Experts Say Tracking Inches For Weight Loss Is Way More Useful Than The Scale Number

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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:

• Body fat percentage refers to the proportion of fat mass in relation to other elements, such as bones, muscles, and water, and is typically expressed as a percentage.

• Total body water indicates the body's level of hydration since water plays vital roles in waste transportation, organ function, body temperature regulation, and digestion.

• Muscle mass refers to the total amount of muscle in the body, including skeletal muscle mass and cardiac muscles.

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.

4 Possible Reasons You're Losing Inches But Not Weight

1. You’re gaining muscle.

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.

2. You’re on your period.

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.

You ate more carbs than usual.

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.

You’re inconsistent on the scale.

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.

Should you weigh yourself on a scale?

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.

Pros Of Using A Scale

1. It can help you monitor progress. Regularly weighing yourself can help you track your weight over time, says Hamilton. “The scale provides a numerical measure that can be used to monitor changes and progress in your weight management goals, whether it's weight loss, weight gain, or maintaining your current weight,” she explains.

2. It can help you stay accountable. Seeing the numbers on the scale can serve as a reminder of your goals and hold you accountable to your weight management efforts, says Hamilton. The scale can also provide motivation to stay on track with exercise and proper nutrition, she adds.

3. It can help you see the big bigger picture. By regularly weighing yourself you become more aware of natural weight fluctuations that can occur due to hydration levels or menstrual cycles, says Hamilton. As a result, a scale can help you differentiate between true weight changes and temporary fluctuations, she explains.

Cons Of Using A Scale

1. It can have an emotional impact. Weighing yourself can trigger negative emotions or an unhealthy obsession with the number on the scale, says Hamilton. “Fluctuations in weight, particularly if not understood in context, can lead to feelings of disappointment, frustration, or self-criticism, and it's important to maintain a healthy mindset and not let the number on the scale define your self-worth,” she explains.

2. It’s a limited measure of health. “Body weight alone does not provide a complete picture of your overall health and it doesn't differentiate between fat mass, muscle mass, or water weight,” says Hamilton. In fact, focusing solely on weight can overlook other important health indicators like body composition, strength, cardiovascular fitness, and overall well-being, she adds.

3. There are inaccuracies and variability. Scale measurements can be influenced by various factors, including the scale's accuracy, the time of day you weigh yourself, clothing, and hydration levels, says Hamilton. Because of this, variability can lead to confusion or frustration if you're expecting consistent and precise measurements, she explains.

What are the best ways to monitor weight loss without 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.”

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