Do y'all realize that the more lean mass you have....

...the higher your BMR will be?

Just curious. Because according to the majority of posts that I've seen in the short time I've found this groovy site, the answer would lean more towards, "No."

Thoughts?
«13

Replies

  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    Yeppers !

    Muscle totally rocks. Needs calories, burns calories.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    I do - I love every single one of my 134 pounds of lean mass, and am incredibly proud of the fact I've retained it all while losing. Now if I can just lose the last 7 pounds of fat without losing any lean mass, I'll be a very happy camper.
  • BikinimomE
    BikinimomE Posts: 116 Member
    GREAT RESPONSES! Does my heart good to see that there are still those who "get it". 'Course some of us had to learn this stuff the hard way. *raises hand*

    @Wobbspsfl, you may just have to make a small adjustment. How long have you been doing your current cardio routine? If it's been several weeks you may just have to take a week off to give your body a chance to adjust again. Then start back and slowly ramp up. Or you may have to tweek your diet a bit. Or both...

    I'll send you a friend request and we'll take a looksee. What I know about this stuff could fit into a thimble. But if I can help you out, I'd be glad to.
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    I think people also lose sight of the fact that if they don't work to preserve their lean mass, even when they lose all the weight they will be a smaller person of the same shape they were when at a weight they felt was too high. :noway:

    Personally, I don't want to be a smaller bowling ball. :sad: I want to get my waist back and see the muscles in my arms and legs again!:bigsmile:
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
    Yes but muscle weighs more than fat therefore the more muscle I have the fatter I become! And I drank a gallon of water and weigh 8 pounds more so I got fatter!
  • rubyautumn4
    rubyautumn4 Posts: 818 Member
    I think people also lose sight of the fact that if they don't work to preserve their lean mass, even when they lose all the weight they will be a smaller person of the same shape they were when at a weight they felt was too high. :noway:

    Personally, I don't want to be a smaller bowling ball. :sad: I want to get my waist back and see the muscles in my arms and legs again!:bigsmile:

    'a smaller bowling ball' hahaha that cracked me up! I don't want to be a smaller bowling ball either! Thanks for the laugh!
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    Lean mass equals higher maintenance cost (upkeep). Not just in calories, but to maintain muscle mass. Most of us are trying to figure out how to be sedentary or light activity and keep the weight off; not build muscle.
  • blonde71
    blonde71 Posts: 955 Member
    Yeppers !

    Muscle totally rocks. Needs calories, burns calories.

    I'm with you on that one!!
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Yup! My DXA scan shows I gained 1.5 lbs of lean body mass since last year. I lift heavy and that is not a lot of gain in lean body mass, but it's a lot for a girl. Girls will not gain much if they stay natural (I'm all natural, no steroids). Maybe younger girls will gain more than I did (I am almost 52), but still. Really you are not going to get to eat much more calories. Mainly I get to eat more calories now because I'm lean and don't have fat to lose, that is the true key to getting to eat a bit more. You no longer have to eat at so much of a deficit because you don't have the fat reserves to lose.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    Yep! Working hard to maintain my LMB while losing!!
  • runzalot81
    runzalot81 Posts: 782 Member
    Yes! And this is where I need help.

    I'm a 10 year runner but I also lift weights and swim and whatnot. I'm losing weight (only needed to lose 10 lbs) but now I'm more interested in my muscles, especially while training for a half. I've increased my daily calories again this week to 1600ish... Anyone want to take a look at my profile and offer advise? A pm would be great. I'll probably forget about this thread.

    Also, it turns out that those 10 lbs probably crept on over the last few years because I wasn't eating enough :tongue: I'm that bloke.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Eat less to lose fat

    Workout to maintain LBM

    period.
  • birdieaz
    birdieaz Posts: 448 Member
    Yep and that's why my goal is now not based on the scale but on bf%. Wish that I would have known this from the start, would have gone about this whole process differently.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    I do realize, however that is relatively negligible. From what I've read, a lb of muscle burns fewer than 10 calories per day.

    I think that the real benefit to maintaining or building lean mass is
    1) Sexiness
    2) Maintaining muscle means that losses are pure ugly fat, rather than some fat and some muscle.
  • CarlaMichelle
    CarlaMichelle Posts: 67 Member
    Lean mass equals higher maintenance cost (upkeep). Not just in calories, but to maintain muscle mass. Most of us are trying to figure out how to be sedentary or light activity and keep the weight off; not build muscle.

    Speak for yourself... you can't say most of us unless you've polled everyone. I have a lot of weight to lose but i'm not waiting till i hit goal to get some muscle.
  • calgirl43228
    calgirl43228 Posts: 7 Member
    Most BMR calculators exclude an offset for lean body mass because it doesn't make a big difference in your calorie requirement - maybe 5%.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Yes! And this is where I need help.

    I'm a 10 year runner but I also lift weights and swim and whatnot. I'm losing weight (only needed to lose 10 lbs) but now I'm more interested in my muscles, especially while training for a half. I've increased my daily calories again this week to 1600ish... Anyone want to take a look at my profile and offer advise? A pm would be great. I'll probably forget about this thread.

    Also, it turns out that those 10 lbs probably crept on over the last few years because I wasn't eating enough :tongue: I'm that bloke.

    I have been lifting and running for 30 years and honestly I believe the Venus Index is the best workout for women ever! You do awesome leg work, stuff I have never done before, and it made my legs super tone, made my body super tone, better than ever. I am so telling the truth.

