Another MFP member inspired me to post this....

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polar5554
polar5554 Posts: 576 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
For those of you who are confused about the topic of "muscle weighing MORE than fat"....

Muscle Does Not Weigh More Than Fat (five pounds is five pounds), but it is Much Nicer to Look at

fat.jpg

As you can see, the 5 lbs. of fat is much bulkier than the 5 lbs. of muscle, but five pounds is still five pounds. Muscle does not weigh more than fat.

Fat is bulky and lumpy so if you carry an extra five pounds of fat, you'll be lumpier than with five pounds more muscle. A five pound pile of fat will take up more space (volume) than a five pound pile of muscle; but five pounds is still five pounds, so for those of you that don't "get" English, you cannot say one thing weighing a certain weight weighs more than another thing at that same weight. It's a common joke to play on an 8-year old. The correct way to state the muscle weighs more than fat scenario is, "Muscle is heavier by volume than fat."

A woman weighing 150 pounds with 19% fat will look much smaller (and be much healthier) than a woman at 150 pounds with 35% fat. They weigh the same, yet the composition is different. Because muscle is more dense than fat the person with less fat and more muscle will look smaller.

Stop being so obsessed with body weight and start paying attention to body composition. How much body fat do you have compared to muscle? Simply seeing how much you weigh isn't very helpful.
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Replies

  • tinareet
    tinareet Posts: 126
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    LIKE!!! lol
  • corrinnebrown
    corrinnebrown Posts: 345 Member
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    yes I agree! MEASURE too!
  • Naomi91
    Naomi91 Posts: 892 Member
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    *flex* :]
  • Angela4Health
    Angela4Health Posts: 1,319 Member
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    LOL I'm so glad you posted this! I know so many people honestly still believe that muscle weighs more than fat.
  • Teebowen
    Teebowen Posts: 78 Member
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    awesome post!!!!!!
  • Shannon7713
    Shannon7713 Posts: 76 Member
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    Love this post :)
  • SarahJaneDeschamp
    SarahJaneDeschamp Posts: 359 Member
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    what great way to look at it, thanks for that :)
  • ysamatar
    ysamatar Posts: 484 Member
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    Like it.
  • Naomi91
    Naomi91 Posts: 892 Member
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    i think when people say "muscle weighs more than fat" they mean it is more dense right? I means its like saying bricks weigh more than feathers.... but if you have a pound of both they are equal. I dunno just a thought :] i think they mean well! Just a common phrase :]

    althought ill admit it gets on my nerves a bit xD
  • 44isthenew29
    44isthenew29 Posts: 141
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    Great insight and terrific explanation. I hadn't looked at it that way but it makes perfect sense. Thanks for sharing.
  • elena99
    elena99 Posts: 14 Member
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    Muscle most definitely weighs more than fat - 1 cup of muscle weighs more then 1 cup of fat just like 1 cup of feathers weighs more then 1 cup of rocks. What your picture represents - is the volume difference, not the weight difference.
  • yazminetw
    yazminetw Posts: 85 Member
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    Thanks for posting this. I recently purchased a scale that measures body fat.
  • cmsdives
    cmsdives Posts: 71
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    :noway: WOW!! THANK YOU!! I am printing out that picture and putting it on my refridgerator as well as my stationary bike for inspiration & motivation!!! :flowerforyou:
  • mikeylikesit1177
    mikeylikesit1177 Posts: 79
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    BUMP!!! <
    First time ever bumping
  • feliciapeters
    feliciapeters Posts: 525
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    There is an old "brain twister" type of puzzle
    "which weights more, a ton of rocks or a ton of feathers"

    the answer is simple. a ton is a ton, theres just alot MORE feathers than rocks

    Kinda the same theory
  • bethany41h
    bethany41h Posts: 218
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    Thanks for sharing!
  • bobbijo72
    bobbijo72 Posts: 63
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    ugh.. still lookin for the "Like" button


    LIKE LIKE LIKE!! awesome.. great adding in the picture.. ! thanks.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    LOL I'm so glad you posted this! I know so many people honestly still believe that muscle weighs more than fat.

    muscle by volume does weigh more, and that is what people mean when they say that muscle weighs more than fat. 1 cubic foot of muscle weighs much more than a cubic foot of fat. Muscle is more dense which is why it weighs more.

    Saying muscle and fat weight the same is like saying chocolate and carrots have the same amount of calories, because 100 calories of carrots = 100 calories of chocolate. But like muscle to fat, chocolate is more calorie dense. It is the higher density that makes something weigh more, on a volume basis.
  • katdon88
    katdon88 Posts: 39 Member
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    Thanks for sharing!
  • JPod279
    JPod279 Posts: 722 Member
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    Kind of like when they say when a man shaves his chest it helps define his muscles. Yeah, it also helps define your fat. :bigsmile:

    It would be proper to say muscle is more dense than fat. Think of taking a nice bite of steak (meat) versus a bite of steak fat.

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