Muscle does not weigh more then fat.

cowgirlzride
cowgirlzride Posts: 82
edited November 10 in Introduce Yourself
Hello, great job to us all and so happy to see such progress in everyone I am amazed. I wanted to point out something that I see many people confused by. A pound is a pound is a pound. A pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of lead. What is different is density. A pound of lead takes up much less room then a pound of feathers. Same for muscle. A pound of muscle will look much better on us taking up less space (or room in our clothes, or under our chins) then a pound of fat does. I hope this helps some who may be stuck with this myth we all grew up hearing. Happy health and fitness to all.

Replies

  • megggsss
    megggsss Posts: 72 Member
    Excellent way to word things!!!

    Thank you for this!
  • sarahgilmore
    sarahgilmore Posts: 572 Member
    water - it's wet
  • natashamcn
    natashamcn Posts: 145 Member
    Since we're stating obvious things here...this doesn't belong on the introduce yourself boards :)
  • cowgirlzride
    cowgirlzride Posts: 82
    WoW~ I am sad for you. This does however link to a women who posted the muscle weighs more theroy. My screen switched and I felt to start a new message on the board she, as well as the others with the same confusion would see it was the best way to go. SInce we are all here for support I felt that was the best option. Have a fantasic positve happy day.
  • LemonSnap
    LemonSnap Posts: 186 Member
    LOL

    Welcome cowgirlzride. Nice to have you here.

    Del
  • ElementalEscapee
    ElementalEscapee Posts: 552 Member
    o.o uh huh....
  • weightofyourskin
    weightofyourskin Posts: 173
    WoW~ I am sad for you. This does however link to a women who posted the muscle weighs more theroy. My screen switched and I felt to start a new message on the board she, as well as the others with the same confusion would see it was the best way to go. SInce we are all here for support I felt that was the best option. Have a fantasic positve happy day.

    We need your passive-aggressive fake positivity even less than we need yet another rehashing of the muscle versus fat explanation. Since this doesn't belong in this part of the forum you should just delete this instead of getting all high and mighty about posting in the wrong place.
  • gertudejekyl
    gertudejekyl Posts: 386 Member
    I like these spicy verbal exchanges !
  • Micheller1210
    Micheller1210 Posts: 460 Member
    Hello, great job to us all and so happy to see such progress in everyone I am amazed. I wanted to point out something that I see many people confused by. A pound is a pound is a pound. A pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of lead. What is different is density. A pound of lead takes up much less room then a pound of feathers. Same for muscle. A pound of muscle will look much better on us taking up less space (or room in our clothes, or under our chins) then a pound of fat does. I hope this helps some who may be stuck with this myth we all grew up hearing. Happy health and fitness to all.

    What myth would that be? A lb has always been a lb.
  • rlwart
    rlwart Posts: 47 Member
    Greetings, my name is Lauren and I am here to introduce myself with this thought: When a person says "muscle weighs more than fat" are they really stating that a specific pound of muscle weighs more than a specific pound of fat?

    Or is it more like, the thigh in my leg which is solid muscle+bone+skin, for sure weighs more than if that same thigh was solid fat+bone+skin?

    In general, when I see that phrase, I think of it in terms of density and inches. I agree with the phrase but I do not think of the phrase in terms of a pound vs a pound. (feathers, mustard, monkey brains - everybody knows that.)

    Weight trainers may speak of "She lost some fat but she gained muscle so she broke even or even gained, even though she looks smaller." and I can almost guarantee that anyone who has ever questioned their BMI on the chart knows for a fact they are less flabby and more dense than a less muscular person of the same height/weight ratio.

    Yup.
  • mideon_696
    mideon_696 Posts: 770 Member
    No-one is saying that a pound of muscle is heavier, lol.

    What its saying is that per volume muscle is heavier. Its more dense.
    So if you take a bucket, and fill it with muscle, and take another bucket of equal volume and fill it with fat, the bucket with the mucle will weigh quite a bit more.
  • LemonSnap
    LemonSnap Posts: 186 Member
    This morning I was talking with my 23yo daughter. I love her to death. I now live, vicariously, through her.
    I thought she was a pain in the bum when she was a teenager. She used to speak to me the way you young women have responded to the OP - who, by the way, is not trying to tell you how to 'suck eggs', she's 'imparting knowledge', If you already know the stuff, pass over it. If you don't, live harmoniously and learn.

    Here's something to consider. When I was your age I had never, ever, had to diet. But look at me now. Isn't there something to be learnt from those of us who, in later life, are experiencing body changes that we hadn't expected to happen?

    Crikey, if you lot are only in your 20s and fat how hard might it be for you when you are 50?

    OK, yes, I'm telling you are acting like bratty teenagers.
  • natashamcn
    natashamcn Posts: 145 Member
    Who are you sad for and why?
  • andrejjorje
    andrejjorje Posts: 497 Member
    Ohooooo. Arrows and lightnings and lasers fly around me.:tongue:
  • duharvalgt
    duharvalgt Posts: 319 Member
    The density is different is different per molar/gram litre, roughly 15 percent I believe (muscle ~1.07kgl and fat~0.93kgl)
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    356c1k.jpg
  • sarahgilmore
    sarahgilmore Posts: 572 Member


    Crikey, if you lot are only in your 20s and fat how hard might it be for you when you are 50?


    Pretty good I figure, we'll know what we're doing.
  • Scott613
    Scott613 Posts: 2,317 Member
    Sooo no means yes....got it thanks:flowerforyou:
  • eschwab855
    eschwab855 Posts: 258 Member
    lol gotta bump this
  • trubri26
    trubri26 Posts: 1
    Well said. My thoughts exactly!
  • miltonduck
    miltonduck Posts: 6
    get over youtselves everyone - this is a place for support, not *****ing.
  • carlie_carl
    carlie_carl Posts: 285
    I do agree, I think people are confused by quantity of whats in a pound of muscle compared to fat
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    This morning I was talking with my 23yo daughter. I love her to death. I now live, vicariously, through her.
    I thought she was a pain in the bum when she was a teenager. She used to speak to me the way you young women have responded to the OP - who, by the way, is not trying to tell you how to 'suck eggs', she's 'imparting knowledge', If you already know the stuff, pass over it. If you don't, live harmoniously and learn.

    Here's something to consider. When I was your age I had never, ever, had to diet. But look at me now. Isn't there something to be learnt from those of us who, in later life, are experiencing body changes that we hadn't expected to happen?

    Crikey, if you lot are only in your 20s and fat how hard might it be for you when you are 50?

    OK, yes, I'm telling you are acting like bratty teenagers.

    Wow, and you are doing a great job "imparting knowledge' as well! You remind me of my Grandma, who thinks she knows everything and nobody in the world can tell her otherwise... and she told me to stay away from having egg yolks because they're too high in fat. At least us 20 year olds are learning how to do this stuff before you had to, and ideally won't have to deal with the same problem when we are 50. We may be bratty teenagers here and there, but you are being all high and mighty, bratty "adult.

    I wasn't even paying attention to the rest of the post, until yours motivated me to respond. Congrats for improving the helpful aura!
  • Wilson336
    Wilson336 Posts: 76
    Your explanation clarifies things, but your topic title is inaccurate. Muscle does weight more than fat, just as steel weighs more than feathers.
    Yes, a pound is a pound, but that is not saying the same thing. Fat has a lower density than muscle, so one cubic foot of fat weighs less than one cubic foot of muscle. Conversely, one pound of muscle takes up less space than one pound of fat. So, a person who weighs 200 pounds but is in shape will take up a lot less space than a person who weighs 200 pounds but is not in shape.
    For a visual, think of all the NFL running backs who are 5'10" and weigh 220 pounds, but can bench press 375 pounds and have 4% body fat with ripped abs. Now think about someone who never exercises or watches what he/she eats that is 5'10" and weigh 220 pounds, but haven't seen their toes in 5 years.
  • Teliooo
    Teliooo Posts: 725 Member
    Doesn't this get said daily?
  • Geordie_Girl
    Geordie_Girl Posts: 175 Member
    Can I just point out that it's 'than', not 'then'? If you're going to get all pedantic on our arses, at least learn to spell.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    Doesn't this get said daily?

    Yep

    Most people already know that when people here say muscle weighs more than fat . they mean by VOLUME, they don't mean a lb of muscle weighs more than a lb of fat.

    to the OP, have a good read of the stickies on top of the page, and Welcome to MFP :)
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
    Thank you!:flowerforyou:
This discussion has been closed.

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