Muscle and Fat...if I build muscle does it kill fat?

kassiebby1124

I got told that if you build muscle under fat, it does nothing at all or you can't see a difference OR if you do, you look bigger than you started. Is that true? Or if I build muscle does it melt the fat and make you look smaller?

Sidesteal

I got told that if you build muscle under fat, it does nothing at all or you can't see a difference OR if you do, you look bigger than you started. Is that true? Or if I build muscle does it melt the fat and make you look smaller?

The answer to this question might appear discouraging at first but it's very likely to be irrelevant if you are losing weight.

If you were to gain muscle and not lose any fat, you would generally get larger.
As to your second question, muscle doesn't directly burn fat but (someone correct me if my figure is off here) muscle burns approximately ~6 calories per lb. So if you were to add 5lbs of muscle (which would take a while) you'd theoretically burn an additional 30 calories.


But regardless of the above, I'm going to assume that you're eating less calories than you burn because you are trying to lose weight. In this condition, you are not going to build a substantial amount of muscle. Given that you are exercising and eating properly, you'll be getting smaller, not larger.

MelissaGraham7

From my extremely amateur experience - as I build muscle, it is because of general working out and fitness and strength training along with improved diet - so I am losing fat as I build. The muscle formation doesn't cause fat loss but it happens alongside the fat loss, so I can see muscle and tone formation and it is win-win. So, I would have to assume that most people who are working on any muscle building are typically losing fat through a fitness regime. So, I would see that as encouraging! Plus, if you are doing a fitness regime along with your weight loss, you'll avoid sagging, stretch marks, etc. and look awesome!

SASSYnCHICago

Muscle does not burn "kill" fat. When your body's % of muscle is increased you will burn more calories compared to fat, as you have increased your metabolism, The number of calories your body uses to carry out basic functions (such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells) is known as your basal metabolic rate — what you might call metabolism.

"..you burn more calories with muscle mass than you do without. This is largely due to the fact that muscle is "metabolically" more active than fat, causing an increase in calories burned on any given day." from: Jillian Michaels Online TV's toughest fitness guru has an online workout to drop that weight!

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/46363-muscles-vs.-fat-calories-burned/#ixzz20hW9dLrQ

Personally, I think you should focus on your diet first as if affects 85% of successful weight loss, do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily - even if it's just walking a 1 mile a day, and do high reps& low weight training - increase your exercise intensity each week as you build up endurance. DRINK excessive WATER 70oz /day - that makes all the difference to get rid of fat

Best Strong. Stay Positive. is my moto.