Gaining weight without gaining inches?

[Bob-74]

Hi peeps - I am 5ft 4 and size 10 on top, 12 below waist. I am putting weight on but still fit my clothes. Why am I gaining weight but not in clothes size! I always exercised but in the last 8 weeks I have changed my indoor workouts to longer outdoor walking ( averaging 4-5 miles a time at 1 and half hours at a time).

[Hidden]

Hi and welcome Bob-74 with that exercise sounds to me as you are gaining muscle which weighs more than fat if you are after a healthy eating plan have a look at NHS 12 week plan

I would like to invite you to join our Newbie Club, which we hope will be a good place for you to connect with members, who are also just starting out, or re-starting.

If you just post a few words on the November Newbie Club thread to introduce yourself and respond to others there you will soon feel part of the club.

Follow this link to the Newbie club: healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Please read all the information carefully, it is very useful and can be referred to whenever you want to check something.

It just remains for me to wish you well on your journey

[Active_43]

Hi Bob-74

This is a classic example of the scales being quite a crass measure of weight loss. Especially when you don't have much to lose. Your body is a complex thing. Your weight fluctuates daily depending on water, muscle, fat, the type of food you have eaten (some foods encourage you to hold onto water), the exercise you have done that day, whether you have been to the loo!

Use a tape measure. Sounds like you're on the right track so don't worry about the scale.

Enjoy your walks ☺️

[Bob-74 in reply to Active_43]

Thank you Active_43. That is very helpful and insightful. X

[Hidden]

I actually got caught out thinking I hadn't put on inches because my clothes still fitted. But the inches can creep on quite gradually, half an inch per 7lb gain or thereabouts, and in the meantime your clothes don't feel particularly tighter. I would suggest checking with a measuring tape for accuracy. And check if your weight is in the healthy bmi range. It's definitely worth spotting if this is a gain that needs reversing, as it's easier to do this now before it turns into something bigger! If you're in the healthy bmi range then it may just be a healthy fluctuation, or muscle gain as suggested above, in which case not to worry

[Bob-74 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you - that is helpful advice. I have always always been in the overweight range on the BMI chart even when I was a size 10 and felt fabulous. I think since my 3rd child and 2 c sections I have changed. I have gone back to pre size etc but have no way of ridding myself of post abdominal op skin. Luckily I am absolutely loving my new walking hobby whether it sheds inches or not. I am going to tailor my diet too now and I think one or 2 interval training sessions again might help.......?....to give variety.

[Hidden in reply to Bob-74]

You're like me then. I even have a few things in size 8 (everything else is 10/12) but my weight is currently stuck in the overweight range. I wonder what it is that stops you feeling fabulous even though you fit those small sizes. You mention the change in body shape from having kids. But I would warn against putting yourself through any change in exercise routine/diet unless you have clear goals and a clear reason for trying to lose weight rather than find the right clothes that best suit your body etc.

For me, I just want to lose a little more weight, it's hard to do from this point, so I'm having to really focus on diet (exercise only gets you so far). But this comes after about a year of trying to reconcile myself to the borderline overweight size my body seems to want to stay at (plus I've already lost 2 stone to get here). I have tried changing the type of clothes I wear, and tried to consolidate my healthy lifestyle, and that's been a useful process too.

I would suggest if you do want to lose weight, then follow Cracker10s link in your first reply. But have a little think about why etc first. It sounds like you live a healthy lifestyle and you're at a healthy size, the bmi calculator and the scales don't always show the whole picture.

Your new walking hobby sounds ace by the way