Muscle vs. Fat = They weigh the same, so why does the scale

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gracienkaidens_momma
gracienkaidens_momma Posts: 379 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
(the rest of topic title)

increase when I exercise?

Please answer this for me. It's driving me nuts and really bothering me.
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  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    In respect to running, since that's what I know about, there are several adaptations that will increase your weight. These two begin to happen fairly quickly.

    Increased blood volume
    Increased storage of glycogen and water in the muscle cells
  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
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    Your muscles tend to hold onto water/etc to repair themselves, which reflects on the scale. It's not "real" weight - it's just a change in the amount of water your body is holding into.
  • mallory3411
    mallory3411 Posts: 839 Member
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    I agree with the previous two posters.

    The weight gain is not fat gain... it's water weight amoung a few other things that your muscles hold onto when you exercise.

    One reason why my rest day is the day before my weigh in.
  • tgzerozone
    tgzerozone Posts: 160
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    Not sure exactly what you mean. Your topic seems spot on. 1 lbs of gold weights the same as 1 lbs of feathers as well. :)

    Muscle density is higher than fat density, meaning a measure volume of muscle would weight more than the same volume of fat.

    I guess logically this would mean that a bodybuilder with the same measurements as an overweight person would weight more than the overweight person.

    If you are gaining weight in the gym, you might be gaining muscle, have your fat percentage checked and keep tabs on it.
  • gracienkaidens_momma
    gracienkaidens_momma Posts: 379 Member
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    So you are saying this weight gain is probably just water weight? How do I get water weight to come off in a healthy manner?
  • darkmouzy
    darkmouzy Posts: 227 Member
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    (the rest of topic title)

    increase when I exercise?

    Please answer this for me. It's driving me nuts and really bothering me.

    muscle and fat do not weigh the same. You take a square cubic inch of fat and muscle. Muscle weighs more.

    Women can hold water alot easier than men, watch your sodium, eat back your excersise calories, be patient.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Well, the same amount of muscle and fat do not weigh the same, but if you are losing weight it's unlikely you'll increase muscle faster than you lose fat. Your increase is likely due to water.
  • gracienkaidens_momma
    gracienkaidens_momma Posts: 379 Member
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    I have some people telling me they weigh the same and others telling me they don't. I don't know what to believe. I do know muscle is much more dense than fat and takes up much more space and if a 150 pound person is mostly muscle, he/she will look more toned and fit than a 150 pound person who is very flabby and does not work out. Just an example.
  • TanyaCurtis
    TanyaCurtis Posts: 630
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    Muscle weighs more lol! In the same amount of space, muscle weighs way more then fat, I dunno why people say it weighs the same, cause that's misleading. If u grab a piece of fat that's way larger then the piece of muscle, then it weighs the same, but that's not the way to look on it when it's on ur body, people are silly
  • biffdaddy
    biffdaddy Posts: 17
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    Muscle is more dense that fat so it weighs more by volume. If you had a cup of fat and a cup of muscle, the muscle would weigh more. Therefore, if you lose some fat but gain muscle, you could lose inches but gain weight.
  • Sue_Smiles
    Sue_Smiles Posts: 1,001 Member
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    I don't understand why anyone thinks they will lose the exact same amount of fat on the same day they gain the exact same amount of muscle. Your body is always adjusting, sometimes the fat just takes a while to wander away, while the muscle is gaining mass. Sometimes it's the other way around.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    So you are saying this weight gain is probably just water weight? How do I get water weight to come off in a healthy manner?

    You give it time. It will come off by itself without you doing anything. Don't worry so much about the scale.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    First of all, I'm not sure what you mean when you say they weigh the same. Muscle tissue is about 15% more dense than adipose (fat) tissue.

    Second, are you taking about weighing yourself immediately before and after a workout? If so, hopefully you are drinking more water than you are sweating to stay hydrated. If this is the case, there will always be a gain after a workout.

    There are so many things that influence the scale... hormones, tissue repair, electrolyte balance... For some people, the daily fluctuations are a distraction. If this is the case for you, weigh less frequently. What you want to shoot for are gradual changes in weight over time.
  • tgzerozone
    tgzerozone Posts: 160
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    I have some people telling me they weigh the same and others telling me they don't. I don't know what to believe. I do know muscle is much more dense than fat and takes up much more space and if a 150 pound person is mostly muscle, he/she will look more toned and fit than a 150 pound person who is very flabby and does not work out. Just an example.

    Correct.
  • Libby81
    Libby81 Posts: 734 Member
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    A pound of fat DOES weigh the same as a pound of muscle. Same as a pound of feathers DOES weigh the same as a pound of lead. A pound is a pound. What makes the difference is the density of each
  • xnikkiheart
    xnikkiheart Posts: 20
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    From the very elementary and limited knowledge I have, it could just be that you're gaining more muscle and losing body fat. So you're staying the same size, but your weight goes up. Or if it's a one or two time thing, it could really be what you ate that day and when you're weighing yourself. Simple things such as weighing in the morning vs afternoon, before or after using the bathroom, before or after eating, etc all change your weight. The "ideal" time from what I've read is in the morning, before breakfast but after a bathroom stop, and before showering or getting dressed.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I have some people telling me they weigh the same and others telling me they don't. I don't know what to believe.

    The reason people argue about this is that when someone says "muscle weighs more than fat" some assume that means the same weight of each weighs differently, and others assume it means that the same volume of each weighs differently. Obviously the same weight of any 2 things isn't going to weigh differently, but in the case of muscle vs. fat the same volume will.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    So you are saying this weight gain is probably just water weight? How do I get water weight to come off in a healthy manner?

    Water that your muscles use for repair is healthy and you don't want to get rid of it. This is not the same as when people say they ate a ton of sodium and want to lose the resulting water weight.
  • tgzerozone
    tgzerozone Posts: 160
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    You did not specify when you are seeing the weight gain as a previous poster said. Right after you had your workout? Do you see it over a period of time for instance gaining 1/2 lbs a week or what?
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    I have some people telling me they weigh the same and others telling me they don't. I don't know what to believe. I do know muscle is much more dense than fat and takes up much more space and if a 150 pound person is mostly muscle, he/she will look more toned and fit than a 150 pound person who is very flabby and does not work out. Just an example.

    Exactly, and as such, they do not weigh the same. Any moron knows a pound of something weighs the same as a pound of something else. I still don't understand why people insist on forcing this literally pointless statement on others. I mean...I MIGHT be able to trick my 4yr old into believing a pound of bolts weighs more than a pound of feathers....but I'm pretty sure my 6yr old wouldn't be fooled, and I KNOW my 14yr old would look at me like I was stupid.

    When people are talking about weight, equal volume is AUTOMATICALLY IMPLIED, otherwise there could be no comparison! This is what makes your example valid.

    Anyway, on topic...it's your body holding onto water for repair, plain and simple.

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