losing fat but not weight?

I don't know what's going on! I seem to be losing fat but not weight!

I hit a plateau with my weight loss about a month ago. It lasted for two weeks or so, then I lost 1.5kgs fairly quickly. But now I've hit another one! After just a couple of weeks, and I don't know why! The thing is though, I suspect that i've actually lost fat? My clothes are looser, and new clothes I've bought have been a size smaller than i've worn in years (though there's no standardized sizing in Australia so I don't know how much weight that holds). I'm so confused!

I've been walking most days for an hour while carrying dumbell bars (without weights on them), and eating 3 meals and 2 snacks. I've started drinking 1 bottle of (non-alcoholic) beer a day, but I thought that could be preventing weight loss because of the carbs, so I've just stopped.

Helpish?

I'm no expert but you could be losing fat and gaining muscle so it just looks like you've lost no weight? Just a though.

Thanks. That was my thought too but I haven't really been doing anything to build muscle? Though I guess walking with dumbells and picking up and carrying an increasingly heavy baby could be contributing.

It sounds like a normal weight plateau situation in that your body is now used to what you are doing. The best way to get the weight loss started again is to change your exercise routine a bit to kick start your weight loss again. Can you do some skipping at home or swimming or incorporate some jogging or stair climbing into your walking?

Water, water, water!!!
Whenever I hit a plateau, it is because I am not drinking enough water. To aide your weight loss, it is said that you should drink 1ltr of water for every 25kgs that you weigh. It seems like a lot, but it is worth it in then end to help shift your weight and you get healthy, clear skin as well :)

I totally agree re the water!

And I bet if you had a pair of those jazzy scales that measured muscle and water %'s and weight you would find that your muscle % was UP and your body fat % DOWN!

Also, in relation to the "plateau" thing..........I swear to goodness I have a "plateau" once a month, the week before AF in theory is due. Then the week after my AF should have appeared, the plateau breaks again.

How often are you weighing yourself? Maybe put the scales away for a few weeks and just focus on what you are doing........you sound like you have the food and the exercise thing down pat: well done! And just concentrate on that and the water and only weigh yourself once a month?

I am officially not weighing myself until the end of the year, this is driving me mad!

I've been having long, frequent periods lately but last time I had a period I still lost weight so I don't know if that has anything to do with it? I really don't drink enough water so I'll definately start first thing tomorrow.

As for my body getting used to what I'm doing . . . ARRRRGH!! I just went through the biggest antics changing around my exercize! How could my body be used to it already? And why would I hit TWO plateaus with less than 2kg between them?! It doesn't make sense though it might be true :( Though I did ask my mum if I look lost weight in the last few weeks and she said yes, even though I haven't actually lost weight. It's all so confusing!

I am convinced that i've still lost fat despite not losing weight, Lucy, because I can now fit into knickers I deliberately bought a size too small! AND I am that much closer to pre-preg pants. I'm like 3kg away from them, despite the fact that when I wore them I weighed 10kgs less than I do now, wtf? lol. There's only one explanation - muscle! Aparently even just walking can build muscle because the biggest muscles in your body are your legs. Which means thaaat . . . introducing the weights to my walking could've increased my muscle gained which would explain the lack of weight loss! That would make sense, yeah?

Thanks so much for your replies, ladies! I'll definately take all of those suggestions on board. No more scales for the next . . . I don't know, at LEAST a month!!

Lucy, WOW you've lost so much weight! How did you do it and how long did it take you? (If that's not too personal to ask)

Nee, It has taken me a fair while........I started last November with just choosing not to snack. Then in the New Year I started walking, and I did Kate Morgan for 3 months. I then started with a personal trainer and I have really stepped up my exercise. So no magic solution, sadly!

But this is the first time I have ever focused on myself, and I am really enjoying it. So if it takes em another year, that is OK. My 40'th birthday is in April, so I want to shift another load before then.........and be fit and fourty!

If you have a look HERE you can see my blog.

That's so great lucy, you should be tres proud! Giving yourself a good amount of time to lose the weight is so much healthier than just going crazy trying to lose it all overnight, which if I'm honest with myself, is what I've been doing >.> I've lost 9kg since mid June, but haven't really lost any this month. I haven't been starving myself or anything, I think it's just that I was (am) so overweight and have a good metabolism (and therefore no excuse lol) it just fell off. Though it's not fallin' off anymore! GRR. Once I fit into these particular pre-preg pants (nearly there!) I'll feel a whole lot better and won't be as worried about pleateaus and this and that etc.

Muscle weighs (roughly) twice as much as fat due to its density, so it's not unusual to be losing inches while not seeing the drop in your actual weight. So, keep up the good work! Walking with weights will help to tone your upper body as well as your lower, and the more lean muscle mass you have the faster your metabolism will be!

Sorry.. but muscle and fat weight the same..

5kg of fat and 5kg of muscle is still 5kg.

Its that fat takes up more space and muscle is more dense and compact, you want muscle obviously as it uses more calories to burn to keep muscle.

It would be muscle gain. I have recently been gaining weight but losing fat due to increased working out at the gym including 2 pump classes a week and have gained about 3kgs (all muscle) but have noticed that I've lost fat. I'm no longer weighing myself but instead I'm going by how I feel and how my clothes fit and occasionally measuring myself in certain areas.

Didispunk, you're right. I didn't explain myself very well.

I should have written that, due to its density, you need half as much muscle as fat to reach the same amount of weight. So you can be losing inches and clothes sizes due to a reduction in overall body fat, but not seeing a change on the scales due to an increase in lean muscle mass.

I have become a bit slack in my terminology and explanations since finishing uni!

Up the intensity of your workout. I'm not a born jogger or runner (i absolutely loathe jogging) but try and includes bursts of jogging for 30secs or so and slowly increase.

I think what is happening with you is muscle gain. Just go by the tightness/loseness of clothes

Water is really important. I agree with the others. I find drinking water hard but i have this phrase which i think about when i need to drink another glass of water ..

The more i drink, the more i shrink

I've got 7.5kgs to lose and the plateau is driving me crazy too.