My scale and my clothes are telling a very different story

I have been going to the gym for 3 months consecutively now, and I know that I am getting smaller. Some of my old clothes - especially the shirts fit me now. Actually if my memory serves me right they fit better now than they did when I bought them. But my scale has only budged 9-10lbs depending on when I weigh myself. I bought those clothes when I was about 170lbs but I am 190 now.

Any idea why this is? Its just that seeing the scale move is great motivation for me. And it has barely budged in 3 months. I am trying to watch my carbs, I keep upping the ante with my work out so I don't understand why my scale isn't moving.

You're probably gaining muscle, instead of relying on scales for inspiration try taking your measurements once a week and see how they change.

You will probably hear this a million times, but muscles weighs more than fat. The best news is that more muscletissue burns more calories than fat tissue. At the end of the day it is your activity level and the way your body feels that you should worry about, not that tricky scale!

Thanks guys, I just didn't know what to think. I guess it just goes to show what happens when you let yourself go.

Your body is telling you something your scale cannot! KEEP IT UP!!

Your body is giving you the real message - you're tightening up and getting slimmer, whatever the scale says ... you're probably working hard enough to be building muscle instead of fat.

When I had this problem I got myself a scale that measures bodyfat, body h2o levels, as well as weight. That way if my weight doesn't go down over time I can make sure my body fat is dropping instead.

It works the other way too...sometimes my body weight drops but then I realize that it's because my h2o level is low. Still, it's good to know.

i would much much rather feel looser clothing then numbers on the scale.  i used to think that if i lost weight on the scale but my clothes feel the same, that i must have lost muscle and filled up that space with fat.

i agree with the person who says take your measurements.  congradulations in getting smaller and firmer!

Original Post by kandygrl:

You will probably hear this a million times, but muscles weighs more than fat.

No it doesn't, it just more dense. ;-) Moving on.

 

The good news is that you must be gaining muscle, which means you now burn more calories just doing nothing then before. You are turning your body in a metabolic furnace. That's good. Good job!

Growing up I always had this idea that when you lose weight it comes off like an onion. One layer at a time, all over. But its not happening that way and its hard to tell sometimes when you are doing okay and when you are not. I took daveyoda's advice and went to the gym for that special scale that measures BMR and fat mass and all that good stuff. My fat mass has dropped 3% even though the scale has only budged 3lbs. Last time I weighed myself there I was 5lbs lighter but my fat mass was exactly the same. I am hoping that by the end of January I will have lost another 8lbs.

I am trying not to gain anything during Christmas.