Strange goings on that do not add up!!

Right this must be my shortest topic with the shortest question!

I am losing inches but gaining scale weight. What gives?

muscle weighs more than fat!

You must be gaining muscle by toning up, hence losing inches but weighin more.

I wudnt worry about the number on the scael, it will even itself out over period of time, how you look and health are best to go by.

:0))

i gained loads of weight then i exercised more and now im still gaining yet more weight? but i have lost 1 inch around my waist and hips.

Has this weight-gain been going on for a few weeks or is it just a few days?   If days, wait a week or two before judging... 

The most common reason for sustained weight-gain is that you're eating more than you think or you're exercising less than you think.    Correction.. muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, it is more dense than fat.  Even so, it is very, very difficult to gain weight by building muscle as fast as you lose fat.   It is also very difficult to lose weight through exercise alone....  it is quicker/easier to not eat 500 cals than it is to exercise away 500 cals.   The differnce in your waist-measurement may be 're-shaping', either through exercise or because your diet has improved and you're retaining less fluid. 

Do you weigh and measure your portions and keeping an accurate food log?

If you just started a new exercise program, you are probably retaining water in your muscles.  At the same time, you may be losing fat so your waist is getting slimmer.  Or you're not measuring the same spot on your waist all the time and found a slimmer spot.  Those are the two most likely explanations.

Gi-jane - I try and keep as accurate with my measurements as possible and the calculations i go by are provided by calorie count. i have deficits of 200 normally every day (according to calorie count) and i know it takes over 3000 to lose a pound but why have i gained a pound on top of the pounds i havnt lost?

if i am doing it wrong then something must be wrong with the calculations provided on this site because i feel im doing really well.

susiecue - I understand the measurements could be at a different place i am more conscious than i was of that factor and i can assure you i keep it at the same place. i have been doing the same exercise plan for two months now. all be it the exercise is not vigourous but i still manage 200 deficits everyday so why am i still gaining? i mean i would totally understand if i were staying at the same due to water retention etc etc but GAINING?! im at a loss.

The real question is How do you feel?  This is the real indicator of the process. You are getting smaller and this is what you want right? Don't let a few numbers on a scale through you off.

200kcals a day and that includes exercise? or is the 200kcals jst ur exercise?

have you been on the burn meter and the calorie target?

ususally CC will set ur calorie target 500 lower than ur burn meter.

then if u exercise its on top, although normally it is advisable to eat slightly more calories, not necessarily all that uv exercised off, but slightly more on the days u exercise.

the fact uv put a pound on cud be water weight or what time of day was it when u weighed etc?

id try and increase your deficit and just stick with it, weigh urself first thing of a morning, after uve been to the toilet and before u drink or eat anything, and only once or twice a week.

i weigh at the time you specify and yes once a week at the same time. basically each day i have a 200 cal deficit whether or not i exercise. if i dont exercise i eat less when i exercise i eat more but still keep the average at 200 cals each day.

I just read your profile... 5'3" and 123lbs obviously isn't a bad weight and 'vanity pounds' are very difficult to get rid of, whatever you do.    At a 200 cal deficit per day (and that assumes you're very, very accurate about how much energy you're using)  it's going to take about 3 weeks before you see a pound loss....   If it turns out you're using up 100 cals a day less energy than you think or eating 100 cals more than you think it'll take 6 weeks to lose the same pound.  In between, your body will be quite happy maintaining your weight on just a fraction less food and a little fluid retention can make the scales go up.

A 500 cal deficit and you might see some movement...

Original Post by gi-jane:

Has this weight-gain been going on for a few weeks or is it just a few days?   If days, wait a week or two before judging... 

The most common reason for sustained weight-gain is that you're eating more than you think or you're exercising less than you think.    Correction.. muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, it is more dense than fat.  Even so, it is very, very difficult to gain weight by building muscle as fast as you lose fat.   It is also very difficult to lose weight through exercise alone....  it is quicker/easier to not eat 500 cals than it is to exercise away 500 cals.   The differnce in your waist-measurement may be 're-shaping', either through exercise or because your diet has improved and you're retaining less fluid. 

Do you weigh and measure your portions and keeping an accurate food log?

By definition If something is denser it has more mass which means it weighs more. We don't need to correct people needlessly.

Ah, it's not the scale so much that matters, it's the inches.

