Losing Inches But Not Weight? 4 Causes, From Weight

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It’s not necessarily a bad thing.

When you’re on a weight-loss journey, it can feel like you against the scale. One day your weight is up, the next day it’s down, then maybe you hit a plateau with no movement for a week. But what if you're losing inches...but not weight? Well, the scale doesn’t always give you the full picture.

“When discussing a person's healthy weight, we must consider more than just their weight as measured on a scale,” says Dina Peralta-Reich, MD, an obesity medicine specialist and founder of New York Weight Wellness Medicine. That's because body composition (the percentage of fat and muscle in the body) plays a crucial role, she notes.

To break this down a bit more, each person's body consists of different components to make up their entire weight, including water mass, muscle mass, and fat mass, says Dr. Peralta-Reich. “Maintaining appropriate percentages of these components is crucial for achieving a balanced and healthy weight, however, it's important to note that optimal composition varies from person to person.”

Meet the experts: Dina Peralta-Reich, MD, is an obesity medicine specialist and founder of New York Weight Wellness Medicine. Heather Hamilton is an exercise physiologist and co-founder of Barpath Fitness.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet on what these terms actually mean, according to Dr. Peralta-Reich:

On top of that, your day to day lifestyle impacts your total weight, says Heather Hamilton, an exercise physiologist and co-founder of Barpath Fitness. For example, if you had a high-carb dinner or you’re about to start your period, you may notice an increased weight on the scale, since both circumstances retain water weight, she explains.

If you think you're losing inches but not weight on the scale, read on for all the possible culprits and the best way to monitor your weight.

If your clothes are looser but your weight is stagnant (or you're a little heavier), there’s a chance you’re undergoing body recomposition, a fancy term for building muscle mass and losing body fat, says Hamilton.

While building muscle is a long game, focus on resistance training and upping your protein intake. Eating 0.6 to 1 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily can maximize your results, Hamilton says. Just be mindful that change doesn’t happen overnight and if you’re aiming for muscle gains and/or decreased body fat, three to six months of consistency is key, she adds.

Hormonal changes, such as those occurring before or during the menstrual cycle, can contribute to temporary swelling or bloating due to water retention, says Dr. Peralta-Reich. In fact, women typically see around two to six pounds of weight gain around their period.

Now, it’s possible that your jeans feel looser even though you’re bloated. "When we think about water retention, you have intracellular water and extracellular water, so it’s also possible the water retention isn’t making you gain inches, but is showing up on the scale," Dr. Peralta-Reich explains. And while water retention can also make you feel like you gained (temporary) inches around your belly, other times it might just be your hands and/or feet that feel or look swollen, she adds.So, if you’re about to start your period, don’t stress. A little weight gain is normal and typically subsides three to five days after your period starts.

A gram of carbohydrates stores three to four grams of water, per NASM. So if you had a pizza or pasta dinner, you may notice a jump on the scale. “When the body retains fluid, it can lead to bloating and puffiness, and these elevated water levels can cause day-to-day fluctuations in a person's weight,” explains Dr. Peralta-Reich. And in this case, too, it could that you're hanging on to water but it's not showing up as bloat around your waistline. On the flip side, if you’re eating fewer carbohydrates, say on a low-carb or keto diet, you’ll likely lose both water weight and inches since there is less water retention in the body, adds Hamilton.

If you choose to use a scale, it’s crucial that you weigh yourself at the same time, every time — first thing in the morning, after you go to the bathroom, and without any clothes, Hamilton says. If you weigh yourself in the morning one day, and at night the next, those two numbers can show a fairly drastic difference (sometimes two to six pounds) since your body digests food and loses water weight while you sleep, she explains.

Weighing yourself can be a great way to monitor progress, but it’s totally up to you on whether you use a scale or not, says Dr. Peralta-Reich. If you do choose to use a scale, it’s best to not weigh in every day, she adds. “A period of two weeks is generally considered sufficient to observe any changes in your body resulting from diet and exercise, and this time frame allows for enough time to pass to notice potential progress or adjustments in your body composition.”

All that said, don’t let the scale control you. Be mindful of your emotional well-being and take into consideration the pros and cons of using a scale.

If the thought of weighing yourself at home causes stress or any sort of negative emotion, ditch the scale. There are other ways to keep track of your success. “I often advise patients to pay attention to how their clothes fit and their energy levels as indicators of their progress,” says Dr. Peralta-Reich.

Another option is to talk to your doctor about a body composition analysis, says Dr. Peralta-Reich. A DEXA or InBody scan can provide a body composition analysis which is essentially a picture of your body that tells you the make-up of your body’s fat, muscle, and bone density through low dose X-ray, she explains. “This analysis offers a more comprehensive understanding of your body's composition and can be an effective way to assess your health and progress.”

For an at-home version, InBody also offers at-home scales. And Tempo has new body composition scans that leverage an iPhone’s 3D camera. (You place your phone in Tempo’s “core” and then follow the prompts to spin around 360 degrees while it takes 150 images of you. It then spits out your measurements and body comp.)

The results are within 4.2 percent for body fat percentage when compared to DEXA results, according to third-party testing by the Energy Balance & Body Composition Laboratory at Texas Tech University. But Tempo's consistency from scan to scan is closer to DEXA's consistency rate, meaning it can give you a good sense of your body comp fluctuations over time.

It also may be helpful to take progress pictures, at the same day and time every week (or same day and time every month depending on the cadence you want), adds Hamilton. This can serve as a visual representation of your progress without adding a numerical value. All that said, if you’re focusing on a balanced diet and consistent fitness routine and not losing weight or inches, or if your doctor has told you there's a medical reason to lose weight, it’s time to check in with a doctor. “Ideally, you should seek out a doctor who specializes in weight loss management for the most relevant guidance and in the case of obesity, it is recommended to consult with an obesity board-certified physician who can provide specialized expertise and support tailored to your specific needs,” Dr. Peralta-Reich explains. “It's important to recognize that weight loss is a highly individualized process, and people should not hesitate to reach out to their physicians for guidance, advice, or to address any concerns they may have about their weight.”

Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based writer and graduate student at Northwestern Medill. She’s a mass consumer of social media and cares about women’s rights, holistic wellness, and non-stigmatizing reproductive care. As a former collegiate pole vaulter, she has a love for all things fitness and is currently obsessed with Peloton Tread workouts and hot yoga.

Dina Peralta-Reich, MD, is an obesity medicine specialist and founder of New York Weight Wellness Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Peralta-Reich is the director of pediatric hospitalist medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital and a fellow of the Obesity Medicine Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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