Clothing size dropping, but not weight

[CandiPaige1]

Getting annoyed that the number on my scale isn't going anywhere, even though I've went down one clothing size. I know muscle weighs more than fat, but I would like to see a little change in my weight after a straight month of working out and keeping track of calories.

[leear]

Mmm,,,,it sounds like you have not had the 'normal' massive water weight loss that most people have when they start a change in life stlye....so I can only assume you had become pretty lean by last month, when you started the new programme? The fact that you have dropped a dress size means that fat is going and becomming muscle. I'm sure that in duecourse, the weight loss will start as you can't just keep building muscle as it needs more maintenence 🙂

If your unhappy with your smaller size and more muscle' you could convert your muscle, back to fat by less excersie and/or more sleep (not more  or different food) and you may loose some weight, before the cycle of weight gain starts again.

[Isa51]

I have been working out hard for 5 days, but I have not seen any weight changes either

[leear]

Working out hard for five days doesn't give you a right to a weight loss as it's a short period and there could be numerous reasons for weight stagnation.

Suggest you give it five weeks (not five days) for some quantifiable results 🙂

[Isa51]

Ok, I will be patient!

Mod Edit: Removed personal information for user's privacy. 

[Algenon]

I had the same issue at first. I went down three sizes but the weight was the same on the scale.   I was told it was because muscle was building up which takes less room than fat but weighs more. Don't give up. Keep it up and the pounds will melt as you use the "new" muscles. I have now lost 38 pounds since Feb and I look and feel great!   Try  entering in your body measurments to see your progress.  

[TCG]

When I started working out I took my measurements, as I worked with my trainer I noticed that my clothes were loose but the weight was not going down. He told me it was because I was trading my fat for muscle, so for every pound of fat I lost, I was gaining a pound of muscle. The scale will not go down but your body will be trim. Eventually you will start to lose the weight, he also told me to weigh myself in the morning after the body gets a chance to rest and the swelling from the day goes away.

[josephz2va]

For most people, they don't need to lose weight but to tone up and lose body fat. Losing body fat is a good thing as most of that body fat is holding your clothes sizes very big and poses health problems.

My weight is good for an average person my age at 170 lbs average, but the body fat (24%) needs to go down to (14%) which will shrink my clothes size requirement eventually. A higher body fat increases the size requirement of your clothes while a lower and toned up body fat will shrink it to the size you would want.

@Isa51 To see any change in your size, it needs to be a periodical fitness for toning and losing fat. 5 Days isn't going to be an instant fix to losing fat. A periodical fitness will. For people such as myself, a Daily Workout Schedule of AM Strength and PM Cardio every single day will slowly shape your body and everyday you step on the scale, you'll see the body fat lower as you keep it up and notice a change in a few months.

Like most of those infomercials on TV like "Insanity" "T25" or at your local gym with a challenge poster, daily working out up to 90 days will show you the results.

[Psychobarb]

I have had no weight loss, averaging over 13K steps and added curcuit training and yoga once a week.  Trying to weigh all foods for accurate measurements.  I feel tighter and clothes fit fine.  Though, based on Fitbit, I should be shedding .8 pounds a week.

Tend to think when I resume my work schedule and late night eating and going out lessens, I will see scale move down.

I am enjoying myself this summer seeing friends and entertaining.

[Algenon]

I forgot to add you should join one of the activity groups in your area of interest.  The people in the groups will help you stay motivated.

[HayleyUK]

Muscle does not weigh more than fat. Both weigh the same but muscle takes up less space in the body so it sounds like you are doing well. Getting smaller reducing the fat and building muscle. I see this post is a few years old. I hope you had every success.! 

[Panther-3715]

I am so glad that I am not alone. This can be frustrating for me too.  I have lost weight in the past and kept it off till I had my third and FINAL child. Now I am losing it again. I understand what you are going through. Don't give up. It is like going through a dark long tunnel. It is more of a weight Plateau your body is holding to. It will suddenly start to drop as you keep shrinking in size.

[Jacjacjac0_5]

I know this is a really old post but how long did this last for? I’ve been in a calorie deficit for almost 4 weeks and Doing cardio for 50 minutes 3/4 times a week and I keep losing and gaining the same 2 lbs.

[leear]

Until you are rock solid muscle and all the fat has gone 😊 

[Dominique]

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@Jacjacjac0_5 wrote:

I keep losing and gaining the same 2 lbs.

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± 2 lbs is the normal day-to-day fluctuation range for someone maintaining their weight, the fluctuations being mostly water. Now that you have established your baseline for maintenance, either slightly increase your activity level (expressed, for instance, by your average step count, or average calories burned), or slightly reduce your intake, or a combination of both.

[Jacjacjac0_5]

A while then! 😂

[Jacjacjac0_5]

Thank you I’ll try to work out 5 days instead of 3-4. I’m eating 1200 calories or less a day (weighing everything) except weekends when I don’t count calories but I definitely don’t exceed 1800 on weekends. My tdee is around 1400 so I should still be in a deficit.

I have mild hypothyroidism which is treated but I can’t see that being the reason the scales aren’t budging. My clothes are looser so I’ll just keep going and hope for a whoosh soon!

[Dominique]

1400 sounds really low for TDEE, you must be a very petite female. Are you sure you need to lower your weight? What number do you get if you enter your personal data in this online calculator, using "moderate" as the activity level?

I would also suggest increasing your overall activity level (including informal activity, aka "NEAT"), as opposed to focusing solely on the number and duration of your formal workouts. This can make a big difference on TDEE.

[Jacjacjac0_5]

Sorry... I meant my BMR is 1400. I’m definitely not petite! 

I’ll look into NEAT thank you for suggesting this. I usually burn 2300ish calories on workout days and around  1800 on non-workout days which is why I’m confused as to why the scale isn’t budging.

If I’m eating 1200 calories on weekdays I’m eating under my BMR plus the extra calories burned from my workouts I should still have a good deficit even though I don’t count calories on the weekend 🤷🏻‍:female_sign:

I’ve previously got disheartened and quit but I’m determined not to do that this time and keep looking for an answer. My thyroid problems may make it slightly tougher to lose weight than normal but if people without a thyroid can lose weight then so can I.

[Dominique]

OK, 1400 for BMR only sounds more reasonable, though 2300 for TDEE is probably on the high side (unless your average daily stepcount is 15k or more), as is 500 for a  50-minute cardio workout (unless it’s something really intense). Nevertheless, even when bringing down the TDEE estimate and taking into account your slow thyroid, you should still be in a deficit if eating 1200 or less. What I’d suggest is eating more than 1200 on workout days, but logging your intake on weekends (at least on 1-2 of them). It’s just so easy to cancel out a deficit by eating "ad libitum".