Will my muscle turn to fat when I stop working out?

zh123

Hey, I'm going abroad for 10 weeks with some friends (basically for a long holiday!). Up until now I have been spinning 3 times a week for 1 hour and doing an hours kettlebell class every week.

I know when I'm away I won't have the means to be exercising this much (if at all really apart from walking and running the odd time). I'm worried that if I stop, the muscle that I've gained, particularly in my legs, will turn to fat?

I'm not really sure how it works but if anyone has any advice or an explanation that would be great!

I'm starting to freak out a bit about the lack of control I'll have over my eating and drinking..I've worked really hard to lose weight before I go away and really don't want to gain it all back in a few weeks! Thanks

Capt_Apollo

enjoy your holiday.

why will you have no control over eating and drinking? i know you'll be having fun, but still be mindfull of your intake.

make an effort to exercise every day. you can alternate running and strength training.

will you be staying in a hotel or hostels or ppls houses?? either way, here is a 20 minute hotel work out. i advise you print it out and take it with you. in fact, try it out a few times at home first. http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/12/20/the-20-minute-hotel-workout/

Mother_Superior

Definitely enjoy your holiday, and I was going to post the exact same workout that Apollo did. It's a solid routine that should easily keep you on track. Be safe and have fun!

girlinahat

well muscle is muscle and fat is fat so technically muscle CANNOT turn to fat. But look at any image of an aging bodybuilder and what you will see is less bulked up or taut muscle structure.

if you've put that much effort in, why let it go to rack and ruin? don't just laze around on your holiday, get active, try new sports.

you have control over what goes into your mouth - unless of course someone is going to stick a tube down your throat and force feed you. You can eat and drink the same stuff as your friends as long as you care with portions - don't stuff yourself, drink soft drinks as well as booze. Listen to your body - if you are going somewhere hot you may well find you don't WANT to stuff yourself and crave healthy foods. Eat what the locals eat, where the locals eat.

above all, enjoy - it's probably the last time you'll ever get to spend ten weeks on holiday!!!!

tonytoo

Muscle doesn't turn into fat, just like fat doesn't turn into muscle.

you might lose muscle if your body doesn't need it.

you might gain fat if you eat at the same level as you did when you were building muscle.

TavistockToad

why will you have no control over eating and drinking? i know you'll be having fun, but still be mindfull of your intake.

make an effort to exercise every day. you can alternate running and strength training.

both these things.

you're going on holiday, noone is going to force feed you cake for 10 weeks! you are still in control, think portions and plenty of fruit and veg! and lots of water if you're drinking a lot!

Crankstr

enjoy your holiday.

why will you have no control over eating and drinking? i know you'll be having fun, but still be mindfull of your intake.

make an effort to exercise every day. you can alternate running and strength training.

will you be staying in a hotel or hostels or ppls houses?? either way, here is a 20 minute hotel work out. i advise you print it out and take it with you. in fact, try it out a few times at home first. http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/12/20/the-20-minute-hotel-workout/

this is awesome. thank you.

zh123

enjoy your holiday.

why will you have no control over eating and drinking? i know you'll be having fun, but still be mindfull of your intake.

make an effort to exercise every day. you can alternate running and strength training.

will you be staying in a hotel or hostels or ppls houses?? either way, here is a 20 minute hotel work out. i advise you print it out and take it with you. in fact, try it out a few times at home first. http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/12/20/the-20-minute-hotel-workout/

Thank you for the article, that's really helpful. We're probably going to be staying in hostels/hotels mainly.

Maybe control is the wrong word - we're going to be on a limited budget is one of the main concerns so getting fresh fruit and veg, meat etc is obviously going to work out more expensive than something like pasta, noodles, rice.

I think I need to not see it as a 'holiday' in the same way I would if I was going away for 2 weeks, and remember to keep tracking and be mindful of making healthy choices. I know it will be tough...my self control isn't the best, especially if those I'm with aren't being careful x

amy1612

Hey, I'm going abroad for 10 weeks with some friends (basically for a long holiday!). Up until now I have been spinning 3 times a week for 1 hour and doing an hours kettlebell class every week.

I know when I'm away I won't have the means to be exercising this much (if at all really apart from walking and running the odd time). I'm worried that if I stop, the muscle that I've gained, particularly in my legs, will turn to fat?

