Another "Losing Weight But Not Fat" thread

[Seachmall]

So a couple of months ago my doctor told me I needed to lose weight and while I haven't been exercising (I'll get to that) I have altered my diet to produce a 1000 cal deficit. Now going by the scales it's been working wonders, but based on appearance and, more importantly, measurements it hasn't been going great.

Here are my stats:
Age: 20
Height: 170cm (5'7")

Starting Weight: 220lbs (as of 3 months ago)
Starting Waist: 110 cm

Current Weight: 193lbs (as of this morning)
Current Waist: 108/109 cm

Now I expected some muscle loss but given the 27lb weight loss yet exact same appearance, and very similar measurements it seems to me that the vast majority of my loss is muscle, not fat. Is it even possible to lose that much muscle and be functioning given that I (presumably) had little muscle to begin with?

The reason I haven't been exercising is because I knew if I tried a complete life overhaul I'd fail so I focused on the biggest factor of my weight and began there. I am working on a schedule this week and rearranging things to make time for it from next week on.

I'm pretty lost regarding what's been going on and have looked around and read the stickies but can't find anything that might be relevant so any help is appreciated.

[sharpieblet]

pics. also, i'm sure you lost some muscle, but you're probably a lifting newbie in some aspect, as i am (as far as proper lifting goes) so start throwing the weights around and you'll start fixing your appearance. focus on compound lifts, full body routine 2-3 times a week. cardio as much/little as you like. if you had hardly any muscle to begin with, then of course losing weight through diet alone wouldn't improve that any. you should have been lifting 3 months ago. start now.

[macsm01]

Did you measure all your body parts? You probably lost fat in your arms, legs, hips, chest, bottom, etc. I'm sure you also lost a lot of visceral fat (around organs and whatnot) and inter muscular fat.

Wherever your body prefers to store fat, it will continue to do so. Even if you ate very low calories, your body still stores fat and where that fat goes depends on genetics. Everyone has preferred fat storage area(s).

[LengthyLifter]

You're still very fat at 5'7 193. I don't say this to be mean, but to emphasize that you shouldn't expect to look much better at this point. You're still fat, just less so.

Just keep losing. You've got a long way to go.

[ninjasquat]

sounds like you assumed you had more LBM than you actually do which is pretty common.

id prescribe more patience and stick to your dieting, and hit the weights heavy asap

[NitrogenWidget]

You're still very fat at 5'7 193. I don't say this to be mean, but to emphasize that you shouldn't expect to look much better at this point. You're still fat, just less so.

Just keep losing. You've got a long way to go.

what he says.

If you are un-trained muscle wise you probably have to hit 160 to 170 before you start noticing any real definition.

I was about 180 when things starting really changing but I had been lifting for a few yrs.

[Seachmall]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I know I'm still overweight/obese and still have a long way to go to get down to a healthy weight but it's just I figured a 27lb difference would be noticeable. I haven't underestimated what weight I need to get down to as I discussed it with the doctor when he told me I needed a lifestyle change. Although I guess I did overestimate the change I'd see.

I'm sure you also lost a lot of visceral fat (around organs and whatnot) and inter muscular fat.

Hopefully, the reason the doc told me to cut down fat was due to having a fatty liver. I have an appointment in March to verify my liver is getting back to what it should be.

I'll keep at it and see what happens when I get closer to my goal weight, plus add some resistance and later some cardio.

Thanks again.

[Singe03]

Well 27lbs in 3 months is nothing to sneeze at, it sounds like the diet is on point enough for now so keep up whatever your doing, you are on track.

A few things:

Until your body fat gets down to the mid teens, you wont show major changes in the mirror. You just look like a smaller version of the same person.

Assuming you are male, the fat around your belly will be the last to go. If you are losing weight and your waist size is stable, it's most likely that you are just burning off the fat from somewhere else.

[jakerc]

don't worry OP, i'm in the same position (haven't lost quite as much as you). i started at 224-226, am now down to 209-210 or so since the beginning of october (a little over 2 months cutting). by any of the recommended standards for weight loss amounts, 14 pounds in two months is a pretty good rate. i'm not trying to toot my own horn here, but i'm proud of my progress to this point and i think i'm doing well so far.

having said that, i'm still fat and weak. i still have a sizeable gut and manboobs (though they are smaller) and my thighs are still huge. for someone of my size, i'm still at least 30 pounds overweight, if not more. i haven't really seen many physical differences: my stomach is a bit smaller, my belt feels looser, and i think my cheeks/chin look a little thinner but that's probably just in my head. i know how it feels to work hard and see progress on the scale and not see it reflected in the mirror. it's frustrating, but keep at it bro. like macsm01 said, you probably lost most of your fat somewhere else. start exercising, lift weights at least 3x a week, and keep at it and soon enough you'll be where you want to be. as much as people talk about how you need discipline, a good plan and motivation to lose weight...in the words of axl rose, sometimes "all we need is just a little patience."

[lordofchaos]

Did you measure all your body parts? You probably lost fat in your arms, legs, hips, chest, bottom, etc. I'm sure you also lost a lot of visceral fat (around organs and whatnot) and inter muscular fat.

Wherever your body prefers to store fat, it will continue to do so. Even if you ate very low calories, your body still stores fat and where that fat goes depends on genetics. Everyone has preferred fat storage area(s).

This, for instance at 25lbs of weight loss, I went to the my trainer and we did measurements, just as we had done at 15lbs, in that 10lbs I had lost like .5" from most places, actually gained an inch on my thighs (guess the squats brought newb gains!), and had lost like 2" from waist and 3 from hips. It all depends on what your body wants to do and where it prefers to store weight. What I have noticed is that my hips/butt loses it first (I become the man with no but and must wear suspenders to keep pants on, found that out 2yrs ago when I dropped 75lbs before gaining it back) and my waist seems to be next. My body seems to like moobs sadly as my chest loses at a slower rate.

[Seachmall]

I think I'll start keeping a spreadsheet of various measurements. I'm guessing my gut isn't my body's primary concern when dumping fat. Looking at old photos it looks like my hands are less chubby which is, well, weird but at least it's something I guess...

So I'll measure my neck, chest, arms, waist, hips, thighs and of course my hands (not really :P) from now on. Anywhere else worth measuring?

Appreciate the responses.

[lordofchaos]

I think I'll start keeping a spreadsheet of various measurements. I'm guessing my gut isn't my body's primary concern when dumping fat. Looking at old photos it looks like my hands are less chubby which is, well, weird but at least it's something I guess...

So I'll measure my neck, chest, arms, waist, hips, thighs and of course my hands (not really :P) from now on. Anywhere else worth measuring?

Appreciate the responses.

check out body space, they have a list of measurements, links to how to do them properly, and a place to track them with graphs, all right on bodybuilding.com! woohoo!

[macsm01]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I know I'm still overweight/obese and still have a long way to go to get down to a healthy weight but it's just I figured a 27lb difference would be noticeable. I haven't underestimated what weight I need to get down to as I discussed it with the doctor when he told me I needed a lifestyle change. Although I guess I did overestimate the change I'd see.

Hopefully, the reason the doc told me to cut down fat was due to having a fatty liver. I have an appointment in March to verify my liver is getting back to what it should be.

I'll keep at it and see what happens when I get closer to my goal weight, plus add some resistance and later some cardio.

Thanks again.

A fatty liver is a bit different..... A fatty liver is a damaged liver. Eating less will help, but it wont necessarily reverse the damage. Over eating can contribute to liver damage. If you want to reverse the damage entirely, you have to trust your doc. Avoid anything that is hard on the liver, like spirits and certain medications.