Muscle weighs more than fat?

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Pucker508
Pucker508 Posts: 67 Member
in Motivation and Support
Is this true... or is this an "old wives tale" that someone came up with to make me feel better about the fact that I've been doing 30DS and eating healthy but have gained 2lbs this week?

Do I continue on like this... do I eat more...do I eat less?

I will admit, I feel better about myself... I don't know if there is actually any noticeable difference to other people, but I feel better in my clothes. I realize it's not all about the number on the scale... but it is a little bit!! I would like to see it go down!!

Feeling confused and discouraged...

Replies

  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
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    Its like a pound of feathers versus a pound of rocks. Muscle is much denser than fat.
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
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    There is a slim chance you put on 2lbs of muscle in a week, but don't sweat 2lbs. I promise you if i hop in the scale all through out the day there will be a 2lb fluctuation. So you could be holding onto some water...who knows, Just keep at it soon it will begin to melt off.
  • Pucker508
    Pucker508 Posts: 67 Member
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    I love the feather and rock analogy! Very good points... thank you for the encouragement :-)
  • agearhart0410
    agearhart0410 Posts: 6 Member
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    How long have you been doing 30 day shred? Your gain is more than likely water weight if you have just started. Just keep at it and don't get discouraged. The scale isn't always the most accurate way of determining success. Take body measurements and/or track your body fat % using calipers or a body fat analyzer.
  • agearhart0410
    agearhart0410 Posts: 6 Member
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    Also keep in mind that the human body fluctuates 3-5 pounds everyday. Eating too much sodium can also contribute to temporary water weight gain.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Muscle is denser than fat.

    You feel better and your body has had improvement. Why would this get you down? When you do intense exercise, your muscles swell and retain water which often results in a couple of extra pounds on the scale. But it really is just water. A female can't gain significant weight in muscle mass over a short amount of time.
  • Fit_Forever25
    Fit_Forever25 Posts: 313 Member
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    I had the same situation when I started 30Day shred and even I thought the same that is it possible to gain that much muscle mass in 1-2 weeks?
    but trust me it will go away ..
    Do not get demotivate.. if you are eating clean and creating a calorie deficit you will lose weight
    Keep up the good work..
    and all Jillian workouts work on that principle .. gain muscles and lose fats.. sometimes even sore muscles shows increased wgt but it will be ok in few days or may be next day
    Do not worry about this much.. Drink plenty of water and take 1 day rest in a week!
  • Still_Fluffy
    Still_Fluffy Posts: 341 Member
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    1 pound of fat is the same as one pound of muscle. But as secretlobster stated "Muscle is denser than fat" and therefore takes up less space. I haven't lost that muc this year in weight but have gone down two pant sizes. Lot more muscle and a lot less fat. Keep it going the weight loss will come.
  • emczech5
    emczech5 Posts: 224 Member
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    1 pound of muscle is a pound. 1 pound of fat is a pound. As someone mentioned, muscle is more dense than fat so 1 pound of fat takes up a heck of a lot more space than 1 pound of muscle.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    Muscle weighs more than fat by volume... meaning 1 pound of muscle takes up less space than 1 pound of fat... so in order to be as big as you are while fat and replace it with muscle, then you would weigh more (if that makes any sense whatsoever... I haven't had enough caffeine yet).... But 1 pound is still 1 pound...
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    Muscle weighs more than fat by volume - sure.
    Forget that.
    Don't be discouraged; just keep following the MFP recommendations and all will be well.
    I had to tweak my calorie burn rates for certain exercises, and once I found that zone, the fun began!
    Good luck to you:flowerforyou:
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
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    OP Well done on the exercise. Looking at your diary, on 1400(ish) cals you will not be gaining muscle. As others have said it is most likely ot be water weight. Stick to plan and you WILL see the improvements you're looking for.

    To preserve sanity you will find that as well as weighing, measurements (bust, waist, hips) are a good idea.

    Best wishes.
  • Pucker508
    Pucker508 Posts: 67 Member
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    I'm glad I asked... I can always count on MFP for support. You all have really helped boost my mood this morning. Thank you!
  • ARDuBaie
    ARDuBaie Posts: 379 Member
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    1 pound of feathers = 1 pound of lead

    Okay. Got that?

    So...

    1 pound of fat = 1 pound of muscle

    Same idea.

    A pound of something is the same as a pound of another thing.

    What should really be stated is that a pound of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle.

    Thus, when you carry muscle on your body, you can weight 140 pounds and actually look thinner (and better) than if you carried the same poundage as the muscle, but in fat.

    The cool thing about muscle is that one pound of muscle, when you are sitting still, burns about 25-35 calories an hour. A pound of fat burns only 5 calories an hour when you are sitting still.

    The kicker is this....

    A pound of muscle, when you are active, burns up to 150 calories an hour whereas a pound of fat will still only burn 5 calories an hour.

    So which would you rather have?

    To answer your other question, you will initially gain some weight when you start a lifting program. Around the fifth week, you will be starving because your metabolism has increased because of the muscle you have built burning the calories. This is when you will start losing weight.

    So, in the long run, building muscle helps you in four ways:

    You won't need to lose as much weight because you will be more toned, which will cause you to look great at a higher weight
    You will have increased your metabolism
    You will be stronger
    You will ward off osteoporosis: The bones will need to be stronger to support the muscle you have built up

    Good luck!
  • Pucker508
    Pucker508 Posts: 67 Member
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    1 pound of feathers = 1 pound of lead

    Okay. Got that?

    So...

    1 pound of fat = 1 pound of muscle

    Same idea.

    A pound of something is the same as a pound of another thing.

    What should really be stated is that a pound of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle.

    Thus, when you carry muscle on your body, you can weight 140 pounds and actually look thinner (and better) than if you carried the same poundage as the muscle, but in fat.

    The cool thing about muscle is that one pound of muscle, when you are sitting still, burns about 25-35 calories an hour. A pound of fat burns only 5 calories an hour when you are sitting still.

    The kicker is this....

    A pound of muscle, when you are active, burns up to 150 calories an hour whereas a pound of fat will still only burn 5 calories an hour.

    So which would you rather have?

    To answer your other question, you will initially gain some weight when you start a lifting program. Around the fifth week, you will be starving because your metabolism has increased because of the muscle you have built burning the calories. This is when you will start losing weight.

    So, in the long run, building muscle helps you in four ways:

    You won't need to lose as much weight because you will be more toned, which will cause you to look great at a higher weight
    You will have increased your metabolism
    You will be stronger
    You will ward off osteoporosis: The bones will need to be stronger to support the muscle you have built up

    Good luck!

    Fantastic points! Thank you :smile:
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
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    While I agree that 1lb of muscle burns more than 1lb of fat, it does not burn 100 calories more.

    Studies vary, but most say that 1lb of muscle will burn 6-30 more calories than 1lb of fat.

    However, muscle is still awesome.
  • _stephanie0
    _stephanie0 Posts: 708 Member
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    fat-v-muscle.jpg

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