I'm not really sure how it works but if anyone has any advice or an explanation that would be great!

I'm starting to freak out a bit about the lack of control I'll have over my eating and drinking..I've worked really hard to lose weight before I go away and really don't want to gain it all back in a few weeks! Thanks

Have you ever left a steak in the fridge, came back to it a week later and its turned into lard?

I think you'll be fine

zh123

Sorry I was a bit confused about the whole fat/muscle thing clearly!

It's a control issue for me in terms of my routine - at the minute I track in the morning what I plan on eating throughout the day and stick to it. I know the days I exercise and roughly the calories that will be burnt, and I have my scales to hand when I need them (which I don't rely on in the slightest but still use regularly to keep track).

It's a fear of the unknown so to speak..but thank you for all the advice. I'm still really motivated to lose a little more weight, and more importantly maintain whilst I'm away!

amy1612

Enjoy your holiday! Another short but intense workout you could do is a bodyweight hurricane (9 mins in all, 3 round (each 3 mins), 3 exercises in each).
For example

Round 1= sprint on spot for 20 secs, 20 secs of air squats, 20 secs of pushups. Repeat 3 times as fast as you can.

Round 2= sprint on spot for 20 secs, 20 secs of mountain climbers, 20 secs of star jumps. Repeat 3 times as fast as you can.

Round 3= sprint on spot for 20 secs, 20 secs of burpees, 20 secs of lunges. Repeat 3 times as fast as you can.

The beauty of it is that you can add in any exercise after the sprints, and vary it as much as you want. Theyre short and intense and quite fun.

BonaFideUK

muscle and fat are 2 different things. Muscle doesn't turn into fat and fat doesn't turn into muscle.

Your body is like an efficient machine, If you stop exercising and become sedentary then your body will simply break down your muscles for fuel because it will see no reason to keep them.

Although I seriously doubt 1 week will make too much difference.

zh123

muscle and fat are 2 different things. Muscle doesn't turn into fat and fat doesn't turn into muscle.

Your body is like an efficient machine, If you stop exercising and become sedentary then your body will simply break down your muscles for fuel because it will see no reason to keep them.

Although I seriously doubt 1 week will make too much difference.

I'm away for 10 weeks!

Iron_Lotus

If you stop for 10 weeks you will lose a lot of definition. I am going through this right now. I had to stop lifting for medical reasons for about 2 months and there is a marked difference.

Do enjoy yourself, muscle has great memory.

jakkisr

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Maybe control is the wrong word - we're going to be on a limited budget is one of the main concerns so getting fresh fruit and veg, meat etc is obviously going to work out more expensive than something like pasta, noodles, rice.

[/quote]

I've found that fresh fruit and vegetables are generally much cheaper when I travel in europe than they are here in the UK. And fresher too! As you're doing the the whole hostel/backpacking thing don't underestimate how much weight you're going to be carrying too, that counts as pretty good exercise. 10 weeks is a long time (lucky you!) you're right to get rid of the notion that it'll be a 2 week holiday and set out to explore places, foods, cultures and be fit, healthy and active while you're at it. Have fun

girlinahat

Thank you for the article, that's really helpful. We're probably going to be staying in hostels/hotels mainly.

Maybe control is the wrong word - we're going to be on a limited budget is one of the main concerns so getting fresh fruit and veg, meat etc is obviously going to work out more expensive than something like pasta, noodles, rice.

I think I need to not see it as a 'holiday' in the same way I would if I was going away for 2 weeks, and remember to keep tracking and be mindful of making healthy choices. I know it will be tough...my self control isn't the best, especially if those I'm with aren't being careful x

I'm guessing you are travelling during those ten weeks? Street food tends to be cheapest, and despite how it may seem may end up being the freshest and full of nutrients to that served in a 'restaurant'. In many countries fresh fruits and vegetables are the standard snack - green mango in Thailand for example. Try and keep away from chain restaurants, bread-type products and anything 'westernised' - you'll fare much better health-wise sticking to the local diet. and stay safe.

Each time I have done any extended travelling I have lost weight. The first time I lived on bread/cheese and ritz crackers - I don't recommend that, but the second time I explored the local diet.

