A stall or not a stall that is the question …

#1

So in light of some recent discussions in various posts that touch upon “stalls” in weight loss, I shared I have been stalled for a full year now. Scale-wise.

However I wanted to share with all what I saw today when I measured myself.

I started this journey on March 6, 2022, after in that January I was fluctuating between190-203 lbs. I measured all my body parts in March for a benchmark. I had lost about 10 lbs over two months before starting Keto.

Within my first year on Keto not only was I losing weight on the scale, and dropped to the 153-157 ranges, but I had lost 3-5” all over my body.

My abdomen started at 46.5”. My breasts/chest area was almost 47”. I have tiny hips but they still were 46” including the pooch of belly that got into the way when measuring but 44” without it. My thighs were 23”.

By the end of March 2023 I had lost 4” off my waist and 2” off my chest and 3” off my hips. My thighs lost 1.5”. (Most my excess fat is in all three levels of my belly and chest…)

Now for one full year I continue to swing between 154-157. So, one would consider that a stall on the weight loss since it hasn’t budged all year.

BUT,

today I measured and over the past year I have lost another 4” off my waist. It’s down to 38”.

I lost another 3” off my abdomen, now at 39.5”

I lost another 5.5” off my chest now at 40”

I lost another 4” off my hips, now 39” including the pooch.

And I lost another 3.5” off my thighs! They are at 18.5”

I lost a full inch off each of all other parts, arms, calves, neck. etc.

So was it really a stall? While the scale has not moved one speck, I’ve lost ALL these inches. That’s a lot. Where did it go if my scale is the same??

I surmise that the scale is showing the weight from developed muscle due to my working out at the gym. :woman_shrugging:t3: My body IS shrinking…

The scale is not the primary tool to gauge our success. The tape measure is. :dancer:

I've stalled a bit, thinking of trying OMAD
(Bob M) #2

That is great, and a lot off your body while I assume gaining muscle mass.

(Joey) #3

So fabulous. Hearty congratulations.

Muscle is far more dense than fat. Put differently, a pound of fat takes up a lot more room than a pound of muscle.

So if you’re weight isn’t changing much, but you’re losing inches/girth, then yes indeed. You are replacing space-taking fat with space-sparing muscle.

What’s more, more muscle tissue means your body is burning more fat.

Regardless of how hard the Earth is tugging on you (= gravity :earth_americas: ), what it’s been tugging on is a hell of a lot healthier now. :vulcan_salute:

(KM) #4

Always amazes me.

image

(Joey) #5

Related to this… 1g of protein = 4 calories; 1g of fat = 9 calories

Then again, a dietary calorie (technically a kilocalorie) is the heat required (i.e., combustion) to raise 1 liter of H2O by 1 degree Celcius … None of which says anything about how these substances actually affect the human body - which tends to do poorly under combustion :wink:

Yet another reason to ignore calories when it comes to understanding healthy nutrition.

(Robin) #6

Great news and example of the scale not telling the whole story.
I’m hoping @Steelerfan2024 reads this and is inspired too.
Thanks for sharing. I wish I had known to take my measurements. All I had was my mirror and clothes becoming too big.
The most astounding long term transformation for me was actually having a waist. My body shape continues to morph after 4 years.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

Excellent post. It should be an encouragement to every keto newcomer.