Weight loss versus inch loss: What's the difference?
Trying to lose weight?
A healthy weight loss plan includes both diet and exercise. Exercising regularly helps you burn calories, tone loose muscles and gain muscle mass. However, there are times when you might feel like you have dropped a dress size, but still, the weighing scale shows the same number. This does not mean you are doing something wrong or have not lost weight. You have lost your inches and are on your way towards achieving your weight loss goal.
What's the difference?
Inch loss means losing inches from around typical areas of fat storage like waist, hips and thighs. When you lose fat, you will first notice changes in these specific body parts. Losing inches from your midsection is especially challenging if you have a bulging belly. High waist circumference is due to excess fat accumulation, which can affect your heart and other organs, increasing the risk of heart attack and type 2 diabetes.
When you are performing strength training exercises, you not only lose fat but start gaining muscle mass. Muscles are compact and firm, but fat is not. This is the reason why you might have lost inches from your midsection, but the changes are not visible on the scale.
This does not mean your weight loss program has failed. In fact, inch loss is considered as a healthier way of losing weight. If you only want to lose weight, rather than building muscles then focus on cardiovascular exercise instead of strength training.
The right way to measure your weight
If you aim to get healthy and fit, then don't depend on your weighing scale. It is not the absolute way to determine the ideal weight as per your height and age. Measuring the Body Mass Index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio, body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio are more appropriate ways to know your healthy weight.
The bottom line
Your focus should be on attaining a healthy weight and not just losing weight. It is a common misconception that thin people are healthy, but it is not true. Loss of inch is a sign that your exercise and diet plan is working perfectly.
A healthy weight loss plan includes both diet and exercise. Exercising regularly helps you burn calories, tone loose muscles and gain muscle mass. However, there are times when you might feel like you have dropped a dress size, but still, the weighing scale shows the same number. This does not mean you are doing something wrong or have not lost weight. You have lost your inches and are on your way towards achieving your weight loss goal.
What's the difference?
Inch loss means losing inches from around typical areas of fat storage like waist, hips and thighs. When you lose fat, you will first notice changes in these specific body parts. Losing inches from your midsection is especially challenging if you have a bulging belly. High waist circumference is due to excess fat accumulation, which can affect your heart and other organs, increasing the risk of heart attack and type 2 diabetes.
When you are performing strength training exercises, you not only lose fat but start gaining muscle mass. Muscles are compact and firm, but fat is not. This is the reason why you might have lost inches from your midsection, but the changes are not visible on the scale.
This does not mean your weight loss program has failed. In fact, inch loss is considered as a healthier way of losing weight. If you only want to lose weight, rather than building muscles then focus on cardiovascular exercise instead of strength training.
The right way to measure your weight
If you aim to get healthy and fit, then don't depend on your weighing scale. It is not the absolute way to determine the ideal weight as per your height and age. Measuring the Body Mass Index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio, body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio are more appropriate ways to know your healthy weight.
The bottom line
Your focus should be on attaining a healthy weight and not just losing weight. It is a common misconception that thin people are healthy, but it is not true. Loss of inch is a sign that your exercise and diet plan is working perfectly.