    The leaner you get the less your body has to draw from and then you have to taper up your calories. There is no such thing as starvation mode for women over 12% body fat or men over 6% body fat. I am a living breathing example of that. I went from obese to now under 12% BF and I've maintained for one year and built muscle the whole time. You don't BUILD muscle in starvation mode, so I proved everyone wrong.

    So did all these ladies ---> http://www.venusindex.com/transformation-contest/
    It costs nothing to read and listen to their interviews and it’s fun because they are real like you and I.

    My story here --> http://www.venusindex.com/roberta-saums-venus-index-transformation/

    Oh yeah and you can do this WITHOUT a personal trainer or coaching. Read the book, it explains the answers, done. Then just do it. Of course the superior designed workout helps as well.

    And what it did for me. I won a contest at age 51 and I was the oldest one to enter. I don't gain anything if you purchase the workout there. ---> http://www.venusindex.com

    Best of luck!
    Bobbie
  • try the anabolic diet.....
  • oramos76
    oramos76 Posts: 5 Member
    yes the more lean muscle mass requires more calories but dont be fooled its not ton of extra calories
    1.fat burns 2 calories, compared to 2 muscle which burns 5-7 calories.
  • DianaJaneD
    DianaJaneD Posts: 157 Member
    Yes! When I calculated mine according to my lean mass, my BMR was higher than the MFP calculation, for sure.
  • Zylahe
    Zylahe Posts: 772 Member
    I heard that 1 lb of muscle burns 8 lb of fat in a year.
    So i figure if i can build 1 lb of muscle, in a year i will reach my GW.
    Pity that its almost imposible for me to build muscle, but thats a whole different thread.
  • BikinimomE
    BikinimomE Posts: 116 Member
    Yes but muscle weighs more than fat therefore the more muscle I have the fatter I become! And I drank a gallon of water and weigh 8 pounds more so I got fatter!

    You have a very dry sense of humor, I see. :laugh:
  • BikinimomE
    BikinimomE Posts: 116 Member
    Lean mass equals higher maintenance cost (upkeep). Not just in calories, but to maintain muscle mass. Most of us are trying to figure out how to be sedentary or light activity and keep the weight off; not build muscle.

    Are you serious? :noway:

    I'm truly stunned at this answer. In what way does it "cost more" to maintain lean mass? (Please don't even TRY to give me that bogus argument that it costs more to eat healthy. And you can work out in outside or in your home FOR FREE just as I did for a few months between gym memberships. Didn't lose an ounce of mass or strength.)

    If you have less mass, your metabolism is lower ALL THE TIME so you must consume less calories in order not to gain bf. Less activity + less calories = your body metabolizing your lean mass for sustenance which leads to even lower metabolism ALL THE TIME... and so the vicious circle continues until you are a morbidly obese couch potato that needs to sleep sitting up, is totally dependent on others for your every need.

    And "most" of the people here WANT this?!?! ^^^
  • BikinimomE
    BikinimomE Posts: 116 Member
    Most BMR calculators exclude an offset for lean body mass because it doesn't make a big difference in your calorie requirement - maybe 5%.

    If I understand you correctly, you are saying that a woman my height and weight with 15# less lean body mass (I am saying I have 15# more muscle) wouldn't burn far less calories when they sleep (or just go about the business of life)? Are you also saying that her physical activity isn't far less intense (thus burning even fewer calories) because of her comparative weakness and lack of endurance?
  • BikinimomE
    BikinimomE Posts: 116 Member
    I heard that 1 lb of muscle burns 8 lb of fat in a year.
    So i figure if i can build 1 lb of muscle, in a year i will reach my GW.
    Pity that its almost imposible for me to build muscle, but thats a whole different thread.

    Do you have hormonal issues that preclude you from building lean mass? Or is this due to physical injury/joint issues?
  • BikinimomE
    BikinimomE Posts: 116 Member
    yes the more lean muscle mass requires more calories but dont be fooled its not ton of extra calories
    1.fat burns 2 calories, compared to 2 muscle which burns 5-7 calories.

    All calories are also not created equal. A big bag of chips does not equal a tunafish sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce and tomato even though they may have the same amount of calories. I am still mystified that so many people fail to comprehend this.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Yes, it does.

    HOWEVER

    More muscle doesn't really burn as many calories as people think. We're talking 10-15 more cal per day per pound of muscle.

    If you want to build muscle to burn off fat faster, you need to put on 10 lbs of muscle to burn an extra 100 cal/day. That's a LOT of muscle.

    Not saying people shouldn't strive to build muscle. It has many other great benefits, but if you're doing it to burn more calories, think again.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    yes the more lean muscle mass requires more calories but dont be fooled its not ton of extra calories
    1.fat burns 2 calories, compared to 2 muscle which burns 5-7 calories.

    All calories are also not created equal. A big bag of chips does not equal a tunafish sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce and tomato even though they may have the same amount of calories. I am still mystified that so many people fail to comprehend this.

    I lol at people who don't get that.
  • Elen_Sia
    Elen_Sia Posts: 638 Member
    ...the higher your BMR will be?

    Just curious. Because according to the majority of posts that I've seen in the short time I've found this groovy site, the answer would lean more towards, "No."

    Thoughts?

    Yes.

    The composition and calorie density of my meals have continually evolved as my body's needs dictate.
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    yes the more lean muscle mass requires more calories but dont be fooled its not ton of extra calories
    1.fat burns 2 calories, compared to 2 muscle which burns 5-7 calories.

    All calories are also not created equal. A big bag of chips does not equal a tunafish sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce and tomato even though they may have the same amount of calories. I am still mystified that so many people fail to comprehend this.

    I lol at people who don't get that.

    And they are usually the ones who gain it back, too.