Muscle weighs more than fat....

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Kristiehaines
Kristiehaines Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Maybe it's just me, but I can't wrap my brain around the idea that a pound of fat and a pound of muscle still weigh a pound. I read this all the time "muscle weighs more than fat", yet I don't quite understand what it is supposed to mean to someone who isn't seeing weight loss. Maybe someone can explain this to the kid that had to take Algebra three times...

I work out six to seven days a week (high intensity for 90+ minutes), follow my diet religiously, and still have at least seventy pounds to lose. I'm seeing a difference in my body, but not on the scale, so I'm assuming I am building muscle.

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  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    It's not a weight thing, its a volume thing. Per cubic foot, or cubic centimeter, what ever, fat weighs less than muscle. Muscle has a much higher density than fat. When cooking soup, fat floats on top, the bits of meat sink to the bottom. Same reason!
  • 57rainbows
    57rainbows Posts: 101 Member
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    A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same, but the muscle takes up much less room. That's why if you're 150 lbs of muscle you'll look slim but if you're 150lbs of fat you'll look bigger and unfit. They say muscle weighs more because if you have the same volume (amount) of fat and of muscle, the muscle would weigh more. A cup of muscle weighs a lot more than a cup of fat, just like a cup of ground hamburger would weigh more than a cup of cotton candy. Just as an example of density.
  • beach_chelle
    beach_chelle Posts: 221
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    It's not a weight thing, its a volume thing. Per cubic foot, or cubic centimeter, what ever, fat weighs less than muscle. Muscle has a much higher density than fat. When cooking soup, fat floats on top, the bits of meat sink to the bottom. Same reason!


    yes basically if you have 5 pounds of fat and 5 pounds muscle the muscle would take up less space. 5 pounds is 5 pounds it is about the amount of space each takes up.
  • 57rainbows
    57rainbows Posts: 101 Member
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    Here's a picture to demonstrate:

    http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com/images/fat-v-muscle.jpg
  • Kristiehaines
    Kristiehaines Posts: 11 Member
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    Ah hah, thanks 57! I wish to take up less room...hope the scale follows suit in the weeks to come!
  • 57rainbows
    57rainbows Posts: 101 Member
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    There you go! You'll do great. That's why it's important to measure yourself in inches around the waist, hips, etc and not just weigh yourself... you could go from a size 18 to a size 12 and weigh almost the same if you gained a lot of muscle and lost a lot of fat. That way you won't be discouraged because you know your body composition is changing even if the scale isn't! (-: Best wishes.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    One pound of muscle weighs the same as one pound of fat, one pound. Muscle is more dense so it takes up less space than fat. Think in terms of volume not weight.

    You're likely not building muscle. Building/adding muscle is very difficult for women and it requires a progressive weight-lifting routine, among other things like a higer-protein diet.

    Double check all of your settings. Your activity/lifestyle setting should NOT include your dedicated exercise workouts. Log those using the Exercise tab.

    Are you using a digital food scale to measure everything that goes into your mouth? Most people drastically underestimate food portions. Food nutrition panels and measuring cups are deceptive as well. For example, one serving of old-fashioned oatmeal is usually "1/2 cup dry (40 grams") on the nutrition panel. Use a digital food scale and you discover 40 grams is far less than 1/2 cup.

    Are you logging all beverages and items you use to cook with (butter, oils, dressings, marinades, etc.)?

    If you're relying on MFP's default database to calculate the calories burned from exercise, they're probably overstated. Eat back only a portion of the extra earned calories or buy a quality HRM like Polar.

    Are you getting enough sleep every night (7-8 hours)?

    Be patient and consistent. You didn't become overweight overnight and it will take a long time to lose the excess fat. Hang in there, you can do it!

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