Don't pay too much attention, as long as your getting tword your health and fitness goals, the scale doesn't matter so much.

Muscle weighs more than fat does anyway! Remeber that

Rambennett - By definition a pound is a pound, whether it is feathers or gold.  Obviously a pound of feathers takes up more space than a pound of gold, but it weighs the same.  If something is denser, it only weighs more if it takes up the same amount of space.  Nitpicky, yes.  But muscle does not weight more than fat.  It is denser than fat.

To the OP, I think GI_Jane has hit it on the head.  with only an estimated 200 calorie per day defecit, it could take a while to lose even a pound.  And remember, the calorie burn numbers are only estimates, you might actually be burning more of less.  BUT even more importantly, don't focus so much on the weight on the scale as on how your body feels.  Even though I am way over the "healthy" BMI numbers of 21-25, I feel very good because I am eating healthy and working out and my body fat percent is continuing to decrease.  It really is not your absolute weight that is as important as (1) your general fitness (2) the quality of your diet and (3) your body fat percentage.  Actual weight is way down on the list.

Original Post by nutbox:

muscle weighs more than fat!

You must be gaining muscle by toning up, hence losing inches but weighin more.

I wudnt worry about the number on the scael, it will even itself out over period of time, how you look and health are best to go by.

 

:0))

no, muscle is denser than fat. also muscle is not gained so easily, especially by a female, a female could probably gain maximum 1 pound of muscle in a month. and on a deficit, i doubt anyones building muscle.

Original Post by rwnorth:

Rambennett - By definition a pound is a pound, whether it is feathers or gold.  Obviously a pound of feathers takes up more space than a pound of gold, but it weighs the same.  If something is denser, it only weighs more if it takes up the same amount of space.  Nitpicky, yes.  But muscle does not weight more than fat.  It is denser than fat.

To the OP, I think GI_Jane has hit it on the head.  with only an estimated 200 calorie per day defecit, it could take a while to lose even a pound.  And remember, the calorie burn numbers are only estimates, you might actually be burning more of less.  BUT even more importantly, don't focus so much on the weight on the scale as on how your body feels.  Even though I am way over the "healthy" BMI numbers of 21-25, I feel very good because I am eating healthy and working out and my body fat percent is continuing to decrease.  It really is not your absolute weight that is as important as (1) your general fitness (2) the quality of your diet and (3) your body fat percentage.  Actual weight is way down on the list.

 rwnorth-The OP never mentioned anything about a pound of this being more than a pound of that. What she said was "Muscule weighs more than fat which is true given the same volume. Density of an item has a direct relationship with it's molecular weight. No one would argue that cast iron would weigh more than styrofoam. I know we are splitting hairs but facts are facts.

Calm down!

Your experiencing a plateau. Give it a couple weeks,workout and eat right as you are doing. I mean you're not going to just give up. Your body retains salt,water,and fat for many different reasons. Don't trust your scale,trust the hard work your putting into changing your life!

Things like THIS happens all the time,but it's those who weather the storm and come out stronger and healthier!

Original Post by ranbennett:

 No one would argue that cast iron would weigh more than styrofoam. I know we are splitting hairs but facts are facts.

LOL!  Facts are facts, yes, but do get them straight.   Cast iron is a more dense material than styrofoam.   A cubic metre of cast iron will weigh more than a cubic metre of styrofoam.  A kilo of cast iron and a kilo of styrofoam are exactly the same weight but different volumes.

It's not splitting hairs but I see that phrase trotted out all the time 'muscle weighs more than fat' and it just bugs me a little, that's all.

Original Post by gi-jane:

Original Post by ranbennett:

 No one would argue that cast iron would weigh more than styrofoam. I know we are splitting hairs but facts are facts.

LOL!  Facts are facts, yes, but do get them straight.   Cast iron is a more dense material than styrofoam.   A cubic metre of cast iron will weigh more than a cubic metre of styrofoam.  A kilo of cast iron and a kilo of styrofoam are exactly the same weight but different volumes.

It's not splitting hairs but I see that phrase trotted out all the time 'muscle weighs more than fat' and it just bugs me a little, that's all.

 D=M/V, D=density, M=mass, V=volume.  M=W/G, M=mass, W=weight(newtons), G=acceleration of gravity.

Look at these formulas and figure it out on your own GI Jane. I'm not going to explain it to you. Density is a weight measurement with a volume constant.