to wonder why I am shrinking but not losing weight?!

[KristaK]

Just that really! I have been doing Noom for 4.5 weeks and, for the past 10 days, seem to have been stuck at the same weight (160lbs) but I am sticking to the plan and, unless I am a total fantasist (or my clothes are growing!) I think I am shrinking.

I have had my period etc but still no movement. I know the whole thing about muscle and fat etc but just wondered if anyone had any experience of this and how long it tends to take to get it moving down again? (I am quite new to this whole process but have accepted I need to sort out my weight so I am not particularly bothered about it not decreasing - I know I was eating too much and I know I needed to overhaul my diet quite radically.

My main priority is for my clothes to fit again, so I am less bothered by the scales than the question would imply, I just don't understand how it 'works' and if there is anything I should do other than just wait it out?! Advice welcome!!

hello

weight and fat loss are separate things..you may be losing fat but not actually losing weight ( hopefully im getting this right lol) thats why you feel like your body is shrinking. Im losing weight for medical /fertility reasons and unfortunately, i have to be a certain weight. If i wasn't doing that, i would just ditch the scales and go by measurements ,pictures and how clothes fit :)

Scales dont always reflect whats happening on the inside. but if it helps, i sometimes stay the same for a few days then i have a "whoosh" and i could drop up to 3lbs.

Are you eating lots of salt? That could be causing some water retention. Otherwise I'd suggest going to get weighed on a high tech scale which can also do your body fat percentage etc, so you've got some better metrics to work with.

Also, I did noom for a while but realised that My Fitness Pal is the exact same thing, but free. Strongly recommend that!

Have you measured yourself in a few places? That’s worth doing to see if you’re losing inches.

It's always a good idea to measure yourself instead of relying solely on what the scales say.

I know nothing about dieting but anecdotally justhereforthecraic is right about weight and fat loss being two different things, though I don'y understand either.
I am currently very ill (in hospital) and have unexpectedly shrunk in a short period of time to the point of my skirt literally falling of my waist over my hips onto the floor, so I must have lost many inches of fat - but I weigh exactly the same as when it was actually over tight!
Go figure!

So if you are trying to achieve weight loss then I'd suggest you carry on doing what ever it is you're doing and wait it out and don't worry about the scales, your clothes will tell you!

Thank you all - that all makes sense. At least I know I am not going completely mad!! (Yoloyohol - that sounds really tough - hope you are soon feeling better x)

I am also in your position. I just need to lose a stone I put on over the summer but haven't lost any weight for weeks. However the fat is just melting off me, especially round my waist. I have lost two inches and can take off my jeans without undoing them.

Just keep going with it, perhaps try and drink more water during the days, that seems to help. You will lose weight!

Are you exercising a lot? That happened to me when I got a personal trainer and we did a lot of weights. I lost almost nothing weight wise but I went down dress sizes and looked the best I ever have.

Similar here. I’ve been strength training and using heavier weights and my fatty bits are shrinking but actual weight the same. I’ve even lost my knee-pudge and find it perplexing

Weight = mass.

1kg of muscle occupies less space than 1kg of fat. If you’ve been strength training some of your fat will have been replaced by muscle so you look slimmer even if you weigh the same.

It’s hard not to get obsessed by the number on the scales and focus on the effect on your body though.

I know it’s correcting a mistake in the previous post but the statement “weight = mass” is making my eyes bleed as a physics graduate.

This is all really helpful. I am going easy on exercise to make it sustainable but I am walking at 7km/h for 45 mins in the morning and evening. Don’t know if that would build any muscle but it’s what I feel I can cope with!! Will try water drinking too!! :-) Thanks again!

Can I just ask what Noom is like? I’ve been thinking about it but can’t seem to get at what it is if that makes sense!

Walking is really great exercise but over time, I think I’d work towards swapping a morning or afternoon session for something with weights, or body weight bearing exercises aiming for doing that a few times a week. There are lots free now. I really like yoga with Adriene on YouTube and most of her videos are between twenty minutes and forty minutes.

It sounds like you’ve made a great start.

The walking won't be building muscle. Are you eating different types of food? Could you simply be less bloated/retaining less water? There may be a specific type of food that you have cut out that was causing this and now it had reduced?

@Merryoldgoat

Can I just ask what Noom is like? I’ve been thinking about it but can’t seem to get at what it is if that makes sense!

I signed up in a fit of madness. It’s probably good if you like a lot of inspirational quotes and so on. I did a cheap trial and then cancelled but you sign up for the full payment when you register and only discover the price at the end of quite a lengthy process. It was, I think, about £85/ a month which is steep for what it is.

£85 a month you certainly do lose pounds then!

Think I'll stick to cutting down portion sizes, only eating when hungry and no snacking in front of the tv then! I've lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks doing this.

Similar here. I'm 10.9/10.10 and have been for about a year but people keep commenting on how slim I'm looking and I can see it myself.

I'm stepping at my laptop for 2/3 hours a day (I know that seems weird but working on the sofa all day was hurting my back) so I guess I'm toning. I don't know.

PurpleDaisies physics graduate - I might be off up the wrong path here, but as someone with a lot of muscle (wheelchair use) could it be that I might be losing fat hand over fist but muscle mass slower and that's why I weigh the same?
(If post doesn't make sense don't worry about it, am officially on drugs!)

KristaK thanks, it'll all come right somewhere. I'm just as unsure as you about how weight size etc works and had wanted to post about the question before, but was worried people would think I was on some pro anorexia type jaunt or something, (I remember there being some pro-ani troll stuff and there's some strange 'teeny tiny me' one now?) if i phrased it wrong.

Happened to me too. I put on a lockdown stone, then low carbed and had more energy so upped the exercise. I didn't lose all the weight, but clothes fit me better than they did when I was lighter, and DH looked at me with lustful eyes and declared my physique 'neater' than before.

Ok, all the above may be factors but have you ruled out the obvious first? Broken scales?

Thanks again everyone! Glad i am not alone!

In terms of Noom, mine cost £80 for three months and i find it really helpful - I like the little morning reading it gives you every day about the psychology behind weight loss and it is definitely helping me not to give up on the plateau!

I also find the light touch coaching thing helpful and my natural nosiness means I quite like the group chat thing. Personally, I find the food logging easier than MFP but I think that’s just personal preference!!

What is Noom? I can google but it’s more fun