Muscle weighs more than fat?

amber0600

I am trying my hardest to lose weight. Watching what i eat, exercising. But my husband snacks before and after dinner like within minutes. And has lost 30lbs to my 7. But he is getting fatter. My husband was the super jock in school. Mastered all the sports. I have seen him manually pull a truck out of a hole when the other truck couldn't. But he won't believe me that even though he is losing weight he is still getting fat. So am I wrong but I believe he is losing his muscle mass not his fat. His legs are getting smaller, his stomach is bigger. and his face is rounder. He went from constantly moving to riding in a truck at work and sitting at home playing video games and snacking. HELP ME!!!!!!! I'm not vain but he was one of the reasons I wanted to get into shape.

DistantScreams

I am trying my hardest to lose weight. Watching what i eat, exercising. But my husband snacks before and after dinner like within minutes. And has lost 30lbs to my 7. But he is getting fatter. My husband was the super jock in school. Mastered all the sports. I have seen him manually pull a truck out of a hole when the other truck couldn't. But he won't believe me that even though he is losing weight he is still getting fat. So am I wrong but I believe he is losing his muscle mass not his fat. His legs are getting smaller, his stomach is bigger. and his face is rounder. He went from constantly moving to riding in a truck at work and sitting at home playing video games and snacking. HELP ME!!!!!!! I'm not vain but he was one of the reasons I wanted to get into shape.

CORRECT Muscle does weight more than fat...

RUNN3Rmom

Muscle is a use it or lose it concept. So yes, I think if he is more seditary he will begin to lose some of what he had.

belgerian

5 pounds is 5 pounds wheather it is muscle or fat but muscle is more dense than fat. 1 pound of muscle is not heavier than 1 pound of fat.

RUNN3Rmom

5lbs of muscle weighs the same as 5lbs of fat, they just take up different amount of space. 5lbs is 5lbs, regardless.

john062

A pound of muscle weights the same as a pound of fat. 1lb=1lb


What people are talking about is that muscle is more dense then fat.
So it takes up less space. (Look at a lb of lard from the store and a lb of steak)

If he is dropping that weight but his waist line is expanding then yes it's possible.

Natural strength aside, if you lift weights or participate in sports you will be stronger.
If you stop doing that stuff and just sit around either for your job or to play video games.
You’re going to lose your muscle mass and strength over time.

The decay rate is not the same for everyone.

BillRicks1

5lbs of muscle weighs the same as 5lbs of fat, they just take up different amount of space. 5lbs is 5lbs, regardless.

/\ This! Fat takes up more volumn than muscle. That's why when you lose fat and build muscle, you may weigh the same but your clothes will fit differently.

lizziebeth1028

5lbs of muscle weighs the same as 5lbs of fat, they just take up different amount of space. 5lbs is 5lbs, regardless.

^^^^This!!! But I understood your post. Hubby sounds like he's losing precious muscle mass. He needs to lift weights, eat lot's of protein and make sure he's getting enough calories! Rapid weight loss = loss of muscle, bone along with the fat.

FungusTrooper

One spare tire of muscle would weigh much more than a spare tire of fat.

csuhar

Maybe you can get something that will measure body fat percentage? It basically sounds like you need something or someone who can break down where the weight loss is coming from and put those numbers down in front of him.

StheK

Maybe you can get something that will measure body fat percentage? It basically sounds like you need something or someone who can break down where the weight loss is coming from and put those numbers down in front of him.

This. Show him what is actually happening to him.

OddChoices

I am trying my hardest to lose weight. Watching what i eat, exercising. But my husband snacks before and after dinner like within minutes. And has lost 30lbs to my 7. But he is getting fatter. My husband was the super jock in school. Mastered all the sports. I have seen him manually pull a truck out of a hole when the other truck couldn't. But he won't believe me that even though he is losing weight he is still getting fat. So am I wrong but I believe he is losing his muscle mass not his fat. His legs are getting smaller, his stomach is bigger. and his face is rounder. He went from constantly moving to riding in a truck at work and sitting at home playing video games and snacking. HELP ME!!!!!!! I'm not vain but he was one of the reasons I wanted to get into shape.

Muscle is denser than fat. Kinda like 1lb of solid Lead will be "leaner" than 1lb of fluffy cotton.

Connie1979

5 pounds is 5 pounds wheather it is muscle or fat but muscle is more dense than fat. 1 pound of muscle is not heavier than 1 pound of fat.

You are so right, it drives me nuts to hear people say muscle weighs more than fat...

SamanthaClarexo

5 pounds is 5 pounds wheather it is muscle or fat but muscle is more dense than fat. 1 pound of muscle is not heavier than 1 pound of fat.

THIS! Lord give me strength.....:grumble:

MightyDomo

Muscle does not weigh more than fat, volumes of fat and muscle weigh differently for sure. 1 lb of fat takes up probably 2-3 times the space that 1 lb of muscle takes up.

And if you are losing weight by diet alone the likelihood of maintaining muscle and losing body fat is lower, you'd be a skinny fat because you'd still have a higher body fat percentage. Put in the work and the body fat goes down while the muscle builds and that's a fantastic and healthy way to lose weight

Be honest with him, and if he plays xbox then challenge him to a kinect game each night, would make him get a little active and gets you active too

abbyrae1

its the concept of what weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks. neither, they weigh the same, but you get more feathers. Same goes with fat vs muscle, a pound is a pound, no matter the composition, but muscle looks smaller than fat.

