Muscle weighs more than fat!

jagh09

I've noticed this statement really stirs up some strong reactions from people. Yes, a pound equals a pound. We all know it, so chill out! What people are saying is that a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. SO...if you build up 5 pounds of muscle in place of 3 pounds of fat, your pants will still fit better. Here is an image to explain:




So try to be patient when people say this statement - although not exactly correct, we all know what they mean!

jagh09

it got cut off a little

Diamond05

I've also been told that we can compare a pound of fat versus a pound of muscle using a pound of butter(fat) to a compact digital camera(muscle).

jagh09

Oh, I like that image too Diamond!

mjl54

in before the debate starts LOL

donyellemoniquex3

ken_hogan

in before the debate starts LOL

This! LOL

jagh09

HAHAHA. There's nothing to debate!

luckyshilling

My doctor used the example of my wedding ring and feathers.

My ring being muscle and fat being the feathers. A ring is a little thing and it takes up less space in the world then the amount of feathers it takes to equal that same weight as that little ring. Picture a 1lb handweight vs. a feather pillow.

jagh09

oops

mjl54

HAHAHA. There's nothing to debate!

you must be new. everytime this gets brought up someone will argue the lb vs.lb
its like beating a dead horse.

jagh09

neigh.

jagh09

I know. Been here a long time. I just found this visual helpful. A trainer gave it to me.

MyChocolateDiet

Well another easy way to look at it is if I put a cup of hamburger meat into a measuring cup, and a cup of fat or olive oil or something into a measuring cup and weigh them...wouldn't the olive oil weigh less? Isn't that what people actually mean when they say that? That measure for measure the muscle weighs more. Meaning it's more dense?

mjl54

BTW i agree with you

The_WoIverine

HAHAHA. There's nothing to debate!

Yes there is. The debate about the search option that will show you the 10,000 posts about this same topic and a dead horse over and over again :bigsmile:

_SABOTEUR_

Density =/= mass


/topic

nomeejerome

here we go again.....

TheFitHooker

I thought a pound was a pound? Yeah Muscle is more dense then fat but 1 pound of fat weighs the same as 1 pound of muscle.

TheFitHooker

There is a difference from "muscle weighs more than fat" and "a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat."

Like I said, 1 pound of fat weighs the same as 1 pound of muscle, now a hand full of fat verses a hand full of muscle will be different.

bonniecarbs

Thank you for this post. people do react in a bad way when someone says that, and its really unnecessary. they know what people mean when they say that. Sometimes its like - some people feel we need to be English majors and Martha Stewards to be on this health challenge.

bonniecarbs

With different people joining and dropping out of MFP, the same topics are bound to be repeated over and over. Everyone is not going to go looking through old threads, they want to be a part of of the forums just like everyone else.

Thomasm198

DocMarr

Best way to state it then, to be correct, is that 'muscle weighs heavier than fat by volume' - that then shows that for the same volume of space, the muscle weighs heavier because it is more dense. So if you add 'by volume' then there's no argument (although I'm sure some may try)

luckyshilling

So lets not say muscle weighs more than fat, cuz a pound is a pound on the scale.

Let's say it takes a greater volume of fat than muscle sitting on the scale to = a pound.

ie What massive volume of feathers would it take to reach the same weight as a bar of gold.

Tiny bar of gold vs thousands and thousands of feathers taking up lots of space (volume), but the same weight in the end.

johnglenn1973

Bang!

Contrarian

I thought a pound was a pound? Yeah Muscle is more dense then fat but 1 pound of fat weighs the same as 1 pound of muscle.

Do you honestly think that there are many, many people who don't understand that pounds are a unit of measurement, and don't realise that 1 pound of anything weighs more or less than 1 pound of anything else?

I prefer to think that the entire rest of the world is not made up of complete morons (in spite of disturbing evidence, witnessed day after day that contradicts my opinion) and simply assume that "by volume" is implied.

TheFitHooker

I thought a pound was a pound? Yeah Muscle is more dense then fat but 1 pound of fat weighs the same as 1 pound of muscle.

Do you honestly think that there are many, many people who don't understand that pounds are a unit of measurement, and don't realise that 1 pound of anything weighs more or less than 1 pound of anything else?

I prefer to think that the entire rest of the world is not made up of complete morons (in spite of disturbing evidence that contradicts my opinion) and simply assume that "by volume" is implied.

So I'm a moron for stating the facts? These threads are retarded seriously, if everyone knows this why do they post these things? And I'm the moron! Mature!!! *rolling eyes here*

SmartAlec03211988

I lost four of those 20 lb fat deposits?

Jeez...

Joehenny

It's not as exaggerated as the images though. Fat doesn't take up as much more space as people make it seem.

darrensurrey

I've also been told that we can compare a pound of fat versus a pound of muscle using a pound of butter(fat) to a compact digital camera(muscle).

If it's all the same to you, I'd rather eat a pound of butter than a digital camera. :runs: