Please clarify the muscle weight myth!
luticiaf
Posts: 92 Member
So I started April 1, goal 10 lbs, have been maintaining good net caloric intake, reg workouts. I lost 4 lbs, gained back 3 by last Saturday, and have been stuck there all week!
Physically, i note some changes, but not near what I want. I'm doing a squat challenge, and am noticing some muscle build. Don't be afraid to tell me - am I fooling myself by thinking part of the 'issue' may be some muscle gain?
How long does it take to build a pound of muscle, vs. burn a pound of fat (i heard 1 week per pound @3500 cal/lb)
Is it true you gain the muscle first, then lose the fat?
Getting discouraged....
Stats: 5'8"
SW: 139
GW: 128
CW: 137
BF: 26.6
Physically, i note some changes, but not near what I want. I'm doing a squat challenge, and am noticing some muscle build. Don't be afraid to tell me - am I fooling myself by thinking part of the 'issue' may be some muscle gain?
How long does it take to build a pound of muscle, vs. burn a pound of fat (i heard 1 week per pound @3500 cal/lb)
Is it true you gain the muscle first, then lose the fat?
Getting discouraged....
Stats: 5'8"
SW: 139
GW: 128
CW: 137
BF: 26.6
0
Replies
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Bump going through the same thing.0
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You did not gain 3 pounds of muscle in 3 weeks, sorry. Your weight may fluctuate at first. Water weight can go easily, then if you start a new workout routine, your muscles may retain water, causing the scale to show a gain. This all usually evens out after a month or two. Definitely take pictures and measurements, and don't rely totally on the scale to monitor progress. You're already at a healthy weight, so your progress is likely to be slow, may be painfully so. I think a woman could gain a pound or two of muscle in a month, but that is for someone who is lifting heavy and eating at a surplus purposefully trying to build muscle. While someone new to lifting can see some muscle gains while eating at a deficit, that evens out, and it's not a significant amount of mass. It does take burning 3500 calories to lose one pound of fat, but that's a basic formula. Weight loss is not linear, you can have all the math right and still not see the scale move, that is just a general guideline.
I just thought of something: the gaining a pound or two a month, I think is the recommendation when on a slower bulk, but that wouldn't be all muscle, so the muscle gain is even less than that!0 -
Losing weight is challenging, especially at the start because you will go through fluctuations where you gain and lose. It's likely more challenging for women because that week or two each month when you're bloated, etc doesn't help with what the scale shows you. You have not likely gained muscle mass since you started working out. You're noticing muscle definition because you have likely lost body fat. The appearance of muscle definition is not the same as gaining muscle mass. Lifting weights can cause your muscles to retain water which you may attribute some of your weight gain to.
Gaining muscle mass varies by person but the actual calculation is roughly eating two to three times your maintenance calories. If you need 1,500 calories to maintain your current bodyweight, then to add muscle mass (which will add some fat) you'll likely need to eat near 3K calories. There is a way more specific calculation for this but that is a good generalization.
Remember, muscle is denser than fat and a 1lb of muscle = 1lb of fat. Whereas with equal volume measurements of fat and muscle, the muscle will weigh more. Make sense?0 -
im in the same boat. I have been working out since January and started at 258lbs. Im currently at 245 lbs. 13lbs in 3 months for me is very little.
I used to weigh 285 lbs and got to 235 in about 6 months. So I was used to losing about 10 lbs a month. And I havent been close to that. I am working out 5 days a week. Eating healthy.. I dont get it either.0 -
If you are at a calorie deficit (i.e. dieting) you cannot build appreciable muscle. Building appreciable muscle requires a calorie surplus. Also, the average male can only build about 6 or so Lbs of muscle per year doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Most people mistake shedding some fat and the muscle showing for muscle growth...it is not...the muscle is just being revealed. Also, if you're working out a lot, your muscles will retain a lot of water and glycogen for repair.
If you only have 10 Lbs to lose, you should be going very slow...no more than 1/2 Lb per week. Going faster is just going to stall your metabolism and you will just start storing fat despite your efforts. I also recommend doing a good strength/lifting program and the focal point of what should be a balanced fitness routine.
