Building muscle but not losing weight or size

If you want to burn fat then you need to tighten up your logging

We are saying it is some muscle (perhaps). Not all. Creating a pound of muscle takes a lot of work let alone 4 lbs. Do not get overzealous. Make sure to be in a deficit and you will lose fat.

Muscleflex79 wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

Muscleflex79 wrote: »

karajhol wrote: »

Hi! So I've been exercising and watching my intake, but I've gained several lbs and apparently it's muscle. That's fine, but I want to get rid of my flab. I'm attaching 2 photos of the analysis from my gym. In case they are out of order, the one where I'm coded in yellow (acceptable fat percentage) is from May 11. The photo where I'm coded green (fitness level fat percentage) is from today. I was on the border last month and on the other side of the border this month.

I want to burn fat. More cardio? Fewer carbs?

You (especially women) do not accidentally put on pounds of muscle without trying and especially not in one month. Were you eating at a calorie surplus while on a progressive lifting plan?? Even so, pounds of muscle in a month would not happen without some serious performance enhancing drugs. Were you taking those?

As others said, those machines are wildly inaccurate. If you want to lose fat you need to eat at a deficit (and not worry about what that machine is telling you).

its said that under the right conditions a woman gain about a 1/4 a lb a week. but it has to be under the right conditions and thats aside from the small amount of newbie gains. but if in a deficit those gains are going to be even lower unless maybe doing a recomp and that Im sure will be smaller than in a surplus of calories

yup, exactly this! I've read it is between .5 and 1 lb per month and like you said - under ideal conditions (which not everyone knows or follows). Definitely not pounds and pounds per month like a lot of posters believe (or hope!)

Its because lots of sites and info out there says oh eat enough protein lift weights and you gain muscle and lose fat. They dont realize the work it takes to build it. and the older you are the harder it can be.its also hard to gain if you dont have a lot of fat either. the leaner you are the harder and slower it will be.I know I gained some over the last few years but I dont think its a very high number. I dont have anywhere that does dexascans or anything like that(small town).I will guess maybe 3-4 lbs in the last few years(been lifting almost 5 years). I also slacked off on lifting due to an injury so could have lost some.

"lean mass" isn't just muscle...it's also water. Putting on 4 Lbs of actual muscle mass is a difficult task...You'd be lucky to gain 1 Lb of muscle in a months time under ideal conditions which would include a small surplus of calories and a kick *kitten* program.

jemhh wrote: »

OP, I just looked at your photos. Lean mass is not 100% muscle. If we were only muscle and fat we would be amorphous blobs. Lean mass is everything except fat--muscle, bone, blood, water, organs, tendons, etc. Drink 16 oz of water and your lean mass will increase by 1 lb.

My favorite magic trick!!!