steady weight loss but tape measure not moving?

serenetranquility
serenetranquility Posts: 125 Member
edited December 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Anyone experience this? Im eating healthy, exercising regularly and while the scale is going down im finding the tape measure is not budging...any input as to why or things i could look at?

Replies

  • serenetranquility
    serenetranquility Posts: 125 Member
    any input?
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,262 Member
    How much do you weight and how much have you lost and how long have you been doing this?
  • SunnyAndrsn
    SunnyAndrsn Posts: 369 Member
    How often are you measuring yourself? I only measure once a month, and there has been a difference every month. Everyone is different, so where notice the differences first are going to be different for everyone. I keep the boobs and lose in my hips/waist first.

    Do your clothes feel different?
  • rininger85
    rininger85 Posts: 131
    are you doing any strength training? strength training burns fat best by building lean muscle which will make the tape measure move faster... don't let misconceptions about women lifting weights stop you (most women I know don't lift because they don't want to get "buff", but most women will never build muscle like men do just due to the lack of testosterone, so you really don't need to worry about getting "buff", strength training will help burn fat faster and tone...), don't rely just on cardio. If you are already strength training then maybe just be patient? If you are losing weight then it should eventually catch up, theres only so much you can lose (water weight, fat weight, or muscle weight, and you definately don't want to lose muscle weight so that points back to the importance of strength training)
  • serenetranquility
    serenetranquility Posts: 125 Member
    Im at 164 now and when i really decided to get my act together at the end of February I was 175.
    How much do you weight and how much have you lost and how long have you been doing this?
  • serenetranquility
    serenetranquility Posts: 125 Member
    Too often! Ha. Honestly every few days which i know is too often. YES my clothes feel different, some pants literally falling off thats why i am so darn confused!


    quote]
    How often are you measuring yourself? I only measure once a month, and there has been a difference every month. Everyone is different, so where notice the differences first are going to be different for everyone. I keep the boobs and lose in my hips/waist first.

    Do your clothes feel different?
    [/quote]
  • skypie02
    skypie02 Posts: 15
    Make sure you are drinking plenty of water and evaluate your sodium intake because it might be making you retain water. Congratulations on eating healthy and losing weight! Keep up the good work!
  • serenetranquility
    serenetranquility Posts: 125 Member
    YES! Strength training has actually been my main focus with a little bit of circuit training, bar method, then my usual walk and hiking. I guess thats why i am stumped. Im losing on the scale, my clothes fit different, im strength training ( which should show in measurements ) and nothing. Maybei just need to be patient. I just dont get why the tape measure isnt moving.


    are you doing any strength training? strength training burns fat best by building lean muscle which will make the tape measure move faster... don't let misconceptions about women lifting weights stop you (most women I know don't lift because they don't want to get "buff", but most women will never build muscle like men do just due to the lack of testosterone, so you really don't need to worry about getting "buff", strength training will help burn fat faster and tone...), don't rely just on cardio. If you are already strength training then maybe just be patient? If you are losing weight then it should eventually catch up, theres only so much you can lose (water weight, fat weight, or muscle weight, and you definately don't want to lose muscle weight so that points back to the importance of strength training)
  • serenetranquility
    serenetranquility Posts: 125 Member
    I usually drink about 10-12 cups a day but i do find my sodium is higher many days than i would like and im working on it. Think that could really play that big of a role?
    Make sure you are drinking plenty of water and evaluate your sodium intake because it might be making you retain water. Congratulations on eating healthy and losing weight! Keep up the good work!
  • wonderkitten711
    wonderkitten711 Posts: 109 Member
    I've noticed that I am not always losing my inches in the places I'm measuring every few weeks. I don't measure my wrists or my ankles, but they're both slimmer. The entire shape of my stomach is changing *drastically* on what seems like a daily basis but my actual waist measurement is going down slower that I feel like it "should". Take progress pics every week (I do mine in bra and panties most of the time) and compare over time. With strength training, you may be losing inches, just not in places that your measuring tape is able to catch just yet.
  • serenetranquility
    serenetranquility Posts: 125 Member
    Thank you! I just had a lightbulb moment. Ive never really considered this before and i should have. Makes perfect sense. For example my wedding band is constantly slipping down. Again, thank you for bringing this point up.
    I've noticed that I am not always losing my inches in the places I'm measuring every few weeks. I don't measure my wrists or my ankles, but they're both slimmer. The entire shape of my stomach is changing *drastically* on what seems like a daily basis but my actual waist measurement is going down slower that I feel like it "should". Take progress pics every week (I do mine in bra and panties most of the time) and compare over time. With strength training, you may be losing inches, just not in places that your measuring tape is able to catch just yet.
  • wonderkitten711
    wonderkitten711 Posts: 109 Member
    Thank you! I just had a lightbulb moment. Ive never really considered this before and i should have. Makes perfect sense. For example my wedding band is constantly slipping down. Again, thank you for bringing this point up.

    You are most welcome :) My husband had to enlighten me about this a couple of months ago when I was similarly frustrated. Rings are a great marker that the body is changing even if the measuring tape doesn't show it. I had to get my wedding rings sized down in March and will likely have to do it once more by year's end lest I lose my rings down the disposal or something equally horrid >.>
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