Lleldiranne

5lbs of muscle weighs the same as 5lbs of fat, they just take up different amount of space. 5lbs is 5lbs, regardless.

A pound of steel weighs the same as a pound of feathers, but most people won't argue against the statement "steel weighs more than feathers." I don't understand why people argue the muscle/fat statement so much. Yes, a pound is a pound is a pound, but with that logic, you could say that a pound of human weighs the same as a pound of elephant. While true, it's drivel.

We can assume, when comparing weights, that one is generally speaking of two items of the same VOLUME. In which case, muscle does weigh more than fat. A cubic centimeter of muscle does, in fact, weigh more than a cubic centimeter of fat. And yes, it's because muscle is more dense (by definition of density!)

OP: I understand the frustration you are feeling! Yes, if he is now sedentary, it is possible for muscle to be metabolized and fat to bed stored, and his weight go down while getting fatter. After all, fat is a more efficient way for the body to store unused energy than anything else. Sadly, you can not make him want to change, only inspire him. I wish I had lots of good advice, but I'm struggling with similar issues with my husband. One thing that does help, though, it to make it a fun competition. When he does better than me - in exercise, in lifting, in tracking his calories, whatever, he gets something that he likes.

PrettyPearl88

5 pounds is 5 pounds wheather it is muscle or fat but muscle is more dense than fat. 1 pound of muscle is not heavier than 1 pound of fat.

This is to everyone who always says "muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, 1 lb of muscle weighs the exact same as 1 lb of fat!":

You guys do realize that when people say "muscle weighs more than fat" they're talking about VOLUME, right?? Obviously 1 lb of anything equals 1 lb of anything else. Duh! But that's not what the phrase means.

"Muscle weighs more than fat" actually means "a certain volume of muscle weighs more than that same volume of fat"...because muscle is more dense.

So...muscle actually DOES weigh more than fat.

jlapey

One spare tire of muscle would weigh much more than a spare tire of fat.

^^EXACTLY! It DOES weigh more. No one goes around saying "1 pound" of anything weighs more than "1 pound" of anything else. That would be stupid. It is inferred that they mean by volume. I just don't understand why people get so bent out of shape about the saying "muscle weighs more than fat" when EVERY one knows what is meant. Muscle is heavier than fat, therefore it weighs more. It takes less of something heavy (muscle) to equal a pound than it does something light (fat). I suppose they're going to tell me that bricks aren't heavier than feathers because one pound of brick equals one pound of feathers? Which would you rather I drop on your head, a brick or a feather? Why?

amber0600

This is to everyone who always says "muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, 1 lb of muscle weighs the exact same as 1 lb of fat!":

You guys do realize that when people say "muscle weighs more than fat" they're talking about VOLUME, right?? Obviously 1 lb of anything equals 1 lb of anything else. Duh! But that's not what the phrase means.

"Muscle weighs more than fat" actually means "a certain volume of muscle weighs more than that same volume of fat"...because muscle is more dense.

So...muscle actually DOES weigh more than fat.

Thank you. All I was trying to say is he could lose 20lb of muscle and it wouln't show nearly as much as 20lbs of fat. He thinks he is getting healthier but he is going in the wrong direction

Mr_Bad_Example

5 pounds is 5 pounds wheather it is muscle or fat but muscle is more dense than fat. 1 pound of muscle is not heavier than 1 pound of fat.

This is to everyone who always says "muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, 1 lb of muscle weighs the exact same as 1 lb of fat!":

You guys do realize that when people say "muscle weighs more than fat" they're talking about VOLUME, right?? Obviously 1 lb of anything equals 1 lb of anything else. Duh! But that's not what the phrase means.

"Muscle weighs more than fat" actually means "a certain volume of muscle weighs more than that same volume of fat"...because muscle is more dense.

So...muscle actually DOES weigh more than fat.

If people actually do understand that the phrase itself is incorrect, then it would make a lot more sense to say "Muscle has a greater density than fat" rather than always saying something that you know is wrong. I mean, no one goes around saying "The sun revolves around the earth" and then explains that it only looks like that because of our perspective here on earth or assumes that everyone knows what they actually mean. That's just silly.

Also, this entire debate is why it's a good idea to get your measurements in addition to your weight to track progress. Weight fluctuates a lot more than your measurements do.

waldo56

Muscle does not weigh more than fat, volumes of fat and muscle weigh differently for sure. 1 lb of fat takes up probably 2-3 times the space that 1 lb of muscle takes up.

Not even close.


Muscle density is 1.06 kg/l
Fat density is 0.92 kg/l
Water density is 1.00 kg/l


5lb = 2.268kg


5lb muscle = 2.14 liters = 130.6 cubic inches
5lb fat = 2.47 liters = 150.7 cubic inches

Muscle takes up slightly less space than water.
Fat takes up slightly more space than water.

The difference is very small. The picture shown in this thread is extremely overexaggerated.

The biggest thing is that muscle is spread throughout the body, fat tends to accumulate in glops. It takes quite a bit of muscle growth to be all that noticable.