Inches...but not weight?

Candice · January 6, 2006

Almost banded three months and have lost a considerable amount of weight. However, now I am seeing changes in my clothes, but not changes on the scale. What is going on metabolically that make you lose inches and not pounds?:ermm

lianna · January 6, 2006

Here is one explanation I have heard. When a fat cell is forced to empty its fat stores it will fill temporarily with Water. It acts as kind of a reserve mechanism for the cell, holding its place and waiting for somemore fat to be shuttled in to store. If the fat cell is not needed for storage again it will finally empty. When these cells empty it causes them to shrink resulting in the loss of inches without the loss of much weight. This was an explanation for why a person can lose 3-4 lbs one week and nothing the next week or two, yet still continue to see differences in measurements. I have no clue if this is an accurate explanation or not, but it stuck with me because it made some sense.

Iluvharleys · January 6, 2006

Heck, I'll take those inches over the number on a scale anyday! Congrats, you are doing great!

Jessiebear · January 6, 2006

Yep! Sounds like you are on a plateau. I have heard exactly what Lianna explained from one of my docs in the past. Your body is shrinking! It is catching up with the weight you have lost. I embrace my plateaus! By the way, Congrats on the weight loss! You are definately a rabbit!!

ReneBean · January 6, 2006

k - muscle weighs like 2-3 times what fat weighs. If you have been working out and building muscle - your body size would trim down, but your weight would stay the same. Some folks get discouraged because they actually GAIN weight when they start working out.

NJChick (Eileen) actually posted a picture of what five pounds of fat looks like next to 5 lbs of muscle. It's amazing...

Hey, the scale is just a pack of lies anyway. The number changes daily - several times - based on what you eat, what you drink, whether it's salty, etcetera. All that matters is whether you can skim into those size 14's or 8's or whatever.

GO FOR IT!! Keep up the good work!