Why is my waist getting bigger?

[Rueger]

I have been weightlifting steady for about 3 months, full body 3x a week and have 1-2 cardio sessions as well.

I have lost around 10 pounds on the scale and have gotten a lot stronger and see more muscle defination in the mirror. I have lost about 3% to 5% body body fat (am at around 23% right now)

How then is it possible that my waist and gut are measuring BIGGER then when I started? I feel less fat around my waist, or so I think I do, but then when I measure it, the waist and gut are both about 1inch bigger then when I started.

My full body workout centres around deadlift, bench press, squat.

Could the deadlifts be the reason my waist area is larger, but yet seems less fatty? Is this normal?

It's a bit disappointing to not see any inches dropping, as fat loss is my main goal right now.

[Squat2Grow]

deadlifts can do it to you

[mpi]

Fat loss and decrease in waist size isn't necessarily the same thing. Some people naturally have really big waist lines and if you're adding muscles to your back, you shouldn't really be concerned if you're adding inches but losing weight.

A good example of this is some bodybuilders will have 32 inch waist while still being < 10% bf while others will have a size 36 waist but still be under 10%. It's just genetics.

I looked it up and like squat2grow said, apparently, deadlifts do increase the size of your obliques so in turn, your waist line usually widens somewhat. You'd probably have to be moving some incredible deadlift weight but it's still possible.

[Rueger]

Ok, thanks for the feedback.

I'm not pushing a lot of weight on the deadlift, 3x8 at 175, but maybe it still has made my lower back thicker which has skewed my waist measurements.

I'll just keep doing what I am doing and as long as body fat % goes down, then I think I can assume I'm not gaining fat around the mid-section.

I also notice I am losing fat in my face, upper chest, and legs more then my mid-section, but like I've read here, the mid-section usually is the last to go.

Thanks!

[Jules Verne]

Deads and squats + genetics can certainly do it. Did to me. In fact when I started them in earnest, my pans would not fit at all right after a workout because of the pump in my waist/lower back/core area!

[Drummer80]

I call it 'purging'. You still have some fat around your waist, but increase the muscle in those areas, and the area will always get larger - especially if you have genetically large ab/back muscles that take to weight training really well.

I'd just keep going. The scales say you're dropped weight, and you can see it. I'd just see where it takes you over the next 4-8 weeks. If you start addint pounds to the scales, then time to look at diet and exercise again...if not, you're gonna have large abs and back muscles.

[apdunshiz]

carbs