How do I know if I am gaining muscle?

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mcgeevercaitlin
mcgeevercaitlin Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been working out 5-6 times a week for the last month and still haven't seen a change in weight, could I be gaining muscle? I feel good and my clothes fit good just having trouble losing the last 10-15. I am a little scale obsessed I think that doesn't help. Any tips?

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  • DanSanthomes
    DanSanthomes Posts: 135 Member
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    Tape measure - best £3 I've ever spent. If the scales move in the wrong direction, I check my measurements!

    Good luck - keep going!
  • JacobNicolaus
    JacobNicolaus Posts: 34 Member
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    An easy estimate would be to measure your body fat % - calipers and certain scales can do that. This should give you an estimate you can work against.

    Take a look at the following articles, to get acquainted with the term, and how to measure against it, I hope it helps:
    http://www.blogilates.com/blog/2011/05/12/5427378002/
    http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pictures-and-percentages
    https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/body-fat-percentage/
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    The most accurate way to find out would be to get a Bodpod or DEXA scan. But if you aren't losing, it's more likely that you're eating more than you think. Are you tracking your calories and logging/weighing your food?
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Unless you are doing progressive overload strength training, you're not gaining muscle. If you are maintaining your weight it's even less likely (to gain muscle you need to eat at a surplus, much like to build an extension on a house, you need extra bricks etc). There are exceptions, such as newbie gains or recomp. Recomp wouldn't be any appreciable gain in a month though.

    If you're not seeing a weight change, it's more likely to be an error in your food logging.

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