a question about inch loss/gain

B

blossom102

Silver Member
Hey girlies! (and guys)
So I need a little help and would love to hear your theories on this.....
I've been measuring inch loss since I started 3 weeks ago, the first week I lost 4 inches,and was really chuffed,the week after I couldnt find my measuring tape so left it,today I've woke up to measure expecting a huge inch loss (done lots of exercising) and in 2 weeks I've only lost 3.5 inches,which is still a loss I guess but I've put on in places, my left forearm I put on half an inch,left bicep a WHOLE INCH!!! But my right arm I've lost an inch,same with legs,half an inch on right thigh and calf yet a loss on left side! And I've put half an inch on hips too! Overall the losses outweighed the gain,but it was still pretty upsetting,I understand not losing weight but losing inches, but losing weight and gaining inches? I had a slip up last night causing a few lbs of water,but since I last measured I'm still 2lbs down so can't see it being that, I've also been measuring properly so its not a tape measure fault.

Has anyone else experienced this or know why id gain inches but lose weight?

Sorry for the long story about a few inches,I just can't get it off my mind xx
 
you have been doing alot of excercise lately, so maybe its just the effect of your muscles being used/toned?

i know how easy it is to get hung up over a few numbers, but as long as the general trend is still heading downwards, then youre on the right track. our bodies are always doing silly things, but they sort themselves out.
 
Most likely its muscle hun! But there are a few things in the way you are measuring that could make it seem bigger (I do this for a living if ur wondering)

you might not be measuring in the exact same place every time, even a few ml out can change it quite a lot

You might not be holdling the tape completely straight, esp around the areas you can't see, giving u a bigger measurement than

Sounds obvious but, are you holding you finger under or over the tape when reading it? under would make it bigger

hope that helps xox
 
~Angel~ said:
Most likely its muscle hun! But there are a few things in the way you are measuring that could make it seem bigger (I do this for a living if ur wondering)

you might not be measuring in the exact same place every time, even a few ml out can change it quite a lot

You might not be holdling the tape completely straight, esp around the areas you can't see, giving u a bigger measurement than

Sounds obvious but, are you holding you finger under or over the tape when reading it? under would make it bigger

hope that helps xox
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the measurements are right (I get my mum to measure me) but thanks for the input,she holds her finger over the tape,I really wish it was the tape that was wrong lol yeah its been in the same place and I've wore the same thin clothes to measure in both times,I guess its just muscle,just found it really odd,assumed id be losing more fat than muscle gain!

Thankyou so much for all your replies girls! Maybe ill give the exercise a rest and hopefully lose that too,id rather be skinny before gaining muscle,as my thighs are chunky enough lol xx
 
Bananas said:
Your arm muscles build up helluva quick with the 30ds. Not in a bodybuilder way but in a nice toned way :)
Click to expand...

Yeah I've noticed them tone up,love 30ds so much,still got bingo wings though so I hoped they'd of shrunk lol x
 
Bananas said:
They will :). I lose weight in places like my wrists n fingers first, just a waiting game til the fat starts coming off the places u want :). It's hanging on for dear life!!
Click to expand...

Me too! My wrists,fingers and shoulders go so boney and anorexic looking,but I'm left with the biggest love handles known to man! Lol xx
 
My arms are starting to look like popeyes - was wondering if there was a connection with all the spinach I'm eating! The tops are losing fat but the bottom halves are just the same! I totally agree with the muscle thing, and to add further, your muscles basically tear and then repair when you're building them through exercise, even when that's just with toning, so you could maybe have measured them at the tear phase when I expect they might also be a tad swollen too? I've no evidence to back my theory, it just sounded feasible! :)
 
noodles1609 said:
My arms are starting to look like popeyes - was wondering if there was a connection with all the spinach I'm eating! The tops are losing fat but the bottom halves are just the same! I totally agree with the muscle thing, and to add further, your muscles basically tear and then repair when you're building them through exercise, even when that's just with toning, so you could maybe have measured them at the tear phase when I expect they might also be a tad swollen too? I've no evidence to back my theory, it just sounded feasible! :)
Click to expand...

Haha,that does sound about right to be honest,did lots of swimming last night n I'm very sore today,even my armpits ache lol and my arms are exactly the same! Bottom there isn't much difference at all! hopefully we will start looking less like Popeye and more like slim,sleek,toned arm goddesses lol xx
 
Sorry to disappoint but no, it's not muscle. First of all, whilst you're losing fat, muscle wouldn't really make you gain inches. Also, more importantly, it's scientifically and physically impossible to gain muscle whilst on a VLCD. Muscle production requires a great deal of protein, more than you get through a VLCD. Doing resistance training will help you KEEP your muscle mass but it won't increase it. Half an inch of muscle is also a LOT of muscle, more than you would gain in a week. Chances are that it's water retention from exercise or just because we do that sometimes but it won't be muscle. You'll probably see it come off again next week.
 
caroline g said:
Sorry to disappoint but no, it's not muscle. First of all, whilst you're losing fat, muscle wouldn't really make you gain inches. Also, more importantly, it's scientifically and physically impossible to gain muscle whilst on a VLCD. Muscle production requires a great deal of protein, more than you get through a VLCD. Doing resistance training will help you KEEP your muscle mass but it won't increase it. Half an inch of muscle is also a LOT of muscle, more than you would gain in a week. Chances are that it's water retention from exercise or just because we do that sometimes but it won't be muscle. You'll probably see it come off again next week.
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Thanks hun,I did think that initially as I know ketosis even eats away at muscle given the chance,but completely stumped as to how I could have gained inches but lost weight,I guess the exercise water retention and the slip up last night must be the reason,so gutted though xx
 
I can put on more than 3lbs overnight from the water retention from exercise! You're doing the 30DS as well aren't you? That'll cause water retention, which will impact the lbs and inches. Still very worth doing though. Seriously though, don't worry about half an inch. It's nothing and will be gone again next week. Measurements can fluctuate easily for very little reason, that's why I generally used to do them once a month. I'm not weighing or measuring myself now though, just going by how I feel.
 
I have this problem! I put a thread up on it a week or so ago and got told I was acting silly hahah. I'm glad I wasn't being picky and paranoid, I was genuinely interested in what was going on. But I think it's true about the water retention, also it was whenever I was due totm! Is there a pattern forming for u too?
 
caroline g said:
I can put on more than 3lbs overnight from the water retention from exercise! You're doing the 30DS as well aren't you? That'll cause water retention, which will impact the lbs and inches. Still very worth doing though. Seriously though, don't worry about half an inch. It's nothing and will be gone again next week. Measurements can fluctuate easily for very little reason, that's why I generally used to do them once a month. I'm not weighing or measuring myself now though, just going by how I feel.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm doing 30ds,i hope it is just water retention,it was really upsetting,I think I'm going to do the same as you and measure every month,it was so disheartening,I made my mum measure over n over again thinking she'd done it wrong! Lol 3lbs on from exercise is ridiculous! I know it comes off but it puts me off exercise lol xx
 
oO~SaDiA~Oo said:
I have this problem! I put a thread up on it a week or so ago and got told I was acting silly hahah. I'm glad I wasn't being picky and paranoid, I was genuinely interested in what was going on. But I think it's true about the water retention, also it was whenever I was due totm! Is there a pattern forming for u too?
Click to expand...

You're not acting silly hun! I couldn't believe it,and really couldn't understand it! I'm on the implant and hadnt had periods for 5 years until I started this diet 3 weeks ago, so not really sure if I'm retaining water for another period,but if I do get my period ill be so happy because I know it will come off again,who'd of thought it eh?hoping you get a period haha xx
 
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