Muscle weighs more than fat.

RachVR6
RachVR6 Posts: 3,688 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
You hear this being said a lot here on MFP and I just thought I'd post this article to clarify for folks...

http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com/muscle-to-fat.html

fat-v-muscle.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."

:flowerforyou:
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Replies

  • RachVR6
    RachVR6 Posts: 3,688 Member
    You hear this being said a lot here on MFP and I just thought I'd post this article to clarify for folks...

    http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com/muscle-to-fat.html

    fat-v-muscle.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."

    :flowerforyou:
  • emibmas
    emibmas Posts: 1,058 Member
    AMEN!:flowerforyou:
  • Poison5119
    Poison5119 Posts: 1,460 Member
    Thank you, AGAIN, for posting that. To say muscle weighs more than fat is a play on words. It weighs the SAME, except that it takes up less space, so muscle mass, and strength training is mucho importante!!

    Thanks! j
  • jessmomof3
    jessmomof3 Posts: 4,590 Member
    Thank you!! It drives me nuts when people say that! I'll take my muscle over fat any day! :bigsmile:
  • whitlocd
    whitlocd Posts: 1
    My mom always told me this growing up, she also used to say I was big boned! Thanks mom!

    If anyone watched biggest loser last night, Jillian also dispelled the myth that muscle weighs more than fat. Thanks for posting this article!!!!
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    Exxxxaccerrrryyyyy!!!!!!:flowerforyou:
  • chrispchef1
    chrispchef1 Posts: 67
    great post - and visual - thanks

    "inches" are the new "pounds" in my book! :drinker:
  • BEFORE
    BEFORE Posts: 1,291 Member
    AMEN!:flowerforyou:

    :love: :love:
  • pdxmomof2
    pdxmomof2 Posts: 643
    :drinker:
  • smontoya1
    smontoya1 Posts: 39
    I watched the Biggest Loser last night. When I heard Jillian say that "muscle weighs more than fat" is just another excuse on why the scale doesn't drop...I was suprised...she's right, that is what all the trainers usually say when you haven't lost any weight!

    I know it's nutrition and cardio, along with strength training...hard stuff but totally worth it!
  • chipper15173
    chipper15173 Posts: 3,981 Member
    agree
  • yellow_pepper
    yellow_pepper Posts: 708 Member
    Obviously, a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat. The point is that a cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a a cubic inch of fat. So a size 4 woman could weigh 115 if she has lower muscle mass or 135 if she has higher muscle mass.

    My understanding is that most weight loss is a combination of fat and muscle. What really happens when you do strength-training as you lose weight is that your body will preserve more muscle in net than it would if you just cut calories. But if you cut calories (i.e. impose a net deficit), you should lose weight, whether or not you do strength-training. It's very hard to gain muscle mass in net (i.e. build more than you burn) when you're on a calorie deficit.
  • Jennnnnnnny
    Jennnnnnnny Posts: 373 Member
    wow. that was very educational!! thanks for posting that!!
  • 1Corinthians13
    1Corinthians13 Posts: 5,296 Member
    I just have to say I never thought about it. I mean, I knew what was MEANT when someone said muscle weighs more than fat....but I never thought about the fact that they were wrong! haha
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    LOL, its funny that this conversation is happening again.

    We all had this EXACT same post like 8 or 9 months ago. Even the same picture. Who else remembers?
  • AmandaJ
    AmandaJ Posts: 1,950 Member
    I had to laugh when I heard Jillian give her little talk on fat and muscle.

    Thank you for posting this!
  • Thamber
    Thamber Posts: 194
    Well I would't remember it since Ive only been here slightly over a month and I bet lots of other people are new. I think this is a very good visual for everyone. Thanks for taking the time to post it.
  • joonieB
    joonieB Posts: 101
    Of course that is correct.....however. For me it is simply a short cut to say "muscle weighs more than fat". What I, and anyone over 8, means is that muscle takes up less room that fat, that it is more dense and more attractive--less lumpy.

    (I just had a similiar discussion the other day with my 7 year old twins about the increasing amounts of daylight in a day after the first day of winter in December. It is common to hear people say the first day of summer in June is the longest day of the year. Of course we all know a day is 24 hours and what we really mean is the sun is up the longest on that day!)

    I think this type of argument, while true, can be a bit nit-picky. Let's not assume that because someone says something like, say, "PIN number" that they don't know what they are talking about. Most people just want to get their point across and aren't worried about semantics.

    It's no fun to be new in town and feel stupid just because we haven't figured out the lingo of the "locals" yet. Remember, we all were new once!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Check it out.

    I did a quick search, and there it was.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10273-muscle-does-not-weigh-more-than-fat



    Amazing how everyone has similar thought processes in this, isn't it? I thing it's pretty cool. The people may change, but we all start out with the same problems. :happy:
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    wow great visual!! I'm new too so I never saw the post that Banks was referring to.

