losing pounds not inches

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hi I have been dieting for 2 months now and have lost about 18 pounds.  Where I don't know :(  The scales are going down but not my inches Although my clothes fit more loose im still in the same size.  This is depressing for me. Im on a low fat diet and walk 2 miles a day. and do some ab and arm exercises. any advice is greatly appreciated.  Im 29 if that matters. Thanks!


~~Hi, Thanks for your quick response! Im not hating my diet at all which is a shocker.  I have more will power then I thought I did. I do occasionally allow myself a cheat meal.  Im not obese but according to my height/weight chart I have 30 pounds to lose. The only place I really need to lose is my stomach.

Answer
Sounds like you're on an eating lifestyle change then - and that's excellent!!!!
Don't put much stock in those charts. Depending on the source, they can be as out dated as the 1950's! Most are "insurance chart" weights which are typically higher than usual and sometimes the height includes "two inch heels" (so you would actually need to look at a height two inches taller than you are).  Other charts are so inconsistent they rarely match any other chart.

BMI charts are equally deceptive. Sly Stallone, Bruce Willis, Vin Diesel, "The Rock", etc. are "obese" according to all BMI charts!  Obviously these charts don't take into consideration that muscle is a dense heavyweight (these people are far from obese!).  

Perhaps you don't really need to lose as much as you think you do.  Your abs are often a result of heredity and not everyone can have 6 packs (it's a matter of where muscles are located in relation to skin surface).  1,000 sit ups a day won't make a single 'two pack' in someone without the right hereditary build. Watch out for ads that say otherwise.

So, take a look at relatives, especially mom and dad. If they don't have (or didn't have) the middles you're hoping to achieve, chances are it's just not possible (and not your fault).

Meanwhile, again, congratulations on changing your eating lifestyle for the better.  No matter what, that's going to make a difference in at least how you feel!  

(By the way, a good rule of thumb for weight is to allow 100 lbs for the first 5', for an average framed female. Then, 5 lbs an inch after that. So, 5'5" should weigh about 125 lbs.  People who work out regularly and have more muscle mass can increase that to at least 6 lbs per inch over 5').

Thanks for following up and helping me understand more.  

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