weight loss vs inches lost

[missgypsy 1]

I've read alot of posts on here about people saying that they have lost such and such pounds but does anyone ever measure themselves? the day before i went into have surgery i weighed and measured myself. i keep it in a notebook and once a week will weigh and measure myself and write it down. this way i can see the progress i am making. has anyone else does this? i know one week i just lost .5 lbs but on the flip side of it i lost 3 inches. muscle weighs more then fat and if you are exercising and working out then you are building muscle. lol hopefully

so what does everone else do?

[LeighaMason 19]

Both, since I have been doing the couch to 5K program its been 9 weeks, I have only lost 4 pounds but I have lost an inch off of each thigh. When it gets down to the nitty gritty it helps to have something in writing to keep you encouraged.

[BetsyB 9]

I do measure--I try to remember to do it monthly. It's great, because it does give good information when the scale doesn't seem to be moving as quickly as I'd like.

Overall, I've found that I tend to lose an inch for every pound and a half or so I lose. Just tallying the areas I measure, I've lost close to 40 inches since my surgery, and have lost just over 60 pounds. It's VERY gratifying to see those numbers, and I'm really glad I started measuring the month after surgery. (I wish I'd done it before---just like I wish I had a good BEFORE picture; but I was sort of avoiding numbers and cameras at that point!)

Not to split hairs, but muscle doesn't weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound is a pound. But muscle is denser, and takes up less space. It is also metabolically active, which is great--the more you build, the better for your metabolism. Fat just sits there---burning almost no calories. Muscle earns its keep! That's why I believe exercise is just as crucial to weight loss and (especially) maintenance as eating the right things.

[Windus 0]

I just ordered a new scale which will be here tomorrow. It is called a Withings scale and it is wifi connected. It takes not only your weight but it also measures your fat and lean body mass and your BMI. It then uploads it all to the RunKeeper website and you can see exactly what is happening every day. I also have an app on my Droid Incredible phone that tracks me with GPS when I am out walking and it uploads how far you went, how fast and how many calories.

You can then see even when you are not losing pounds when you are losing fat and gaining lean muscle mass which I think will help with motivation when the scale is not going down like we like.

It is all very cool and the first time I ever could not wait to get a scale! :tt1:

[Jachut 487]

Good luck, lol. I bought a new scale today, just have to get a 9V battery for it. I'm dreading stepping on it - my old scale said I had 30% body fat, which is just really not likely to be true, but I'm terrified the new one will weight me heavier and still tell me I have 30% body fat!

[missgypsy 1]

thank you for the responses. my scale isn't that old but i've been thinking about getting one that says my body fat and all the good stuff. i'd love love love to have one like they have in my drs office. it prints out this piece of paper and tells the bmi, weight, fat % and other stuff on it. super cool :tt1:.

[BetsyB 9]

body fat measurement by bioelectric impedence (like scales use) is really very inaccurate---it can't really make much of a distinction between fat and many of the body's soft tissues.

Jacqui, there's no WAY you're 30 percent fat!

[Windus 0]

It is more about tracking a trend and seeing that you are making changes to your body than thinking it is 100% accurate.

[adagray 1]

I just ordered a new scale which will be here tomorrow. It is called a Withings scale and it is wifi connected. It takes not only your weight but it also measures your fat and lean body mass and your BMI. It then uploads it all to the RunKeeper website and you can see exactly what is happening every day. I also have an app on my Droid Incredible phone that tracks me with GPS when I am out walking and it uploads how far you went, how fast and how many calories.

You can then see even when you are not losing pounds when you are losing fat and gaining lean muscle mass which I think will help with motivation when the scale is not going down like we like.

It is all very cool and the first time I ever could not wait to get a scale! :thumbup:

I recently bought the Tanita Ironman scale which gives a lot of the same measurements. I find it really motivating. My surgeon's office uses a professional version of this scale that provides a printout of the information. I was happy to see that the measurements are consistent between their scale and mine even though mine is not nearly as expensive as theirs. It may not be perfectly accurate (as another poster stated), but I figure if its close enough for my surgeon's office, its close enough for me. And, I do find it very motivating since I can see the numbers trend in the right direction when I adjust my workouts.

I never did get into taking my measurements. I thought about it, but its just another number which doesn't mean a lot to me. I have kept a pair of jeans and blouse that I used to wear at my heaviest so if I really want to see the difference, I could put those on.

The real cool thing I have noticed is that I am fitting into clothes that I used to wear at a lower weight, but at a slightlly higher weight this time. For example, pants that I used to wear at 185ish, I'm wearing now at 199, and they aren't any tighter. I'm sure its because I work out a lot now and have more muscle than I used to. So, even though I'm not 185 yet, my body is the same size as it used to be at 185. Very cool!

[Jachut 487]

Well, the new scale said 23% which is a lot more acceptable, lol. Probably not all that accurate, but much more likely true than 30%. I can remember being measured as 32% (by caliper test) at my very fattest!

[reverie 49]

I wished I'd measured myself! I should start as I'm already down a pants size.

[bambam31 168]

Also don't underestimate the value of the mirror. You can see yourself shrinking week after week - it is very gratifying.

Brad

[Froggie D 1]

I measure every Saturday. The most important measurements to me, at least now at the beginning of my journey, are hips and waist. I have lost 5.5 inches in each of these areas. It is wonderful to see these numbers go down.

Since I joined the gym this week and plan to go regularly, I hope to see this trend continue!:thumbup:

[Nean4488 1]

I havent measured myself. I know this sounds crazy but the only thing that matters to me is the scale.< /p>

[Windus 0]

The problem with relying solely on the number on the scale is that it is easy to get discouraged and think nothing is happening when you may just be adding muscle which is heavier than the fat it is replacing.