Lost inches but not weight

I have been working out (weights, cardio, pilates, yoga) for 3 months. I have lost loads of inches and have reached most of my goals , but the scale has only moved about 11 pounds. My "measurements" are close to my pre-pregnancy days, but my weight is no where near it (15-20 pounds off from it). What is the cause of this??? Bone density usually changes with age (I'm 42), and goes down, but does the weight of bone change with age, and having babies, and go up??? I know lean muscle can compensate for the weight not changing (to a degree), but my inches lost/weight lost seems way off. Got any reaons???

beachchicken wrote:

I have been working out (weights, cardio, pilates, yoga) for 3 months. I have lost loads of inches and have reached most of my goals , but the scale has only moved about 11 pounds. My "measurements" are close to my pre-pregnancy days, but my weight is no where near it (15-20 pounds off from it). What is the cause of this??? Bone density usually changes with age (I'm 42), and goes down, but does the weight of bone change with age, and having babies, and go up??? I know lean muscle can compensate for the weight not changing (to a degree), but my inches lost/weight lost seems way off. Got any reaons???

Sounds like you have been doing great! Have you ever heard muscle weighs more than fat?Well in this case it's why you havn't lost much.See,some people think they are overweight,when the fact is their weight is fine,it's just that they need to tone up.Which is what you have done.When you tone up and you are more defined you do lose inches but may not lose,maybe even gain some weight but look great.

Melissa_20 wrote:

beachchicken wrote: I have been working out (weights, cardio, pilates, yoga) for 3 months. I have lost loads of inches and have reached most of my goals , but the scale has only moved about 11 pounds. My "measurements" are close to my pre-pregnancy days, but my weight is no where near it (15-20 pounds off from it). What is the cause of this??? Bone density usually changes with age (I'm 42), and goes down, but does the weight of bone change with age, and having babies, and go up??? I know lean muscle can compensate for the weight not changing (to a degree), but my inches lost/weight lost seems way off. Got any reaons??? Sounds like you have been doing great! Have you ever heard muscle weighs more than fat?Well in this case it's why you havn't lost much.See,some people think they are overweight,when the fact is their weight is fine,it's just that they need to tone up.Which is what you have done.When you tone up and you are more defined you do lose inches but may not lose,maybe even gain some weight but look great.

I must be putting on far more muscle than I thought, I guess. It's a hard thing to wrap your head around. After all the years we have been so programmed to watch our weight, watch our weight, it's tough to ignore it and watch the measurements instead. I'm getting better at focussing on the measurements, and not the weight, but it's hard I tell you. Thanks for your reply

beachchicken wrote:

I must be putting on far more muscle than I thought, I guess. It's a hard thing to wrap your head around. After all the years we have been so programmed to watch our weight, watch our weight, it's tough to ignore it and watch the measurements instead. I'm getting better at focussing on the measurements, and not the weight, but it's hard I tell you. Thanks for your reply

I knwo what you mean.I am in my weight range but I have been being hard on myself for the past couple of months to exercise.I am not large but I do have parts of me that look a little. . .ok pretty fatty and I want to tone them up.I have a pilates strip dvd but the problem is that I don't have any motivation.What do you use for motivation?

By the way I like your sn,its cute!

Melissa_20 wrote:

beachchicken wrote: I must be putting on far more muscle than I thought, I guess. It's a hard thing to wrap your head around. After all the years we have been so programmed to watch our weight, watch our weight, it's tough to ignore it and watch the measurements instead. I'm getting better at focussing on the measurements, and not the weight, but it's hard I tell you. Thanks for your reply I knwo what you mean.I am in my weight range but I have been being hard on myself for the past couple of months to exercise.I am not large but I do have parts of me that look a little. . .ok pretty fatty and I want to tone them up.I have a pilates strip dvd but the problem is that I don't have any motivation.What do you use for motivation? By the way I like your sn,its cute!

Thanks (it's actually what people nicknamed me in highschool - a play on my maiden last name, not that I'm a chicken of the beach - I love it)

The only way I seem to be able to keep motivated is to get up "before" my kids all get up, or things get going in the day and I never seem to be able to get the time or later day energy to do it. I'm with my kids all day since I homeschool all 3 of them.

I also always have to set myself a timeline. This last 3 months was based on I was doing my own "Biggest Loser" challenge with myself, using the Biggest Loser exercise DVD. I love it because you tayler your exercise based on which routine(s) you want to do, and it wasn't an expensive DVD. Sporadically I would add the Pilates, Yoga and workouts from one of my gazillion videos.

I also took all my measurements, weighed myself, and took 3 before pictures (full front, back and side views). Every week I would redo my measurements and weight, and once a month I would take 3 more pictures (front, back and side) to compare visually how I was changing. It was amazing how much change you could see in the pictures that you didn't notice gradually happening to you when looking in the mirror.

Like you said, there always seems to be a few areas that don't ever look like you want them to (like stomach and inner thighs for me).

beachchicken wrote:

Like you said, there always seems to be a few areas that don't ever look like you want them to (like stomach and inner thighs for me).

Oh man,see I am not big but those are the same areas I do not like! I have fatty inner thighs and my belly has a little pouch! eeeik! I hate it.I am so not a morning person but I have to be if I want to work out.IMy work has a gym near the break room abd I have to be to work at 8 so I need to be in the gym by at least 6:30 to get anything done.I don't like exercising after work cause then everyones in there!

Melissa_20 wrote:

beachchicken wrote: Like you said, there always seems to be a few areas that don't ever look like you want them to (like stomach and inner thighs for me). Oh man,see I am not big but those are the same areas I do not like! I have fatty inner thighs and my belly has a little pouch! eeeik! I hate it.I am so not a morning person but I have to be if I want to work out.IMy work has a gym near the break room abd I have to be to work at 8 so I need to be in the gym by at least 6:30 to get anything done.I don't like exercising after work cause then everyones in there!

I know exactly what you mean. If you go later in the day all the cardio machines are being used and you have to wait in line for the weight machines. Good luck at the morning thing. You sound like you have the same physical shape as me - not big but pouches in the inner thighs and belly. I keep thinking, it's got to disappear some day with all this hard work. I guess that's where the extra 10 lbs of weight I want to lose must be sitting, in leg and belly pockets

beachchicken wrote:

I have been working out (weights, cardio, pilates, yoga) for 3 months. I have lost loads of inches and have reached most of my goals , but the scale has only moved about 11 pounds. My "measurements" are close to my pre-pregnancy days, but my weight is no where near it (15-20 pounds off from it). What is the cause of this??? Bone density usually changes with age (I'm 42), and goes down, but does the weight of bone change with age, and having babies, and go up??? I know lean muscle can compensate for the weight not changing (to a degree), but my inches lost/weight lost seems way off. Got any reaons???

Sorry to repeat, but, yes, muscle is heavier than fat. I lost 2.5 stone in one month and for the last 2 weeks the scales haven't moved, but my tummy is definately going in. I go to the gym twice a week (soon to be 3) and try to be more active generally. I also cut out sugar and simplified carbs

Dear Ladies and anyone who reads this blog:

1 pound of muscle does not weight more than 1 pound of fat impossible.

One pound of anything equals one pound!

Fat does take up more space than muscle.

Our company is a body typing company called Exude if you need further help with weight and nutrition please look at our website. Exude.com

Thanks!

It sounds like you are doing very well. I think "losing weight" is a bad term for what we are all trying to do which is in fact, getting fit, healthier and feeling better. Our success should not be measured by a scale but rather our fitness.