Anytime my weight balloons by like 5lbs while I am in the midst of working out yet maybe still eating like a baby piglet, I always get told "Don't worry....muscle weighs more than fat...you have been working out hard and have put on more muscle, so your weight is going up." Well, I say bullshit. If I am eating like a baby piglet, it is probably fat even though I am working out like a baby beast. (I like putting "baby" in front of ugly words because it just makes it cuter.)
I honestly do not know a lot about this topic so I went to the most scholarly source I know of this morning: Google. All in all, most of the information I came up with said that muscle weighing more than fat is a myth. A pound is a pound...regardless of what material it is made up of. The difference comes in with the volume/space a pound of muscle versus a pound of fat takes up. Muscle is leaner and takes up less space while fat definitely takes up more space. Fat is lumpier than muscle...so when you lose the fat and gain muscle the scale may not change, but the smoothness of your once lumpy and fat skin will change.
I guess the only way to truly know if the scale going up sometimes is due to me getting a fat donk or me getting leaner is to try out a couple of things. One, I could take measurements of myself with tape measure...which I do do (he he...I said "do do"). Two, I could get the caliper fat test thingy done. I have done that in the past and I HATE it. You will feel fat regardless of if you are or not when those calipers find fat in places that you did not even know existed:(
All in all, the point of today's post is this: Do not use the statement that "muscle weighs more than fat" as an excuse when you really are becoming a porker...oops...'baby porker'. The only fool proof way to know if you really are gaining muscle or heaven forbid....a double chin...is to pay attention to your body composition. Have Rudy or someone else who is qualified whip out those fat calipers! Don't try it yourself....trust me...just an awkward situation all around when you are trying to clamp a piece of your own booty meat:)What are your thoughts on this subject?
@Kelsey...I may have to go with you when you get it. I need it too and I would love the moral support when I run out of there crying if they tell me I am 50% fat. lol.
ReplyDeleteOMG - too funny! The whole thing confuses me. I get that a pound is a pound, whether it be 1lb of ground turkey or 1lb of icecream but it still confuses me. So basically, it is possible for your size to change but your weightstay the same if you are reducing your fat but gaining muscle? I think that's right.
ReplyDeleteI had to get on a scale at the Doctors office 2 weeks ago, otherwise I just avoid it. Those scales are the worst BTW because with digital ones you don't hear all the metal parts clanking as you move the pointer thing.
@Rae...I don't completely understand it either. I am hoping one of our enlightened friends can offer some insight. Another question I have is this: realistically how quickly can you put on like 5lbs of muscle? To me, I would think it would take some time, like you would not just wake up 5 days from now, 5lbs heavier and be able to blame it on all of the muscle you are building up. I would think it would take some time to build up that much muscle, but who knows.
ReplyDeleteSo, I totally read your blog every day and think you WL'ers have a great thing going on:-)
ReplyDeleteI personally have experienced this whole "gain muscle look leaner" phenomenon and just wanted to comment on it. I now weigh more than I ever have; however, I am also leaner than I have ever been. Hence, my "old" clothes are now way too big more me, especially around the waist, thigh, and butt area. Basically, I look leaner but I really do weigh more...who would have ever thought? :-) Now, this didn't happen overnight but rather gradually over a span of about a year or so (and no, I was not strict Paleo either).
All scales/body fat measurements/ and weight calculators should be destroyed because in reality your weight definitely does not correspond with how healthy you are. Here is an awesome article about the scale and being healthy:
http://friskylemon.com/2011/02/07/what-does-weight-matter/
When I checked the blog I didn't expect to see a lumpy bum and tummy. Haha!
ReplyDeleteThis is a hilarious topic. I have heard people say this over and over. A pound is a pound people! I like to use a scale to see where I am at, but mostly I go by how my clothes fit.
I hate the scales that are not digital. Especially when the person guesses my weight and they are really off and have to keep adding. Haha! I always make the "EHHHHH!" you were wrong sound in my head. :)
Great article Alison! I think it is funny that she mentioned the scales at the doc office too. Haha!
ReplyDelete@Alison, thanks for sharing the article. So totally true! And love that you visit our blog!
ReplyDeleteI'm not really sure yet how concerned/unconcerned I am with how much I weigh. I am still figuring out that relationship - the scale and me :-)
@Alison....it is awesome that you read the blog:) I need to start thinking about some of the gross stuff that I post. lol.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the article that you posted and can definitely relate, as I am sure most of us on here can. While I will weigh myself at home, I turn my back on the scale when I am at the doctor's office. I can't explain it, but it seems like the weight on their scale always makes me sad.
I can't say that I will ever stop weighing myself. Last time I did that in college I gained over 30lbs:( However, I refuse to fixate on my weight, and I only weigh myself every now and then to monitor myself. If I fluctuate 2-3lbs I try not to freak out and just take it in stride because your body can easily put on water weight.
We all have our issues with that number on the scale. Hopefully I will get to a place where it does not affect me so strongly, and where like Allie Nic I measure my health by what I am eating and how strong I am:)
Thanks again!
Btw, Ladies....did yall notice that NONE of the MEN commented today? lol. Maybe weight doesn't concern them as much. I need to get like that.
ReplyDeleteNone of the men posted because nothing good can come from arguing about a bunch of women about their weight. Fact.
ReplyDeleteBut here goes.
Muscle is more dense than fat. If your ego can't handle that fact that you added 5 pounds of muscle, stop CrossFitting and start starving yourself.
I've said time and time again that you should all throw away your scales. Never weigh yourself again.
Get a body fat calculator. Learn how to use it properly. Don't stress about slight changes that can be attributed to body hydration levels.
That is all.
Agreed. Throw the scale out the window.
ReplyDeleteI think Drywall and JohnA were treading cautiously...haha. I actually think Drywalls first sentence should be documented and stored,
ReplyDelete"...Nothing good can come from arguing about a bunch of women about their weight. Fact." - Drywall, 2/10/2011
LOL! Rae I agree....we need to document that statement and its date. Smart men know to stay out of the weight discussion with women:)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think we can handle adding 5lbs of muscle....we just need to know that it is muscle. lol. Really, how quickly can you add on 5lbs of muscle?
@ Yatta - If you are new to weight training, you can add 5 pounds very fast. 1-2 months maybe. I started lifting 10 years ago, before that I was skinny with no muscle. I put on 5 pounds the first couple months, +10 after 6 months, and +20 after 18-24 months. I've been at roughly the same area since then, though since joining CrossFit I'm down about 5 pounds, probably a mix of fat and muscle.
ReplyDeleteYour body composition is a reflection of your work out and diet habits. If you plateau, that just means your body hit its equilibrium for the way you currently eat and currently work out. If you want to look different, you have to go about living differently.