Confused - not sure what I'm losing????

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jessicaj_824
jessicaj_824 Posts: 114 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so my weight and BF% have stayed the same but my clothes fit way better so I'm obviously losing inches. But if it's not weight and my BF isn't changing than what is happening????? I like to think I'm smart and I'm great with numbers but not so much the science side - can someone please explain what could be happening.

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  • stfuriada
    stfuriada Posts: 445 Member
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    You sure your bf calculation is accurate?

    Because if it's not fat, then you're losing muscle which is bad.
  • jessicaj_824
    jessicaj_824 Posts: 114 Member
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    I have one of those hand held readers. I can't be sure it's accurate since I haven't used another tester in quite a while.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    do you feel like you are toning up? Are you eating plenty of protein to support your muscle mass and growth?

    I don't trust the home BF% meters to be all that accurate. I think they get you in the ballpark, but seeing as how you have lost 5lbs so far, I doubt that a BF meter will be able to detect that change accurately.
  • jessicaj_824
    jessicaj_824 Posts: 114 Member
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    I prob am losing muscle since I've been running more lately and doing less weights (from 4 day a week to 2). But if i'm losing muscle would't I be losing weight? That 5 pound loss on my ticker has not moved in quite a while as I have plateaud at my current weight which is why I started running again. That is how I got to my goal weight 3 years ago prior to an injury.
  • JenAiMarres
    JenAiMarres Posts: 767 Member
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    Bump!!
  • AFitJamie
    AFitJamie Posts: 172 Member
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    So.... If you have been doing exercise, you can be reasonably confident that this is helping you retain your muscle... Given the shift you are seeing and measuring via pant size, etc.... I'd suspect that your BF% readings are fluctuating. BF measurement using bio electrical impedance (those devices/scales that have metallic pads you stand on or touch) which i assume is what you are describing, are not tremendously accurate and are heavily impacted by water retention, etc...
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Could be fat and muscle in the same proportions as you were at a higher weight. To limit the amount of muscle you lose as you lose weight make sure you get adequate protein diet and participate in a heavy lifting strength training routine.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    I prob am losing muscle since I've been running more lately and doing less weights (from 4 day a week to 2). But if i'm losing muscle would't I be losing weight? That 5 pound loss on my ticker has not moved in quite a while as I have plateaud at my current weight which is why I started running again. That is how I got to my goal weight 3 years ago prior to an injury.
    you could lose fat or muscle but be offset by water retention.


    Crap eric beat me to it
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
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    You sure your bf calculation is accurate?

    Because if it's not fat, then you're losing muscle which is bad.

    For her to lose muscle, ONE of those two numbers, or both, would HAVE to change.

    I agree with the question, "Are you sure the calculations are correct?"
  • jessicaj_824
    jessicaj_824 Posts: 114 Member
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    You sure your bf calculation is accurate?

    Because if it's not fat, then you're losing muscle which is bad.

    For her to lose muscle, ONE of those two numbers, or both, would HAVE to change.

    I agree with the question, "Are you sure the calculations are correct?"

    Thanks. That's why I'm confused because something HAS to be changing if I'm losing inches. I can't confirm the accuracy of the calculations, but I do think the weight is right- not sure about my BF monitor. Is there a better/simple way to figure BF%. Is there an easy way to calculate BF% then?

    I have been at 164 with 25% BF for months but my pants are loser. I'm 5'9" so at my height I generally have to lose quite a bit for a real difference to be showing.
  • jessicaj_824
    jessicaj_824 Posts: 114 Member
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    I prob am losing muscle since I've been running more lately and doing less weights (from 4 day a week to 2). But if i'm losing muscle would't I be losing weight? That 5 pound loss on my ticker has not moved in quite a while as I have plateaud at my current weight which is why I started running again. That is how I got to my goal weight 3 years ago prior to an injury.
    you could lose fat or muscle but be offset by water retention.


    Crap eric beat me to it

    If I was losing fat my BF should go down right.. and if it's muscle my BF% would go up. That is what would make sense to me.
  • basillowe66
    basillowe66 Posts: 432 Member
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    Well Jessica, it looks like you haven't been doing it that long, but if your clothes fit you better than you are rearranging your body. If you are eating less calories than you did and are exorsizing more, you are headedin the right way. It took a couple of weeks on the lower calories before I started to lose, but then as I continued the weight loss started picking up/. Let me know how you do!

    Basil
  • jessicaj_824
    jessicaj_824 Posts: 114 Member
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    Well Jessica, it looks like you haven't been doing it that long, but if your clothes fit you better than you are rearranging your body. If you are eating less calories than you did and are exorsizing more, you are headedin the right way. It took a couple of weeks on the lower calories before I started to lose, but then as I continued the weight loss started picking up/. Let me know how you do!

    Basil

    The 5 pounds lost are since I joined in 2011 - I would say that was a long time :cry:

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