Can You Lose Inches & Not Pounds?

Fat vs. Muscle

Muscle is denser than fat, meaning a square inch of muscle weighs more than a square inch of fat. When you burn fat and gain muscle at the same time, the added muscle may outweigh the lost adipose tissue, even though it takes up less space. Thus, your measurements may decrease while your weight stays the same -- or even goes up. If you are exercising but haven't changed your diet, you're probably losing fat and gaining muscle at roughly the same rate. Regardless of weight, you become healthier as you lower your body-fat percentage while gaining lean muscle mass.

Exercise and Fat

The type of exercise you do plays a role in muscle gain versus fat loss. Aerobic exercise, or cardio, burns calories efficiently for a stronger immediate fat-burning effect. Cardio exercises include running, swimming and using elliptical machines. Strength-training exercises also burn some calories, but mainly focus on building muscle tissue. Examples include lifting weights or performing pushups and squats. Muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain than fat, so building muscle eventually increases resting metabolism.

Visceral Fat

A slimmer waistline may indicate visceral fat loss -- even if you haven't shed a pound, according to Harvard Medical School. Visceral fat lies deep in your abdomen. More troublesome than subcutaneous fat just beneath the skin, visceral fat emits molecules that raise your risk of asthma, heart disease and breast cancer. This type of fat vanishes more easily than subcutaneous fat, disappearing with exercise, improved diet and possibly stress reduction, according to Harvard.

Healthy Fat Loss

If you have excess body fat, focus on losing it the healthy way instead of worrying about the scale. Women usually shed fat safely on 1,500 calories per day, or 1,800 calories with regular exercise. That's enough to curb hunger and ensure proper nutrition. Get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate cardio exercise each week, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous cardio, spread out over multiple days. Strength training is also important for overall health and weight maintenance, so work all muscle groups two to three times weekly.