Muscle Weight Gain - Anyone else??

[Harvest02]

OK, here is the story...I joined WW about 2 months ago. Have had a weight loss every week, or stayed the same. In the past few weeks, I have upped my exercise(riding my bike outside, walking more, and also going longer on the treadmill). I have one of those scales that measures weight and body fat. So, a couple days ago, I had a 1 1/2 pound loss, but the past two days, my weight has gone back up those 1 1/2 pounds. The weird thing is that my body fat has all of a sudden gone down from 32% to 29% in about 2 weeks. I also have been drinking more water. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Will the scale catch up and go back down??? The great thing is that my mom was at Kohls the other day and bought me a jeans skirt in a size 10(I was a 12). Guess what?? The waist is too big!!! So, I guess the bottom line is that is it true that muscle weighs more than fat and that is why my scale is showing a gain? I have lost 7 pounds overall on WW in those 2 months. HELP!!!!

 

[JMD]

Muscle does weigh more than fat, so it is possible that your gaining a little muscle which will slow down your weight loss. You should be focusing on body fat and body composition, as opposed to just lowering your overall weight.

Try not to weigh yourself everyday. Your bodyweight fluctuates naturally, so its possible to get different results without any real changes in your body.

 

[dtolle]

Muscle does weigh more than fat, so it is possible that your gaining a little muscle which will slow down your weight loss. You should be focusing on body fat and body composition, as opposed to just lowering your overall weight.

Try not to weigh yourself everyday. Your bodyweight fluctuates naturally, so its possible to get different results without any real changes in your body.

I just have to point out that muscle does not weigh more than fat. One pound of fat and one pound of muscle are exactly the same one pound. Its just that muscle takes up much less space, so you look smaller when you have more muscle.

Anyhow, good luck on your weight loss journey! You're doing great!

 

[JMD]

I just have to point out that muscle does not weigh more than fat. One pound of fat and one pound of muscle are exactly the same one pound. Its just that muscle takes up much less space, so you look smaller when you have more muscle.

No kidding.

One pound of fat takes up much more space than one pound of muscle, but if both are the same size, the muscle will weigh more.

So losing fat while gaining muscle will cause dramatic changes in body composition but may not cause a significant reduction in overall weight.

 

[dtolle]

I wasn't trying to start trouble, I just read in a lot of places that muscle weighs more than fat and its really a misconception. Its purely a volume issue, not a weight issue. I am very active in the fitness world, and I can guarantee you that if you say to any aerobics instructor or doctor that muscle weighs more than fat, they will correct you. I was just trying to point that out...didn't mean to be snotty.

No hard feelings.:

 

[JMD]

No hard feelings.:

Not at all.


I've been training people for almost 8 years now, and have been around strength and conditioning coaches for almost 15 years. And I've never heard anyone get into a weight vs. volume debate. I understand what your saying and technically its correct. But with that same logic, everything in the world weighs exactly same, and your arguement could apply to anything. A feather and a rock, or a mosquito and a jumbo jet. All the same, because a pound is pound, right?

For practical purposes its fair to say that muscle weighs more than fat, when speaking in terms of body composition and weight loss. You shouldn't need a physics degree to understand that.

 

[timzagain]

Dh and I have both started exercising in earnest. DH is into cycling (riding for an hour & a half at least 4 mornings per week) For now, I'm walking.

We've both noticed that we're not seeing any weight loss showing up on the scale. However, we've both been able to drop sizes in that time.

Personally, I plan to stay away from the scale. I find that number game is very depressing, and completely demotivating. I'm sticking to my plan of exercise, nutrition and rest - I just won't weigh myself into depression! The fit of my clothing and my own sense of physical & emotional well being will be the yardstick by which I will measure my success!

 

[C_leen]

Hello-

Another thing to consider is your calorie intake. Your body will need more calories to get you thru increased work outs. Be sure your calorie intake isn't too low which could slow down your metabolism.

From a personal stand point, when I work out like crazy, sometimes I am really hungry. Watch what you are eating.

You are on the right track! Keep it up!