Losing inches, not pounds

This topic contains 4 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by simcoeluv 9 years, 3 months ago.

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Sarapep

8:20 am
23 May 13
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I have been following the diet for a week and a half now and have gone through 3 fasting days so far. I have found it much easier than I thought I would. I keep a daily diary of my calorie intake with a handy app I have on my phone and on my non-fast days I rarely eat more than 1500 calories. I am now far more aware of what I eat, cutting out sugar from hot drinks and my cereal, drinking lots of water and avoiding bread and naughty treats. I’m really pleased to see that I have lost 2 inches from my waist since I started but am not seeing the same results on the scales. I may be a bit obsessive about this ( its the first thing I check each morning!) but I tend to lose 1lb after each fast day and then put it back on the following day. I don’t need to lose much weight but would feel more confident about myself if I could shift a few pounds. Can you offer any advice?

XXLnomore

8:58 am
24 May 13
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Hi, Im no expert, just giving my thoughts. Are you doing some exercise as well? ie resistance training, muscle weighs more that fat. That may be the case with you. Im one of those people that sees results quickly when I do resistance training, for me, the inches speak volumes about the positive effects the diet is having on your body. your waist is smaller, well done , keep up the hard work.

jenny@freshstartcoaching.co.uk

10:17 pm
5 Jun 13
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After 3 months I have lost only 7 lbs but have lost 7 inches around my waist, 4 around my back and 2 around each thigh so I really don’t care about the slow weight loss because I feel GREAT!

BubblyBoo

10:16 pm
28 Jan 15
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I am new to the 5:2 diet and find the fasts ok. I get the science bit and feel that I can really do this. However, I simply don’t understand how people can loose inches but not pounds. The forums keep telling us to check measurements which is great for seeing results but don’t understand why these losses are not reflected in the scales. Please could someone explain, thanks x

simcoeluv

11:30 pm
28 Jan 15
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Hi Bubbly and welcome:

Your problem lies with your assumption that body weight is static. However, it can vary two or more pounds, either way, each day because of water weight and food in transit weight. And the average weight loss for women on 5:2 is a little less than pound a week over time. When you combine these two facts you can see that you might not lose any scale weight, but you might still be losing fat.

So one way it can work is you weigh yourself on a ‘light’ day – say it comes in at 140 pounds. You do everything ‘right’ and the next week you find you have gained two pounds – because you are weighing yourself on a ‘heavy’ day. But because you have done everything right, you lost a pound of fat – it just did not show up on the scale. That fat loss may result in a thinner stomach, arm, etc. even though you did not lose any scale weight.

This can go on for two or three weeks – no weight loss for that time – but your measurements will get better because you are losing fat. At some point you will weigh yourself on a light day again, or enough time will have passed that your fat weight loss overcomes the daily weight ups and downs, and you will see the scales reflecting a decline in weight.

Here are some tips that will answer more of your questions: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!