Losing inches but not weight – The truth about weight loss.

Wondering why you are losing inches but not weight? 

You may be at the gym working out consistently and eating a well balanced diet, but when you look at the scales, you’re not seeing any progress. This can be frustration and a total knock to your confidence without understanding why this could be happening. What if I told you that it actually doesn’t matter what the scales say and it’s a complete waste of your time? 

Not only it affects your mental health by constantly checking the scales, but what number are you chasing? The scales don’t give you the full picture on your weight loss progress and it definitely doesn’t reflect your health and well-being. 

Here’s all you need to know about losing inches but not weight, and what you can do about it – For a better, more sustainable and healthier you! 

The truth about weight loss 

When you hear the word ‘weight loss’ we often refer to it as weight in a particular area such as your thighs, belly, hips, bum or arms. It could also mean fitting into those jeans, dress or perhaps losing weight for an upcoming trip. 

However, it doesn’t always mean dropping down on the scale will give you the result you’re looking for. 

The world can be so fickle when it comes to weight loss, every body is different. Aiming for a number on the scale, can not only impact your overall health but also it’s simply not the ‘perfect look’ we’ve told ourselves. 

It would be a boring world if we all aimed for the same number on the weighing scales. When it comes to weight loss, embrace your own body, focus on your own goals, drop the social media and just be the best version of you! You will find by doing this, weight loss wont be an unhealthy short-term fix for an occasion or a piece of clothing, you will see sustainable and long term results to feel good.

It is in fact possible to gain muscle and reduce body fat without actually seeing a change in your weight. Put simply, this happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight will stay the same on the scales, although you are losing inches from your waist line. 

It’s important to understand the key differences so that you can judge your progress.  

Here’s why you may be losing inches but not weight.

Weighing yourself too much – your weight can change depending on the time of the month, hormones, how often you go to the bathroom and how much water you’ve consumed that day. Constantly looking at the scales is not only harmful to your well-being, but also is not a true reflection of your overall health, and weight as most of these things are temporary.

Recomposition – this is when you lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. 

Body adaptation – This happens when you stick to the same gym routine for several weeks without making any changes. Your body gets used to the routine or diet and adapts. Change up your routine for maximum fat burning results.   

Muscle repair– when you workout cardio or weight training, it causes your muscles to create tiny micro tears to get stronger. When the muscle is repairing itself, it could temporarily retain more water to help the healing process. 

Bone density – lifting weights can increase your bone density and add to the scale. However, increasing your bone density is a good thing for your health and it shouldn’t be something to shy away from. 

Water retention – your body retains more water if you consume fast food, high salt diet or eat more carbs than it’s used to. Your body goes into alert mode and temporarily retains more water to protect itself. 

You’re on your period – Your body is prone to bloating and water retention while on your period. This is only temporary however, you could also experience craving for sugary or salty foods that could increase the bloating.  

Losing inches not weight – Weight loss vs fat loss

When focusing on fat loss, focus on your overall weight, this could be when you lose body fat by increasing muscles mass.

When you lose weight, it’s a sign that you may be losing muscle, reducing water retention or a change in hormone levels. 

Science-backed ways to lose weight

1. Get 7-9 hours a sleep each night.
2. Eating protein for breakfast to fill you up for the day and prevent snacking.
3. Resistance training can be great at burning fat. Try this workout to target chest and arms for a lean, toned look.
4. Tracking your diet and exercise – this will keep you motivated and track progress.
5. Eating a balanced diet – find a diet plan and stick to it, prepare meals at the start of the week or night before to avoid bad habits. 
6. Avoid sugar, high sodium foods and refined carbohydrates.
7. Increase your fibre intake.
8. Add whole grains and healthy fats to your diet to keep you fuller for longer.
9. Balance gut bacteria with probiotics.

Here’s why not to use a scale 

• It’s not a true reflection of your health.

• The scale can’t defrienciate between fat and muscle. 

• It measures everything in your body, muscle mass, bone density and doesn’t provide an accurate weight. 

• It doesn’t take into consideration hormone levels, bloating, water retention which are all temporary.

• It’s not good for your well-being – in fact it can demotivate you due to its inaccuracies.

There are more effective ways to judge your weight loss goals 

• Set healthy goals to reach for exercising, rather than weigh loss goals. Such as going from running 1k to 3k over 6 weeks, or increasing the number of classes you do per week. Not only you will naturally lose weight overtime, it’s better for your motivation and mindset. 
• Make a judgement call on now your clothes fit and how you feel. 
• Use an old fashioned tape measure – Take your measurements to see if you’re losing inches.
• Invest in a scale that measures body fat. Although a little expensive, this will give you a more clearer idea of your overall weight. 

Top tips for weight loss 

• Surround yourself with likeminded people who have goals to be healthy and active.

• Use a smaller plate.

• Don’t skip breakfast.

• Eat small and regular meals.

• Eat plenty of fruit and veg.

• Increase protein in your diet.

• Add protein to your breakfast.

• Avoid processed foods.

• Increase your fibre intake.

• Set performance goals and be more active. 

• Keep hydrated. Green tea is a great way to stay hydrated and boost weight loss.

• Avoid scales and focus on how your clothes fit

Losing inches but not weight – Conclusion 

Consider taking a break from weighing yourself, and find another ways to judge your weight loss progress. Your weight isn’t a measure of success, it can in fact, provide you with an inaccurate measurement of your overall health and demotivate you.  

The smallest changes to your morning routine can smash your weight loss goals. Try these morning motivation tips to lose weight fast.

Looking for workouts to burn body fat and get lean and toned arms? Try this workout to target the arms.