Muscle does not weigh more than fat.

kevbrinks

Muscle absolutely weighs more than fat. 5 lbs. of bricks weighs the same as 5 lbs. of feathers, but a brick weighs more than a feather.

Your message about the scale is essentially correct, but your logic is a little skewed.

It depends how big the feathers and bricks are (i.e. how much volume they have). What about a tiny tiny tiny tiny brick, and a really really really really big feather? That's why you need to specify volumes to compare the weight of different substances (density is useful because it combines weight and volume into one handy measurement).

It doesn't make any sense to say "muscle weighs more than fat" since muscle and fat aren't specific objects with well defined volumes.

By your same logic, I can't make comments like "I can run faster than an infant" because I might be a paraplegic and the infant might be a newborn horse. The statement is not meant to be read in to as much as people are trying to here.

Selaen

"muscle weights more than fat" generally gets used when you plateau. That's when all the professionals rush in to tell you that you're actually losing flab, but you might still be gaining weight; you're just increasing your muscle%. I have never heard it being used as an excuse for being overweight though; I'm more of the "I'm big boned" variety myself.

You are correct in saying that 5lb of muscle doesn't weigh more than 5lb fat, but one cm3 of muscle will weigh more than one cm3 of fat. It depends on the viewpoint. Tomato, tomahto. In all honesty, I don't think a female weighing 250lb with a belly hanging over their trousers looks at themselves and thinks "ooh, look at my wonderful muscleyness". I know I sure don't. It wobbles; it's fat. It doesn't wobble; it's muscle.

LarryPGH

You know, I've often wondered about those body fat percentage calcs that use weight as the determining factor -- I'm thinking that right now, at 206 (on the way down), I'm more in shape than I was a couple of years ago at 206 (but on the way up). Both would have given me the same body fat percentage numbers, right (?), but now, I'm guessing that my lean muscle mass is greater than it was back then...? Hmm...

LewisBirchenough

Muscle absolutely weighs more than fat. 5 lbs. of bricks weighs the same as 5 lbs. of feathers, but a brick weighs more than a feather.

Your message about the scale is essentially correct, but your logic is a little skewed.

It depends how big the feathers and bricks are (i.e. how much volume they have). What about a tiny tiny tiny tiny brick, and a really really really really big feather? That's why you need to specify volumes to compare the weight of different substances (density is useful because it combines weight and volume into one handy measurement).

It doesn't make any sense to say "muscle weighs more than fat" since muscle and fat aren't specific objects with well defined volumes.

By your same logic, I can't make comments like "I can run faster than an infant" because I might be a paraplegic and the infant might be a newborn horse. The statement is not meant to be read in to as much as people are trying to here.

I absolutely take your point that in language there’s often meaning not explicitly expressed, and I’m sure everyone knows what is meant by “muscle weighs more than fat”. I just think, why use “weight” when you can use the more accurate word “density”. Each to his own I suppose. Onto more interesting discussions about exercise!

(P.S. the feather and brick example brought back memories of high school physics class when we were asked by the teacher what weighs more, polystyrene or steel. After giving our answers, the teacher got out a huge polystyrene cube, maybe a meter or more each side, and a tiny steel ball. I couldn’t resist making the same point with your example.)

tasiac23

Oh I see now....so I shouldn't feel so dumb then lol

Wow lol...I can't believe I never thought about that lol. That's like when people say "what's heavier? A lb of socks or a lb of pennies?" Lol they weigh the same....DUH!! I feel dumb lol. I always thought muscle weighted more lol

Muscle does weigh more. By volume. Which is what people are talking about when they say muscle weighs more than fat.

rgfor40

This post wasn't actually to get the one nutritionist on MFP to critique info I found. This was simply letting ppl know (like myself) who have said "I have more muscle, that is why I weigh more"...because in OUR minds its a way to make being over weight "ok". I use to say it that way and mean it that way. I now do not focus solely on my scale. I do however weight, measure and do caliper testing.

This whole topic was really screwing with my head.
My weight hasn’t changed much, I hadn’t seen any change on the scale at first and I started getting discouraged.
My weight loss has only been 5-8 lbs but, I’m down 3 inches in my waist, I’ve see huge gains in strength, and muscle.
The big measurement was when my wife said my neck (traps), shoulders and arms are getting big.
Am I still overweight, yes. I know I still have a long way to go but I feel and look better than I did

spackham

I use to be an elite athlete (sad to say "use to" but I am working on it) and though I was thin and full of muscles, I would lie about my weight by 10-15 pounds (less than I actually was) and people would still say, "there is no way you weight that much." Even though muscle is heavier, people are sometimes shocked because they imagine if they weighed that much with THEIR body composition. Ya the scale does not tell the real story, at all.

AmberRSkelton

When I really started to focus on adding strength training in with my cardio, my weight loss leveled out for a while...but I'm now needing almost all new clothes! I could care less what the scale says, as long as my clothes keep mysteriously growing.

lillieme

When I really started to focus on adding strength training in with my cardio, my weight loss leveled out for a while...but I'm now needing almost all new clothes! I could care less what the scale says, as long as my clothes keep mysteriously growing.

Best post in this thread yet.