is my logic correct??

AmyBethBoothroyd

My ultimate goal is lose weight. 50-55 lbs to go. I log in and track my food. As far as exercise goes almost every night at gym lifting and cardio... Here's my issue.. The more muscle you burn fat faster. My problem areas are arms thighs stomach. So the more muscles I try to tone and build in those areas the more fat I'll burn? The better results I'll see? Muscle weighs more than fat so the scale might not move as fast but I'll see results faster?

TimothyFish

You can't spot reduce fat. When you're body needs energy, fat cells start releasing fat, which goes to other cells which do some stuff to it and eventually it is useable. There may be some slight differences base on which muscle need the energy, but since the blood is flowing throughout the body, the fat can come from anywhere and usually does.

juggernaut1974

You're on the right track, but you have a couple misconceptions:

AmyBethBoothroyd wrote: »

The more muscle you burn fat faster.

Generally speaking, yes

So the more muscles I try to tone and build in those areas the more fat I'll burn?

Toning isn't a thing. You can either build muscle, or lose muscle. You can either gain fat or lose fat.

What most people refer to as "toning" is simply losing the layer of fat that is covering up your existing muscles.

Muscle weighs more than fat so the scale might not move as fast but I'll see results faster?

Muscle is denser than fat, so a pound of muscle is smaller in volume than a pound of fat.


OK - that all aside. If you want to lose weight (presumably fat weight), you need to be eating in a calorie deficit. It sounds like you're logging and tracking, which is good. When you're eating at a calorie deficit, it's impossible (for all practical purposes) to build any sort of significant muscle. Muscle building requires a calorie surplus and lots of heavy lifting. As a woman, it's even tougher.

discretekim

So technically you should see the scale move at approximately the same rate based on your deficit. With or without exercise. You should notice results faster from toning. And I think it takes a while before you have enough muscle to get the extra calorie burn effect. But working out at the same time is recommended.

Ninkyou

You can't spot reduce. It's also very unlikely you are going to be gaining muscle while eating a calorie deficit.
Just eat your calorie deficit and lose fat all over.

Need2Exerc1se

AmyBethBoothroyd wrote: »

My ultimate goal is lose weight. 50-55 lbs to go. I log in and track my food. As far as exercise goes almost every night at gym lifting and cardio... Here's my issue.. The more muscle you burn fat faster. My problem areas are arms thighs stomach. So the more muscles I try to tone and build in those areas the more fat I'll burn? The better results I'll see? Muscle weighs more than fat so the scale might not move as fast but I'll see results faster?

Yes and no. With strength training you may not see a drop on the scale as quickly as without it because you may lose less muscle and more fat, and you are correct that muscle is heavier. Working problem areas is a good idea IMO. It won't necessarily cause the fat in that specific area to burn more quickly, but it will make those areas less wobbly as you lose by preserving the muscle under the fat.

discretekim

Toning isn't a thing. You can either build muscle, or lose muscle. You can either gain fat or lose fat.

What most people refer to as "toning" is simply losing the layer of fat that is covering up your existing muscles.

I disagree. I see toning as building muscle. Otherwise. I agree with your post, but to each his own.

MireyGal76

ceoverturf wrote: »

You're on the right track, but you have a couple misconceptions:

AmyBethBoothroyd wrote: »

The more muscle you burn fat faster.

Generally speaking, yes

So the more muscles I try to tone and build in those areas the more fat I'll burn?

Toning isn't a thing. You can either build muscle, or lose muscle. You can either gain fat or lose fat.

What most people refer to as "toning" is simply losing the layer of fat that is covering up your existing muscles.

Muscle weighs more than fat so the scale might not move as fast but I'll see results faster?

Muscle is denser than fat, so a pound of muscle is smaller in volume than a pound of fat.


OK - that all aside. If you want to lose weight (presumably fat weight), you need to be eating in a calorie deficit. It sounds like you're logging and tracking, which is good. When you're eating at a calorie deficit, it's impossible (for all practical purposes) to build any sort of significant muscle. Muscle building requires a calorie surplus and lots of heavy lifting. As a woman, it's even tougher.

all this.


but since I like typing...
if you are working a deficit, you won't gain much (if any) new muscle. (There's something to be said for newbie gains, but that's another topic)

doing strength training will strengthen and help preserve existing muscles, and this is good.
the larger the deficit you have - the more your body will take from core systems in order to get the nutrition, so it won't stop at burning only fat, but will draw from muscle too.

My recommendation is that you work a reasonable deficit (0.5 - 1lb/week) and endeavor to strength train. It helps a lot.

TimothyFish

discretekim wrote: »

Toning isn't a thing. You can either build muscle, or lose muscle. You can either gain fat or lose fat.

What most people refer to as "toning" is simply losing the layer of fat that is covering up your existing muscles.

I disagree. I see toning as building muscle. Otherwise. I agree with your post, but to each his own.

Yeah, I'm not sure why people arbitrarily decide that toning isn't a thing when it is a term that so many people use. It is possible to coin a word, but I don't think you can "uncoin" a word.

Need2Exerc1se

TimothyFish wrote: »

discretekim wrote: »

Toning isn't a thing. You can either build muscle, or lose muscle. You can either gain fat or lose fat.

What most people refer to as "toning" is simply losing the layer of fat that is covering up your existing muscles.

I disagree. I see toning as building muscle. Otherwise. I agree with your post, but to each his own.

Yeah, I'm not sure why people arbitrarily decide that toning isn't a thing when it is a term that so many people use. It is possible to coin a word, but I don't think you can "uncoin" a word.

For the same reason they feel the need to point out that muscle only weighs more than fat per volume. It's the internet.

ElJefeChief

Spot reduction doesn't work. Exercise is great but the real bang for your buck in terms of weight loss is limiting calories in. You can't out-exercise a bad diet.

BarbieAS

As everyone else has mostly covered, if you're eating in a deficit then you're not going to be building muscle, really. Maybe a small amount at the start. With that said, that doesn't mean don't lift!!!!! Lifting will help you preserve as much muscle as you can as you lose, and you absolutely want to do that. As you lose weight, the higher proportion of your total loss that's fat, the better. You're right in thinking that the more muscle you maintain, the higher your daily calorie burn will be (though, don't count on that being a HUGE difference). You'll also look more "toned" when you're done and possibly even end up a smaller size (clothing/measurements) than you would be at the same weight but higher body fat - and even if you can't spot-"tone" or reduce, that will still definitely help those problem areas! Plus, who doesn't want to be strong?! As an added bonus, weight-bearing exercise helps support bone health, especially for women. So.....just do it!

AmyBethBoothroyd

Thank you guys. At least I have a better understanding now. I will put a little more focus on problem areas but still work up my cardio (endurence isn't where I would like it) and all other weights. I'll continue to eating under my calorie goal of 1200.

Holly_Roman_Empire

discretekim wrote: »

Toning isn't a thing. You can either build muscle, or lose muscle. You can either gain fat or lose fat.

What most people refer to as "toning" is simply losing the layer of fat that is covering up your existing muscles.

I disagree. I see toning as building muscle. Otherwise. I agree with your post, but to each his own.

This is why using the phrase "toning muscle" is a bad idea anyway. It's subjective and means different things to different people. If people would just say "build muscle" or "cut fat" we'd have a better idea of what people are wanting to do.

Sued0nim

Because tone is actually a word relating to muscle ...it's the continuous passive part contraction of a muscle ...it has nothing to do with appearance ..it's just been co-opted and misdefined by beauty fitness tabloids

And we all should rail against such ignorance ....

juggernaut1974

hollydubs85 wrote: »

discretekim wrote: »

Toning isn't a thing. You can either build muscle, or lose muscle. You can either gain fat or lose fat.

What most people refer to as "toning" is simply losing the layer of fat that is covering up your existing muscles.

I disagree. I see toning as building muscle. Otherwise. I agree with your post, but to each his own.

This is why using the phrase "toning muscle" is a bad idea anyway. It's subjective and means different things to different people. If people would just say "build muscle" or "cut fat" we'd have a better idea of what people are wanting to do.

This

rabbitjb wrote: »

Because tone is actually a word relating to muscle ...it's the continuous passive part contraction of a muscle ...it has nothing to do with appearance ..it's just been co-opted and misdefined by beauty fitness tabloids

And we all should rail against such ignorance ....

and this

SezxyStef

rabbitjb wrote: »

Because tone is actually a word relating to muscle ...it's the continuous passive part contraction of a muscle ...it has nothing to do with appearance ..it's just been co-opted and misdefined by beauty fitness tabloids

And we all should rail against such ignorance ....

all of this...

jkal1979

Whenever I hear someone use the word tone, I think of someone doing an endless amount of reps with little pink hand weights.

I know that's not what it is, but that's the first thing that pops in my head.

juggernaut1974

jkal1979 wrote: »

Whenever I hear someone use the word tone, I think of someone doing an endless amount of reps with little pink hand weights.

I know that's not what it is, but that's the first thing that pops in my head.

This guy is toning, yo


And a TY to @MireyGal76 for my daily supportive star

middlehaitch

AmyBethBoothroyd wrote: »

Thank you guys. At least I have a better understanding now. I will put a little more focus on problem areas but still work up my cardio (endurence isn't where I would like it) and all other weights. I'll continue to eating under my calorie goal of 1200.

Please, with a calorie goal as low as 1200, eat all that plus 50-75% of the energy you have expended through exercise.
If MFP has set you 1200 cals that is what you should be eating to lose the amount of weight per week you entered in your profile without exercise.
Eating less than 1200 cals a day can be detrimental to your health unless you are very petite, or advised to do so by your Dr.
Do eat all cals that MFP has allotted you.
Cheers, h.

ManiacalLaugh

middlehaitch wrote: »

AmyBethBoothroyd wrote: »

Thank you guys. At least I have a better understanding now. I will put a little more focus on problem areas but still work up my cardio (endurence isn't where I would like it) and all other weights. I'll continue to eating under my calorie goal of 1200.

Please, with a calorie goal as low as 1200, eat all that plus 50-75% of the energy you have expended through exercise.
If MFP has set you 1200 cals that is what you should be eating to lose the amount of weight per week you entered in your profile without exercise.
Eating less than 1200 cals a day can be detrimental to your health unless you are very petite, or advised to do so by your Dr.
Do eat all cals that MFP has allotted you.
Cheers, h.

This! Especially if you're going to be working out.

Eating under 1,200 may not cause the mythical "starvation mode," but it can cause a set of other problems, including, but not limited to:

• Brittle nails
• Hair loss
• Exhaustion
• Extended muscle fatigue
• Loss of regular sleep patterns
• Grouchiness and/or other mood changes
• Acne (personal experience)

Eat back 1/2 of your exercise calories and aim for (or close to) the deficit suggested by MFP.