This is a pretty good read...
http://www.metaboliceffect.com/exercise-to-burn-belly-fat/0 -
don't worry about the scale, and may i suggest a full body workout, rather than one simply involving just your legs. If you want to lose weight, you have to have natural carbs, plenty of meat, plenty of fat, eat at a caloric deficit, and be active, if you want to, you can add me, i can take a look at your food diary and have a look and see if i can help?0
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im in the same boat. I have been working out since January and started at 258lbs. Im currently at 245 lbs. 13lbs in 3 months for me is very little.
I used to weigh 285 lbs and got to 235 in about 6 months. So I was used to losing about 10 lbs a month. And I havent been close to that. I am working out 5 days a week. Eating healthy.. I dont get it either.
1 Lb per week is good, safe weight loss. The more you lose, the slower it goes. You may want to consider a diet break to re-boot your metabolism as well. Over time, your body just adjusts to the calorie intake and will start to maintain even at your deficit of calories...the only thing you can do is cut more (never really an option for me) or re-boot your metabolism by taking a bit of a break. I'm on one right now to re-boot for my next cut. I'm eating at maintenance for the next 6-8 weeks or so. Big benefit to my lifting right now. I'll start cutting again probably in June.0 -
A woman, eating in a calorie surplus, and doing a large volume of weight training (3-4 days a week, progressive overload. Chalean extreme is not sufficient. We're talking more along the lines of heavy barbell training), who is still in the faster-gaining beginner stages might gain a half a pound of lean mass per month. One pound if everything, including genetics, lines up.
You don't have enough fat to gain muscle in a calorie deficit. (Obese individuals may gain muscle in a deficit in some cases.)
In your case, you are most likely to lose both lean and fat tissue in a deficit.0 -
You did not gain 3 pounds of muscle in 3 weeks, sorry. Your weight may fluctuate at first. Water weight can go easily, then if you start a new workout routine, your muscles may retain water, causing the scale to show a gain. This all usually evens out after a month or two.
I think this must be where it's at. First week, that 6 lbs dropped off like nothing, then back up. so must be just fluctuations at the beginning. I'll keep on truckin!0 -
don't worry about the scale, and may i suggest a full body workout, rather than one simply involving just your legs. If you want to lose weight, you have to have natural carbs, plenty of meat, plenty of fat, eat at a caloric deficit, and be active, if you want to, you can add me, i can take a look at your food diary and have a look and see if i can help?
haha, sorry, I should have mentioned I am doing more than that. Doing The Daily Hiit (hiit with weights, varied routines targeting different areas, cardio, or core,) along with targeted routines for abs, arms, and booty.
and i could show you my food diary, provided you don't get too disgusted by my cheat days!0 -
A woman, eating in a calorie surplus, and doing a large volume of weight training (3-4 days a week, progressive overload. Chalean extreme is not sufficient. We're talking more along the lines of heavy barbell training), who is still in the faster-gaining beginner stages might gain a half a pound of lean mass per month. One pound if everything, including genetics, lines up.
You don't have enough fat to gain muscle in a calorie deficit. (Obese individuals may gain muscle in a deficit in some cases.)
In your case, you are most likely to lose both lean and fat tissue in a deficit.
This is good info for me, thank you! Yes, I'm definitely not on a gain-diet.0 -
it's a complete myth that muscle weighs more than fat; a lb of muscle weighs the same as a lb of fat, simples
but it is denser, thus smaller so you will have lost inches; only you will know & the best measure is your clothes
sorry to say but the usual issue is not putting all you eat into the diary; not intentionally, but the best way to make sure is to weigh and measure absolutely everything, otherwise it's real easy to under estimate
good luck & keep at it :flowerforyou:0 -
sorry to say but the usual issue is not putting all you eat into the diary; not intentionally, but the best way to make sure is to weigh and measure absolutely everything, otherwise it's real easy to under estimate
Get a sewing tape measure and measure yourself once a week. Seeing numbers on the scale is nice, but seeing your jean size decrease is even nicer. Depending on your diet/sodium intake, you could be seeing water weight. MFP asks for waist, hips and neck I believe. Those are pretty good indicators. I also do my biceps/forearm/wrist/thighs and calves.0 -
im in the same boat. I have been working out since January and started at 258lbs. Im currently at 245 lbs. 13lbs in 3 months for me is very little.
