Weight Loss, or Inches Lost?

More about weight loss...or inches lost. Gravity, mass and weight.

Last time I blogged I noted that I was not losing weight. A trawl around the net proved I was not alone. It seems running does not make you lose weight. In fact it stalls your weight loss.

But on closer inspection it seems things are not all they might at first appear.

Here is what I have learned, noticed, or inferred.

First of all, I have been measuring myself at various times since this journey began. Sadly I do not have my measurements from when I started, back in September 2010, but I do have some from a week or so after I started zero carbing in early November 2011
Here they are:
Waist: 41"
Hips: 46"
Thigh: 26 1/2"
Upper arm:15 1/2"
I did not measure my boobs for some reason, although I started measuring them later.

I measured again on 12th March 2012, 5 months later and exactly one week after I had started running. My weight was 85kg, about the same as now, although I have seen 84kg on the scales.

Waist: 36 1/2"
Hips: 44"
Thigh: 25"
Arm: 13 3/4"
Boobs: 41 1/2"

And here are today's measurements, about 8 weeks after the previous set.  My weight is still 85kg aprox.

Waist: 35"
Hips: 42"
Thigh: 23 1/2"
Arm: 13 3/4"
Boobs: 40"

So although I have not lost weight, I have lost almost as much in inches over 8 weeks as I did in the previous 5 months.

So why is this? And what do I think about this?

The first thing for me is the realisation I do not actually care what  weigh! Weight, of course, is merely the force of gravity upon a mass...in this case my mass! I would weigh less on the moon. I am more interested in my mass, the amount of matter contained within me. In real terms, can I fit my mass into those jeans?!

And my mass is continuing to decrease, even though my weight remains static. And this has to be good.

It also brings up another physics question. How has this happened? We can compress a mass into a smaller space, anyone who has stuffed a sleeping bag into a stuff sack knows this, or think of compressed air tanks. Those tiny tanks can hold enough air for a diver to remain underwater for several hours.

However, nobody has compressed me! And compression often means a change in matter. In the sleeping bag example, part of the mass...the air in this case...has been expelled. In the compressed air example, the compressed air has actually changed state from gas to liquid. Thankfully I have not been compressed into a liquid...it would make it hard to type my blog amongst other things. But something must have changed for my weight to remain constant whilst my mass has decreased. I am still living in the same house, at sea level, so we will rule out moving to a planet with a greater gravity than earth and assume the change is within me.

I tried to steal a photo from a website to illustrate what seems to be happening, but it won't let me so I shall post the link instead here. What you see is a photo comparing fat and muscle density. Basically for the same weight the fat has more mass. The muscle takes up less room in your body.

If I have been converting blobby yellow fat into nice sleek muscle tissue I will take up less room in the world. I will be smaller, but I may weigh the same on the bathroom scales.

And here is the bottom line: yes my mass will fit into those jeans!

And I assume that in due course, I will also start losing weight as well, but whilst I am building muscle this may not happen. I am getting fitter, and smaller however, so all is good.

And now I am off for a run!