__Di__

Hey, I'm going abroad for 10 weeks with some friends (basically for a long holiday!). Up until now I have been spinning 3 times a week for 1 hour and doing an hours kettlebell class every week.

I know when I'm away I won't have the means to be exercising this much (if at all really apart from walking and running the odd time). I'm worried that if I stop, the muscle that I've gained, particularly in my legs, will turn to fat?

I'm not really sure how it works but if anyone has any advice or an explanation that would be great!

I'm starting to freak out a bit about the lack of control I'll have over my eating and drinking..I've worked really hard to lose weight before I go away and really don't want to gain it all back in a few weeks! Thanks

No muscle cannot turn to fat. What it can do is gradually shrink though and if you eat and drink too much you will put on weight of course which will then store as fat.

So with muscle shrinkage due to not being worked out and weight going on due to eating and drinking lots, it may look like it turns to fat, but it doesn't work that way.

What about swimming, that's good exercise and if you do do lots of walking and the odd run, you will be making a good effort at keeping tabs on it all.

Have a great holiday, just don't sit around slobbing all day, everyday without moving lol.

Pinkranger626

Muscle and Fat are made up of two totally different kinds of tissues so it's physically impossible for your muscle to turn into fat.

HOWEVER, it is possible to lose muscle mass and gain more adipose tissue (fat). When you lose muscle mass the muscles that everyone has (we all have the same muscles unless you've had them removed surgically or are born without them) simply atrophy. An extreme example of muscle atrophy is when you have a cast on your arm and when they take it off one arm is smaller and weaker than the other. Basically the more you use a muscle, especially with added resistance makes your msucle stronger, if you stop using it then the strength and tone in your muscle will diminish to the level that your current activity requires of it.

Since you're going to be gone for 10 weeks you will most likely see a difference in your body if you stop exercising completely and begin eating rich, heavy foods and too many calories.

My suggestion would be to pack some resistance bands, get a book on great body weight exercises, and some good running shoes. I have to have things mapped out for myself to reduce the amount of wasted wandering time as well as to optimize my results so it may help you to sit down and have 8-10 workouts written out before hand (there are lots of books that have workouts in them if you have no clue what to write out for workouts on your own) and bring those too.

As for the eating part, when I go on vacation I use the rule of eating healthfully for most of the day and allowing myself one meal to eat whatever I want. I've only ever gone on a 1 week vacation though so you may need to tweak that to 1-2 meals a week of whatever splurge that you feel the need for. This doesn't mean that you have to eat like a rabbit all the time and miss out on the cultural foods, just keep track of your serving sizes, make it a habit to bring a doggie bag home with you.

I hope this helps and I hope you have a great vacation!!

MSeel1984

I had the same fear on my honeymoon and on any vacation. I make an effort to find some fun way to get exercise (long walks on the beach, there was a fitness center there, hiked to Tulume, go swimming, etc). And also I still made efforts to not over-eat but to still enjoy the foods I wanted.

As far as muscle turning to fat, it's not really possible...It's more where your calories will go-toward building muscle or toward storage/aka: fat.

Muscle will remain-it won't turn into anything else, but it may not be as strong or you may be storing more fat so you don't notice your tone/feel as fit. Does that make sense?

zh123

Thank you for all your comments - it's been so helpful and everything makes a lot more sense now!

zh123

PS. I'm travelling around N. America (I'm from the UK) - doing the west coast, Florida and New York

Capt_Apollo

PS. I'm travelling around N. America (I'm from the UK) - doing the west coast, Florida and New York

Awesome! A lot of hotels here have gyms with treadmills, ellipticals, and bike machines. Weights too.

And if you haven't already booked your hotels, check out the residence inn. They have kitchens in the hotels so you can prepare meals.

RobynLB83

If you're that freaked out, why don't you just continue to eat well, walk everywhere on your vacation, and get up early and throw in a run every couple days. I do this on vacation, and I usually lose about 5 lbs. every time. ( I also end up eating less on vacation because I eat 3 times a day instead of 5 or 6).

__Di__

PS. I'm travelling around N. America (I'm from the UK) - doing the west coast, Florida and New York

I envy you (in a nice way, not maliciously lol). Have an absolutely fantastic experience and take care.