I used to weigh 285 lbs and got to 235 in about 6 months. So I was used to losing about 10 lbs a month. And I havent been close to that. I am working out 5 days a week. Eating healthy.. I dont get it either.
Look at your caloric intake. If it is still too high, reduce. If it is too low, i.e. under 1400 calories a day, increase. It may sound like a logic violation but you do need to eat to lose weight.0 -
Thanks for that
JC0 -
Yes, good article, cwolfman13, thanks!0
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More likely water retention in your muscles. Drink plenty of water to help flush it through, and weighing the morning after a rest day will give you the most accurate representation of your actual weight.0
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You should be elated to be able to gain half a pound of muscle per week. And that's with regular weight training and a solid diet with the right amount of protein. So yes, you're probably kidding yourself. Sorry.
Be patient.... people need to stop with this, "I gained a pound back yesterday! OMG!!" because YOUR WEIGHT FLUCTUATES ALL THE TIME. Calm down, people.0 -
So I started April 1, goal 10 lbs, have been maintaining good net caloric intake, reg workouts. I lost 4 lbs, gained back 3 by last Saturday, and have been stuck there all week!
Physically, i note some changes, but not near what I want. I'm doing a squat challenge, and am noticing some muscle build. Don't be afraid to tell me - am I fooling myself by thinking part of the 'issue' may be some muscle gain?
How long does it take to build a pound of muscle, vs. burn a pound of fat (i heard 1 week per pound @3500 cal/lb)
Is it true you gain the muscle first, then lose the fat?
Getting discouraged....
Stats: 5'8"
SW: 139
GW: 128
CW: 137
BF: 26.6
I had this happen too. I weighed in Friday morning at 133 then Monday morning 138! I had my "cheat" day on Sunday evening and was hoping that it would only take a few days to get back to 133 but it's been a week and I'm still 136 range. Very discouraging.
I know your weight fluctuates everyday all day, but I had been steadily losing every week for 7 weeks...0 -
jourdanerin, frustrating, eh? I wouldn't have been concerned if it were just for a day or two, but it's been 7 days, and inching higher.
Think where I went wrong was counting my initial loss as real loss but was likely just water loss:(
ah well, we'll keep at it and we're bound to get over this hurdle!0 -
So I started April 1
Getting discouraged....
First, don't get discouraged! One thing I had to come to grips with is, I didn't get out of shape in a few months, I certainly wasn't going to back in shape that quick. Really, 3 weeks is a short time frame to track results. Stick with what you are doing for a few months and then check in.
And weight fluctuates greatly. I weighed-in this morning and technically I was up almost 2 pounds. However, after working out this afternoon I weighed-in at work for a fitness challenge and I am down over 3 pounds there. Go figure.
KEPP AT IT! Track honestly and everything. Exercise regularly, You will see reuslts over time.
All the best!0 -
More likely water retention in your muscles. Drink plenty of water to help flush it through, and weighing the morning after a rest day will give you the most accurate representation of your actual weight.
Would bet money on this being the issue.
OP, read this: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html0 -
Scooby's workshop has a nice muscle mass grown predictor tool. Even under ideal conditions of diet and working out most people will not gain much more that 10 to 12 pounds of muscle per YEAR. Unless you have the perfect storm of genetics, nutrition, and working out and are a male you might be able to see significantly larger gains but unlikely that those 3 pounds are muscle.0
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The 3500cal= 1lb is correct. As for muscle gain it can vary from person to person. When I first enlisted I weighed 130 at the end of basic I weighed 160 at 8% body fat. I stayed at 160 for the past couple years and in january of this year decided I wanted to be a bit heavier. On Jan 3rd I weighed 160 at 15% body fat as of today I'm 180 and 13% body fat. Thats just my personal example. Granted I have to eat like a horse and train like all get out, but its worth it.0
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