When it comes to losing inches, there is really no better feeling in the world! Your clothes start fitting a differently and you are feeling mentally and physically better. But my not make sense to you asking yourself “Why am I losing inches but not weight”.
THIS IS A GOOD THING!!!!
Well first off know that this is a good thing! Rest easy my friends, because it means you are most likely gaining muscle and losing fat. Muscles occupies less space than fat does so when you gain muscle and start burning fat you will lose inches muscle mass is essentially taking over the space that the fat used to occupy.
The scale isn’t the best way to monitor fat loss or weight loss in general. Using how your clothing fits is a much better approach to monitoring your fitness goals. I know it may be frustrating that the scale is showing you a the same number over and over again. This can lead to you thinking that you aren’t making progress. This is exactly opposite of what is really happening, you are altering your body in a positive way.
Also, the more muscle you build, the faster you will burn fat. Resting muscle mass burns more calories when compared to fat. So basically you are doing yourself a huge favor by adding more muscle mass to your body as far as burning fat goes. The more you build the faster you will burn fat.
The scale weight even may go up as again muscle occupies less space than fat. But remember to look at your body and remember again that you are losing inches so this has to translate to ONLY good things!
Also, remember that it is clinically proven that genes play a HUGE factor into how fast you put on muscle. This is especially true when you first start working out. There is a 6 month minimum gap where you can put on the most muscle mass of your fitness career for the most part.
Again if you have just started working out, or started back up, you may be putting muscle mass on quick and burning fat just as fast.
A Different Approach To Our Topic
Instead ask yourself if you look differently in a good way, don’t let the number settle in your mind. A lot of people will do that, but in actuality they look better, more slim.
Go back and look at pictures of yourself a couple of months ago and then compare them to what you look like now. Doing this will show you that you have created good results and the number is just that, not a reflection of your loss in inches.
Monitoring Weight Loss With Biological Impedance
If you are worried or still interested in why you are losing inches but not weight, than you can always ask the gym that you workout at if they have a fat loss monitor. Most gyms have a fat loss monitor, where you simply grip the handles and enter in your weight and height. Also known as a biological impedance test, you grip the handles for a couple of seconds and the results come up.
If you are looking to monitor your fat loss with this machine, remember to do so at the same time you did it the original time. You want to make your circumstances the same each time. For example if you are took in in the morning after a workout, than do the same thing each time you re-monitor. It will vary in results if you do so differently.
If you aren’t engaging in any type of fitness regimen and are sill experiencing inches, it can just be from eating more protein and simply less calories without being aware of it. Monitor your diet and see if this is the case.
CASE STUDY ABOUT WATER RETENTION
I ran across an article that can be directly related to your problem as well. It talked about how when you diet, you can actually retain water. So you may be losing fat but the water retention is the reason the scale number is staying the same! Here is the article here if you want to check it out! Weight loss and water retention link.
BMI Is The Proof In The Pudding
As for me, I go to they gym 6 days a week and lift heavy. I am around 5′ 11″ and am 200 pounds. I register on a biological impedance test that I am at 11 percent body fat. To put this into perspective, the “Essential Fat” category is 2-5 percent. The “Athletic” category is between 6-13 percent body fat. Now my body fat percentage falls between the “Athletic” section of the body fat percentage chart. Yet on a BMI scale I would register as borderline obese.
This is obviously not the case, but it can prove the NUMBERS are just that. They represent where your at weight wise, but you are losing inches because muscle mass is essentially replacing fat at around the same level that you are burning that fat.
If I focused on my BMI number above, I would be paranoid that I am nearing obesity, but this isn’t the case. The fact of the matter is that I actually have put on 35 pounds in the past year and my waist has stayed the SAME size! Still 32 and wearing the same jeans! Of course they fit tighter around my legs because I have put muscle mass on. But this is for examples sake showing you that the numbers don’t really apply in the way you would think they would.
Conclusion To Our Topic!
We have summed up why you are losing inches but not pounds. But before you go I want to leave you with one tip. Don’t place all of your eggs in one basket! Forget about the scale for a while! Go about your routine and be proud of your results. At the end of the day, losing inches is an awesome thing that shows that you are making progress and looking slimmer!
I really hope you guys liked this article. Please tell me what you think about the subject below in the comment section!
If this is a worry for whatever reason, please consult your doctor, but remember that losing inches but not weight is a GOOD THING!
