This is a huge hang up and it drives me nuts. When you are building lean muscle mass and you start out, let’s face it, a bit more than flabby, you will probably not budge on the scale much. Instead of running out and doing 40 spin classes a week, why not embrace the change for a little bit. Think of muscle and how if you weighed a pound of it compared to fat, the muscle would take up much less area (or space) than the fat… Get okay with it. If you knew how much I weighed you would be shocked!
Let me give you an example. I had a friend who had actually battled anorexia. She weighed TWENTY POUNDS less than I did. And I wore a size three jeans (Juniors/Levi’s/Low Rise). She loved my jeans. And I felt compelled to give them to her. (She was always so generous with me that I felt like that was what I could do for her). Hear me on this. At 20 pounds less than I, she could not button my jeans.
So the next time you start on a quest to lose FAT, embrace that losing inches is better and healthier than losing pounds on a scale. That is why Biggest Loser always makes me crazy! In the end, it works. The contestants get fit and lean and are in great shape but what IF they measured success in inches, too, it would be more well rounded with results throughout the entire program. That would add a new twist. (Aren’t they always looking for twists on that show?).
I am so glad you wrote about this. I have lost 25 kg in the last year and even though this is indeed a big weight loss my BMI is still on the overweight side but not my size anymore! The last month I lost a jeans size and only 1 kg. While being in a nutrition plan, I exercise regularly cardio +pilates +barre programs. I am a public health nutritionist (embarrassing as I was overweight but at least I know how it feels like better) and I find weight and BMI very poor measurements, useful (or as good as it gets) for public but not for the individual! I believe more and more people should be aware of body composition and the importance of muscles on basal metabolic rate! Thank you for raising this point!
Thank you, Xanthi. I often fail the waist to hip ratio because I have very narrow hips! ;)