Please explain how...

live2smyle
live2smyle Posts: 592 Member
edited September 23 in Fitness and Exercise
Muscle weighs more than fat. I mean 1lb of something is the same as 1lb of something else hence a Ton of feathers is the same weight as a Ton of bricks. I keep seeing muscle weighs more and dont get it. I understand muscle is smaller than fat and thats why you lose inches. Thanks alot, I need this because tommorow is my "weigh" in day and I have eaten all week under calorie goal trying my best to reach calorie goal and I dont think that scale is going to budge an inch. It feels like I gained weight...not sure how thats possible :/ I seriously dont even want to eat today because I dont want that scale to disapoint me tommorow :/ Life long habits of starving yourself to lose a bit of weight is going to take awhile to change, I am working on it one day at a time.

Replies

  • gdunn55
    gdunn55 Posts: 363
    It's all about mass and how it sticks to your body.

    True a pound of muscle is equal to a pound of fat, however on the body, the space a pound of muscle occupies is smaller than the space a pound of fat occupies.

    Imagine a ton of feathers.. Now imagine a ton of bricks. Same principle.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    They weigh the same, it's the space not the weight. People who say muscle weighs more than fat obviously didn't pass grade 1 math ;)
  • amie1004
    amie1004 Posts: 65 Member
    Muscle takes up less space than fat....so 1 pound of fat will look "bigger" than 1 pound of muscle on someone.....the feather/brick example is perfect.
  • Beth720
    Beth720 Posts: 661 Member
    Muscle is more dense than fat. So in the same amount of space in your body, you've got the capacity for more muscle than fat, thus making you weigh more.
  • velix
    velix Posts: 437 Member
    a pound is a pound is a pound. However, muscle is leaner, denser than fat, therefore taking up less space (making you look leaner) but less space does not mean less weight - so while working out, and losing fat and gaining muscle you will look leaner but may weigh heavier because you can put more muscle in the space that fat occupied.... if you know what I mean. ...

    like verticalchaos said =)
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
    Hope this helps: It's about density:

    716078_6195.jpg
  • ashlee954
    ashlee954 Posts: 1,112 Member
    Muscle is more dense but takes up less space. This is why a thin fit 5'7" woman can weigh the same as a chubby unfit 5'7" woman.
  • JustJessie
    JustJessie Posts: 162 Member
    Well basically I was working out with a trainer and I only lost about 5 pounds but my muscle increased and my fat decreased so I went down in pant size. My clothes were fitting so much better than if I had just lost the 5 pounds of fat without gaining at muscle. The muffin top almost disappeared completely!
  • gdunn55
    gdunn55 Posts: 363
    Hope this helps: It's about densitry:

    716078_6195.jpg

    That's better than what I was trying to explain. Thanks.
  • jjkissinger
    jjkissinger Posts: 7
    You've got to have faith, if you are meeting your calorie goals then the scale won't lie.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    Thank you for this post! That is one of my biggest pet peeves on here. Seeing people tell other people that have only been working out for a couple weeks that "oh you must be gaining muscle which weighs more than fat" Wrong. It takes quite a bit of hard work to gain enough muscle to make a difference on the scale but at the same time you're losing fat so it essentially equals out unless you're lucky enough to not need to lose fat and want to gain weight through muscle, wouldn't that be a tough situation to be in?!! lol Sorry to go off on a rant but gosh that statement irks me!! The only explanation I have is muscle is denser than fat so a smaller "chunk" of muscle weighs the same as a bigger "chunk" of fat. As you gain the muscle and lose the fat the muscle takes less space making you sleeker plus you're removing the fat which is what makes you "bulky" muscle does not make you bulky, fat does.
  • ouryear002
    ouryear002 Posts: 325 Member
    Equal volumes weigh different amounts. One cubic inch of muscle weighs more than 1 cubic inch of fat. So if you are losing inches but not pounds, muscle mass may be increasing while fat is decreasing.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    The others have pretty much covered the density thing. My thought on it is to just be grateful that we're stuffing pounds of fat and/or muscle in our pants instead of pounds of feathers. I'd hate to even think how big those pants would have to be! :laugh:

    As for your weigh in tomorrow, don't focus on the scale, focus on your inches. Remember what it takes to burn fat and build muscle. In order to build muscle, all you have to do is overload that muscle more then it is use to being worked. That overload will cause physiologic changes that tell it to store more glycogen to fuel the activities you are doing and to start the process of building size in the actin and myocin. In order to burn fat, however, you have to be burning calories while there is adequate oxygen and pyruvate available at the cellular level to be able to breakdown fat for fuel. That is a lot harder then overloading the muscle, so it is very possible to build up the muscle (mostly glycogen storage) faster then you burn fat, which will show a gain on the scale, or at the same rate, which will show no loss on the scale. The measurements, however, will tell you what you've actually done because the muscle and glycogen stored in water in the muscle will take up less space then the same amount or more fat.
  • live2smyle
    live2smyle Posts: 592 Member
    Hope this helps: It's about densitry:

    716078_6195.jpg
    I get it THANKS! But here is the big question you see that fat??? Is my muscle on my thighs going to get as big as my thighs are now???? Praying you say no cause if you dont I am making an appointment with a plastic surgeon today for some lipo lmao :noway:
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
    I get it THANKS! But here is the big question you see that fat??? Is my muscle on my thighs going to get as big as my thighs are now???? Praying you say no cause if you dont I am making an appointment with a plastic surgeon today for some lipo lmao :noway:

