Losing inches slowwwwwly?

[Buddyjay]

Although my weight lost since starting this WOE (3/19/07) is good, I am surprised that I haven't lost in the inches department. Here are the numbers:
Start: 3/19/07 4/30/07
Weight: 222 Now: 203
Waist: 45 1/2 Now: 43
Neck: 19 1/2 Now: 18 1/4

Arm, Thigh & Chest all remain the same... They are always thin. My problem areas (male) are belly and neck.
Are these #'s okay for the 6 weeks I have been doing this? Am I expecting too much?
Thanks.

[*Emma*]

Re: Losing inches slowwwwwly?

your weightloss will slow down shortly and maybe even stall, as that happens your inches will catch up. Im the same, just waiting for them to catch up!

Your weightloss is great so congrats on that!

[not2late]

Re: Losing inches slowwwwwly?

I think you're the the first person here to be concerned about not losing inches but losing pounds! That's refreshing to see.

Your body will catch up. I didn't see any changes in my measurements until I had lost 30-40 pounds---so imagine how I felt when I knew I lost weight, but still looked the same and couldn't fit into a smaller clothing size. Then I went through a period where my weight didn't change, but I was dropping clothing sizes like crazy. So don't worry right now, just give your body a chance to catch up.

[Buddyjay]

Re: Losing inches slowwwwwly?

Thanks for the advice. I was in a two week "stall" between 4/9 and 4/23. Lost absolutely nothing...not even inches. Stall broke last week and have lost 5lbs. more, but still no inches since 4/9.
I knew the weight stall was normal, but inches too? Oh, well...

[thighsofthunder]

Re: Losing inches slowwwwwly?

You lost 2 1/2 inches off your waist! That's great.

[liftinguru]

Re: Losing inches slowwwwwly?

Hey Buddy,
I've seen the same issues before, and can offer 2 *possible* reasons for this:
1) A large portion of your weight loss to this point may have been water, fecal matter (from the colon), and glycogen, and/or
2) It's possible you have lost inches in other parts of the body where measurements are not usually taken. We always measure the common areas like waist, chest, and neck, but what about calves, arms, face, hands, forearms, feet, fingers, toes, and other areas? I have actually not lost measurable inches in the 3 main areas where measurements are taken, but clothes have felt better, and I figured this was the reason why.
3) The first place you gain your weight is the last place it will come off. For many guys it's in the belly. I've seen some men actually look *fatter* after losing substantial weight, only because their weight fell off their chest, arms, legs, and face first--and their belly remained larger by comparison. But that's just an allusion and it's temporary because if you keep losing weight, it WILL come off the trouble areas, as the body simply has no other store of fat to burn.
4) Induction phase always nets me the most pounds lost the quickest, but it was in extended induction (a couple months out) that I saw the biggest results and my body got ripped. And yes, I lifted weights the entire time I was on the diet. I think that might have influenced the results, but others seem to experience the same thing even without exercise.

[ValidRouge]

Re: Losing inches slowwwwwly?

I agree with basestealer's #3 point. I am the opposite. I've always been heaviest in my arms and legs. Yet I lose weight the quickest in my torso. So, I lost weight like crazy in my torso, you can see ribs, collar bones, and stuff now...and I've only recently started to see losses in my legs and arms. Compound the problem in that the places I measure...at the largest part of the bicep and the forearm and the thigh and the calf...I haven't lost in MONTHS, yet different parts of my shoulders and the bottom portion of my thigh (above the knee and below the calf) are getting VISIBLY smaller.

So, I'm not losing pounds, not losing inches (where I measure)...but my legs and arms are shaping up very nicely which is what I've wanted all along.

Sometimes you have to look for your "gauges of success" in other areas...

[Buddyjay]

Re: Losing inches slowwwwwly?

Yes "Basestealer" and "ValidRouge". That's what is happening. I measured the usual areas but never measured above belly (below chest). My girlfriend mentioned that my gut is not as 'high' as it was and although I measured my neck, it is just under my chin and jaw line where I also notice a big differance.