Muscles Weight More Than Fat ???

Muscles don't weigh more than fat, strictly speaking. A pound of feathers equals a pound of gold, equals a pound of hot dog relish, equals a pound of kittens... How much space a substance occupies is called "volume." Muscle tissue is more dense than adipose tissue (fat), so volumetrically speaking, muscle tissue occupies less space. Volume and weight are two different ways of measuring matter. Now, if you're talking about the same *volume* of two different substances, for example a bathtub full of bowling balls versus a bathtub full of packing peanuts, they have the both volume (they both occupy the space provided by a bathtub) but the bowling balls will be heavier, or have greater weight.

Let's say you lose five pounds of adipose tissue, but gain five pounds of muscle. The scale says you haven't changed your weight. However, your body now takes up slightly less space (your skinny jeans fit better) than before, because the muscle is more dense.

Did that help? I hope so. It seems to confuse a ton of people, and I hear this all the time.

So for us retarded people if you had a box that was 12x12x12 and you filled one box up with fat and you filled up the other box with muscle the muscle is going to weigh more.

muscle takes up less space than fat...not all gushy all over the place like fat. they both weigh the same...a pound of fat = a pound of muscle...it's about volume. some people just will never get it. that's why the scale is not the best indicator of true weight loss...want to lose that fat...keep the muscle.

So for us retarded people if you had a box that was 12x12x12 and you filled one box up with fat and you filled up the other box with muscle the muscle is going to weigh more.

PERFECT!

Muscle weighs more than fat BY VOLUME!

Yes, BY VOLUME, muscle will weigh more than fat ... but a pound of anything is the same IN WEIGHT as a pound of any thing else.

Ten pounds of fat weighs the exact same as ten pounds of muscle. A POUND is A POUND.

BY VOLUME a pound of fat will be larger than a pound of muscle (regardless of the vessel) .. but the statement "Muscle weighs more than fat" is misleading and confusing.

Does anyone actually think that a pound of anything weighs more than a pound of anything else? I mean, really. It's a POUND.

Muscle weighs more than fat -- BY VOLUME!

You have not discovered anything new but an old, absurd argument from the unlearned.
Muscle is more dense, so BY VOLUME it weighs more.

Fat takes up more VOLUME, because it is less dense.



A gallon of muscle weighs more than a gallon of fat.

Get it now?

Volume and weight are two different measurement, though. This could really confuse people more than help, if you ask me... Yes, BY VOLUME, muscle will weigh more than fat ... but a pound of anything is the same IN WEIGHT as a pound of any thing else.

Ten pounds of fat weighs the exact same as ten pounds of muscle. A POUND is A POUND.

BY VOLUME a pound of fat will be larger than a pound of muscle (regardless of the vessel) .. but the statement "Muscle weighs more than fat" is misleading and confusing.

I don't see why it is confusing - if someone says Feathers are lighter than steel, you'd know what they meant, so why don't people get it with muscle and fat?

As far as I can see, nobody has said a lb of muscle weighs more than a lb of fat.

If it wasn't confusing to people, we wouldn't constantly have threads about it.

Ok...i googled it and OMG ive lost 2 of those 5lb lumps of fat, whilst im so pleased with the loss,im also a wee bit grossed out by it too

Hey everybody,

I have to weigh in here (yes, I said that.)

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Consequently, there are three possible ways to respond to an OP like this. And only two of them are acceptable under the guidelines ( http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines ).

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Steven
MyFitnessPal Staff

Clearly, when people use the statement "Muscle Weighs More than Fat", they are referring to the fact that if someone

1. Loses body fat
2. Builds builds
3. Stays the same size

They would have increased their weight.

While it is a statement that is open to misinterpretation, nobody on here to my knowledge has ever used the statement "Muscle Weighs More than Fat" in the context of hacking off part of their body and weighing it in pounds to use as a comparison, so please can we lose the 1lb = 1lb analogy because it's irrelevant and confusing to those who don't understand the apparently too complex idea of density and mass.

In fact, before posting that a topic has been raised 1000 times, respondents should take a breath and close the window.

Regards,
Steven
MyFitnessPal Staff

I'm not arguing with that - but seriously, if the same questions are being asked again and again and again, it clearly demonstrates that this site needs an official FAQ to assist new members.

Some of them are answered here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help But I only happened to stumble upon that a few days ago.