    No not under 'normal' conditioning circumstances.
  • MobiusMan
    MobiusMan Posts: 385 Member
    Thank you for this post! That is one of my biggest pet peeves on here. Seeing people tell other people that have only been working out for a couple weeks that "oh you must be gaining muscle which weighs more than fat" Wrong. It takes quite a bit of hard work to gain enough muscle to make a difference on the scale but at the same time you're losing fat so it essentially equals out unless you're lucky enough to not need to lose fat and want to gain weight through muscle, wouldn't that be a tough situation to be in?!! lol Sorry to go off on a rant but gosh that statement irks me!! The only explanation I have is muscle is denser than fat so a smaller "chunk" of muscle weighs the same as a bigger "chunk" of fat. As you gain the muscle and lose the fat the muscle takes less space making you sleeker plus you're removing the fat which is what makes you "bulky" muscle does not make you bulky, fat does.
    You are almost correct...Some of us are built in a manner that allows us to gain muscle very quickly and due to these structural components the muscle visually appears very quickly. I am short in stature with very short arms and legs that muscle up quickly
  • gdunn55
    gdunn55 Posts: 363
    Hope this helps: It's about densitry:

    716078_6195.jpg
    I get it THANKS! But here is the big question you see that fat??? Is my muscle on my thighs going to get as big as my thighs are now???? Praying you say no cause if you dont I am making an appointment with a plastic surgeon today for some lipo lmao :noway:

    If they do, we gonna put you in a World's Strongest Man Competition.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Yep, pound vs pound thing covered. But I wanted to share this thread about "fearing the scale"... It helped me.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/160943-why-the-scale-lies
  • gillleeman
    gillleeman Posts: 397 Member
    This has really helped me today, thank you for sharing that TrainingTony. I was so ready to stop the weights because of the scale reading (because in my head it tells me you're getting bigger girl!) but after reading that I will persevere. Tell me does the scales ever start moving down again, or is this it now. I've 27% bodyfat.
  • prencesskl
    prencesskl Posts: 123
    The lb of fat takes up almost double the room the lb of muscle takes up, so you may gain weight by adding muscle in place of fat, but you will lose inches, that's why when you stall you need to have your measurements so you can see the difference. Also the more muscle you have the more fat you burn : )
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    There is actually a genetic limit to muscle size. It can only get so big before it doesn't have the storage space for glycogen and water or the ability for actin and myosin to get larger. The only way to change that is steroids, which I doubt you are using. :wink: The quality of the muscle growth is also inhibited by steroids to allow them to get bigger but not actually gain strength. So, short answer, no, the muscle on your thighs probably won't get as big as the fat that is currently there unless you are genetically gifted to be able to build larger muscles.

    As for the scale, yes, it will eventually start going down too. Adding that muscle mass burns more calories, so at rest you will be burning more fat (because you primarily burn fat for fuel while at rest) then you were with less muscle mass. It takes time, though, so don't get discouraged. But eventually, the fat will burn off faster then you are building muscle or storing muscle glycogen because of those genetic limits and the added metabolism from the added muscle.

    As for the person who said it is hard to build muscle, yes it is. But muscle glycogen stores in the muscle are increased by as little as one heavy weight workout. Muscle glycogen and the water it is stored in, read as lean tissue in a body composition analysis, so a lot of trainers call it added muscle mass. Technically, it is stored in the muscle so it is increasing the mass of the muscle, but not the actual muscle fiber size. Actual muscle fiber size increases take several weeks of consistent training.
  • live2smyle
    live2smyle Posts: 592 Member
    Yep, pound vs pound thing covered. But I wanted to share this thread about "fearing the scale"... It helped me.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/160943-why-the-scale-lies
    Awesome Article Thank You :flowerforyou:
  • live2smyle
    live2smyle Posts: 592 Member
    Thank you everyone so much for the help :flowerforyou: I am seriously considering throwing this scale away. I dont need this kind of pressure in my life :) I am actually wigging out a bit about weighing myself. I am doing this to lose weight yes but I also want to learn how to eat right. Lower my salt intake to hopefully lower my blood pressure, get my cholesterol in check etc.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    Thank you for this post! That is one of my biggest pet peeves on here. Seeing people tell other people that have only been working out for a couple weeks that "oh you must be gaining muscle which weighs more than fat" Wrong. It takes quite a bit of hard work to gain enough muscle to make a difference on the scale but at the same time you're losing fat so it essentially equals out unless you're lucky enough to not need to lose fat and want to gain weight through muscle, wouldn't that be a tough situation to be in?!! lol Sorry to go off on a rant but gosh that statement irks me!! The only explanation I have is muscle is denser than fat so a smaller "chunk" of muscle weighs the same as a bigger "chunk" of fat. As you gain the muscle and lose the fat the muscle takes less space making you sleeker plus you're removing the fat which is what makes you "bulky" muscle does not make you bulky, fat does.
    You are almost correct...Some of us are built in a manner that allows us to gain muscle very quickly and due to these structural components the muscle visually appears very quickly. I am short in stature with very short arms and legs that muscle up quickly

    Good point. I stand corrected. :)
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    As for the person who said it is hard to build muscle, yes it is. But muscle glycogen stores in the muscle are increased by as little as one heavy weight workout. Muscle glycogen and the water it is stored in, read as lean tissue in a body composition analysis, so a lot of trainers call it added muscle mass. Technically, it is stored in the muscle so it is increasing the mass of the muscle, but not the actual muscle fiber size. Actual muscle fiber size increases take several weeks of consistent training.
    [/quote]

    Thanks, yes that makes sense and I knew this, just didn't word it correctly I guess ;)
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