    I too am a stickler for inaccurate language, (English teacher)

    they should say, "muscle is denser than fat"

    or "the same volume of muscle will weigh more than the same volume of fat"
  • RachVR6
    RachVR6 Posts: 3,688 Member
    Check it out.

    I did a quick search, and there it was.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10273-muscle-does-not-weigh-more-than-fat



    Amazing how everyone has similar thought processes in this, isn't it? I thing it's pretty cool. The people may change, but we all start out with the same problems. :happy:

    I knew there were plenty of people here that knew all this, but I keep seeing little comments about it in different threads. So for the sake of knowledge I thought I'd reiterate. :wink:
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Check it out.

    I did a quick search, and there it was.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10273-muscle-does-not-weigh-more-than-fat



    Amazing how everyone has similar thought processes in this, isn't it? I thing it's pretty cool. The people may change, but we all start out with the same problems. :happy:

    I knew there were plenty of people here that knew all this, but I keep seeing little comments about it in different threads. So for the sake of knowledge I thought I'd reiterate. :wink:

    Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining Rach, just thought it was funny in a scientific observation of human nature sort of way. I.E. no matter how many people "walk in the door" of MFP, all of us start out with similar ideas and concepts.
  • RachVR6
    RachVR6 Posts: 3,688 Member
    Check it out.

    I did a quick search, and there it was.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10273-muscle-does-not-weigh-more-than-fat



    Amazing how everyone has similar thought processes in this, isn't it? I thing it's pretty cool. The people may change, but we all start out with the same problems. :happy:

    I knew there were plenty of people here that knew all this, but I keep seeing little comments about it in different threads. So for the sake of knowledge I thought I'd reiterate. :wink:

    Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining Rach, just thought it was funny in a scientific observation of human nature sort of way. I.E. no matter how many people "walk in the door" of MFP, all of us start out with similar ideas and concepts.

    Oh, I know you're not complaining. I gotcha! :flowerforyou:
  • emibmas
    emibmas Posts: 1,058 Member
    Check it out.

    I did a quick search, and there it was.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10273-muscle-does-not-weigh-more-than-fat



    Amazing how everyone has similar thought processes in this, isn't it? I thing it's pretty cool. The people may change, but we all start out with the same problems. :happy:

    I knew there were plenty of people here that knew all this, but I keep seeing little comments about it in different threads. So for the sake of knowledge I thought I'd reiterate. :wink:

    Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining Rach, just thought it was funny in a scientific observation of human nature sort of way. I.E. no matter how many people "walk in the door" of MFP, all of us start out with similar ideas and concepts.

    you're even cuter when you say things like "I.E." :flowerforyou: :smooched:
  • Mangoaddict
    Mangoaddict Posts: 1,236 Member
    You are correct! Thanks for that visual picture.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Check it out.

    I did a quick search, and there it was.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10273-muscle-does-not-weigh-more-than-fat



    Amazing how everyone has similar thought processes in this, isn't it? I thing it's pretty cool. The people may change, but we all start out with the same problems. :happy:

    I knew there were plenty of people here that knew all this, but I keep seeing little comments about it in different threads. So for the sake of knowledge I thought I'd reiterate. :wink:

    Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining Rach, just thought it was funny in a scientific observation of human nature sort of way. I.E. no matter how many people "walk in the door" of MFP, all of us start out with similar ideas and concepts.

    you're even cuter when you say things like "I.E." :flowerforyou: :smooched:

    Now my day is complete. :tongue:
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    Thank you! Finally someone I can agree with :laugh: :wink:
  • PolarQueen
    PolarQueen Posts: 73
    Okay I got one. I was doing good with the diet right. Losing weight. I would add a workout tape in every once in a while right. Still losing. Then I got a free week at the local gym and bam I gained like 3 lbs. I was burning more calories and eating most of them. For like the first 5 days the scale didn't budge. So
    I am thinking It is water retention in my body. Is that about right?
    Can't afford a gym membership so gonna still do it at home. But loved the Elliptical.
    Just wanting to see if my theory is right.
    Drink water water water.
  • briblue72
    briblue72 Posts: 672 Member
    Okay I got one. I was doing good with the diet right. Losing weight. I would add a workout tape in every once in a while right. Still losing. Then I got a free week at the local gym and bam I gained like 3 lbs. I was burning more calories and eating most of them. For like the first 5 days the scale didn't budge. So
    I am thinking It is water retention in my body. Is that about right?
    Can't afford a gym membership so gonna still do it at home. But loved the Elliptical.
    Just wanting to see if my theory is right.
    Drink water water water.

    sometimes a change to food or workout routines can shock your body. It could have taken more than 5 days for your body to realize you were working out harder, it just realized you were eating a few hundred more calories and hung onto them for dear life!

    I've been at this for a year, and if I've learned anything, it's to be patient! I didn't gain 60 lbs in one week or one month, so I can't expect to lose them that way, either!
  • PolarQueen
    PolarQueen Posts: 73
    Thanks that makes since. I just didn't know if I was doing something wrong. Like enjoying the extra calories. lol
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