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    Well, first, YES, actually I would care if I were a size 2 and 500lbs because my doctor measures both my waist circumference (which was my past issue) and also my BMI (which is my new issue since according to that I am now considered overweight-despite my ab circumference I was at a normal BMI previously).

    I have been weighing myself at the gym once a week-I'm not sure about their calibration. According to those scales I was nine lbs lighter a week ago than I was at the drs today.

    My waist circumference was done two months ago by the same person who did it today.

    Two different scales.
    Different times of day? Different attire?
    I'd go back to the gym and see what you weigh. Consistancy is key here.
  • K2T4e2n6
    K2T4e2n6 Posts: 50
    Good point. I'll check again.

    My clothes were accounted for, though it was later in the day (by about 2 hrs) than when I usually do it and I had also eaten breakfast by that point as well.

    I was completely frustrated b/c "Oh, you've gone down considerably in inches...but about this BMI..." (eyeballing me disapprovingly)

    All I could think was WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!!?? :laugh:
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
    A volume of muscle weighs more than an equal volume of fat. :wink:

    Exactly what I said - one pound = one pound....if you take the space of one pound of fat, you would fill it with much more muscle....

    so if you've lost inches - you can't use that as the reasoning....

    Yup, I was just clarifying because that whole thing seems to come up pretty often. I am with the rest of the posters though, inches lost is way more important than weight gained.

    I need to find myself a tape measure, haha.

    The geek in me want to say muscle is more dense than fat.

    Density = Mass/Volume :happy:
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    Good point. I'll check again.

    My clothes were accounted for, though it was later in the day (by about 2 hrs) than when I usually do it and I had also eaten breakfast by that point as well.

    I was completely frustrated b/c "Oh, you've gone down considerably in inches...but about this BMI..." (eyeballing me disapprovingly)

    All I could think was WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!!?? :laugh:

    FYI BMI is stupid and it sucks- Someone with 12% body fat will be considered overweight/obese because of muscles-

    I don't go by BMI its just a gauge like everything else- But I do go by fat percentage which is way better than BMI because it actually takes into account your muscle to fat ratio. Look into getting your fat percentage taking that will tell you if your doing good or if you need to step your game up a bit.

    Good luck
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