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Old 06-03-2009, 02:29 AM   #1  
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Question Inches lost but weight the same? What?

So in the past week I haven only lost a lb but my waist is noticably smaller and my stomach is flatter so I am just a little confused, its frustrating not seeing the scale budge more even just another half a lb or so...is it somehow possible I am losing inches but not exactly losing weight at the same time? lol...maybe I am just crazy thoughts?
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Old 06-03-2009, 05:12 AM   #2  
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Oh yes, this is entirely possible. That's why many folks use more than one gauge to measure progress. Body fat percentage, measurements ...

Don't be frustrated. Celebrate the fact that you are smaller! That's a good thing.
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Old 06-03-2009, 06:46 AM   #3  
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Did you actually measure yourself and you are smaller, or do you just feel smaller?

Because I know that I "feel" fat on some days, thin on other days, but my weight is unchanged. Sometimes I feel like my stomach is a lot flatter than other times (probably because of fluctuating changes in water retention).

Personally I don't really believe in the "inches lost but no weight lost" thing, but don't get discouraged. You probably feel thinner because you are eating better and hey you are down a pound, and if you keep it up you will notice the number on the scale go down even more.
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Old 06-03-2009, 06:52 AM   #4  
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Yes!!!! it is possible... everyone loses diffrently, and if you are exercising, you will ton up and gain muscle, muscle weighs more then fat, i personally have seen the scale go up, and the inches go down. i have a seamstress measuring tape, and on every monday i take the chest, arm, waist, thigh and hip measurments and mark it directly on the tape, that why if the scale dosnt do what i want it to, i know whats going on by my tape.

have a great day!

ang
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Old 06-03-2009, 06:57 AM   #5  
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Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, it's just more dense so takes up less space.
When people look at you, they see your size, not a number on the scale so don't fret it. You are doing fine and a pound a week is a good thing!
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Old 06-03-2009, 10:24 AM   #6  
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It also takes a LONG time for a woman to "gain" muscle mass. A. LONG. TIME.

I feel thin every morning. (even 100 pounds ago) I think it has something to do with the fact that I didn't pig out the night before.
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Old 06-03-2009, 11:37 AM   #7  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lori Bell View Post
It also takes a LONG time for a woman to "gain" muscle mass. A. LONG. TIME.
.
Does anyone know WHY we lose inches, but the scale doesn't go down? I always thought it was because you gain muscle, but the more I read it seems it takes a long time to "gain" muscle. Does losing inches have anything to do with building/gaining muscle?

For me I know that losing inches will make my clothes fit better and better fitting/smaller clothes are always a bonus for me.
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Old 06-03-2009, 01:18 PM   #8  
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I always assume that me feeling smaller is a little bit my skin tightening up from where I've lost weight.
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Old 06-03-2009, 01:27 PM   #9  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by canadianangel View Post
muscle weighs more then fat

Not trying to call you out or be rude, but muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. a lb of muscle weighs the same as a lb of fat. however, muscle is more dense than fat and therefore does not take up as much space.

Take at look at this link for the details.

http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.co...le-to-fat.html
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Old 06-03-2009, 02:04 PM   #10  
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Yup, it is just like the question: What weighs more? A ton of feathers or a ton of baseballs? They BOTH weigh a ton!

I think the reason the scales don't budge but your size is smaller is because IF you work your muscles, you will tighten them. You won't necessarily ADD any muscle, but they will be tighter and firmer. And this means they are smaller. When you work your muscles, you create small microtears in the fibers which need to be repaired. Water rushes in as kind of a "bath" that assists in healing. So, assuming that you are still on plan, you may have lost some body fat, tightened up your muscles (making them physically firmer and smaller) and added some water mass, making NO LOSS or even a small gain for the week...

I'm there right now. I'm actually UP 1.5lbs EEEEkkkk! but I tried on a pair of size L summer pants that I bought a few weeks ago. I bought them at 182 lbs and I didn't try them on until I got home(I got them from Costco for $12.00 so I gambled on the size) and there was literally a 2 inch GAP at the waist where I couldn't button them up. I was SO upset when I got home, because I couldn't fit into this size L. Today, at 179lbs I tried them on and -- they FIT! Perfectly!!! I don't get it!!!! 3 lbs does not 2 inches make! So my exercise is kicking in -- my muscles are tighter making my overall size smaller (even if I am up 1.5 lbs in weight to 179) and I can now fit into those darn pants that were 2 inches too small at the waist 3 lbs ago...

Kira

Last edited by kiramira; 06-03-2009 at 02:08 PM.
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Old 06-03-2009, 02:24 PM   #11  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kiramira View Post
Yup, it is just like the question: What weighs more? A ton of feathers or a ton of baseballs? They BOTH weigh a ton!
Not really an apt comparison - you specified a weight (ton) and the original comment did not ("muscle weighs more than fat").

A given volume of muscle does weigh more than the same volume fat. You assumed she was comparing a pound of muscle to a pound of fat. I assume she was comparing a given volume of muscle to the same volume of fat.

What she said wasn't wrong. It was incomplete, making it impossible to know if it was wrong.

Last edited by JulieJ08; 06-03-2009 at 02:26 PM.
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Old 06-03-2009, 02:28 PM   #12  
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great info Kira!
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Old 06-03-2009, 02:29 PM   #13  
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Argh. Semantics. We all hear that "muscle weighs more than fat". In any given volume it weighs the same. It just takes up less space. And the phrase of "muscle weighs more than fat" is often used to explain a weight gain or stay-the-same when on an exercise plan. Since it takes a LONG time to gain muscle, the answer still stands. If you lose inches but not pounds it is most likely because your muscles are toned and you have some extra water, not that you added 2 lbs of muscle in one week...and if you DID add 2 lbs of muscle and didn't lose any fat, you would be larger not smaller. And the original question was: why am I smaller but the scales are the same...

Anyways, thanks Ms SamanthaJubilee! Keep up your rocking work!!!

Kira

Last edited by kiramira; 06-03-2009 at 02:47 PM.
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Old 06-03-2009, 02:36 PM   #14  
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Kira- I couldn't agree more, with both statements.
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Old 06-03-2009, 02:46 PM   #15  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kiramira View Post
Argh. Semantics. We all hear that "muscle weighs more than fat". In any given volume it weighs the same. It just takes up less space. And the phrase of "muscle weight more than fat" is often used to explain a weight gain or stay-the-same when on an exercise plan. Since it takes a LONG time to gain muscle, the answer still stands. If you lose inches but not pounds it is most likely because your muscles are toned and you have some extra water, not that you added 2 lbs of muscle in one week...and if you DID add 2 lbs of muscle and didn't lose any fat, you would be larger not smaller. And the original question was: why am I smaller but the scales are the same...
I don't understand the logic of calling a particular thing someone said wrong, then when it's pointed out they weren't wrong, saying yeah, but something else was true. It's two different things. That's just strange.

I have the same reaction (aaarrgh) to see people pointed out as wrong (and that particular "correction" is made over and over on these boards) when they weren't. Truly, my first thought when I see the comment that muscle weighs more than fat is that equal volumes are being compared ... because that makes sense. When someone says something incomplete, why would I or anyone jump to the conclusion that they meant something utterly nonsensical???
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