I've been going to a personal trainter for about 2 months and my bodyfat % went from 20% to 16.3% which they say is good but I am a little concerned my weight seems to be increasing. does muscle really weigh more than fat?? Should I eat less or what?!
2007-03-11 14:33:14 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diet & Fitness
muscle is heavier than fat. It is 22% heavier. Therefore people losing fat can put on muscle and weigh the same while their clothing size goes down. A pound of muscle is smaller than a pound of fat.
Another way to visualize this is to imagine a pound of feathers and a pound of steel. The feathers occupies a much bigger space or volume than the same weight of steel.
When people say that "muscles are heavier than fat", they actually mean that muscles are more compact, or dense, than fat.
The number one reason most people exercise is to lose weight. People think that exercise will automatically make them lose pounds on the scale as well as inches on the measuring tape. However, as fat cells get smaller from all the calories being burned in exercise, muscle cells respond by getting stronger and heavier and bigger. That's how a flabby body turns into a firm one.
If you don't realize that this change in body composition is taking place, it can be very discouraging to see the scale hardly budge or even climb a few pounds. Whenever people complain to me about this phenomenon, I always ask them if their clothes are less tight. Invariably, they say yes. They have lost in inches. The few who have gained in both pounds and inches are either eating more than they should (both their muscle and fat cells are growing) or are on a very heavy lifting program (muscles are growing faster than they desire).
There are people who are so obsessed with the scale because this is the only way they know how to evaluate their weight loss progress that losing inches or even a clothes size or two is not enough to convince them that they are successful. This is too bad because no one walks around with a sign on their forehead announcing to the entire world what they weigh. If you are one of these people, please try and change this attitude because you will only get depressed over nothing. In fact, you should celebrate your new body composition!
If you have a lot of weight to lose and you continue to exercise and eat sensibly, you will eventually start to see the weight drop on the scale as you also keep on losing in inches. This is because muscle growth has a limit, especially if you don't progress to heavier and heavier weights. However, if you only have five or ten pounds to lose, don't be surprised if people tell you that you look like you have lost weight when you haven't. Your gain in muscle mass is balancing out your loss in fat mass to equal a smaller, tighter, more toned and defined you.
2007-03-11 14:42:03 · answer #1 · answered by SladeCraven4ever 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, obviously you gained muscle mass which is what you were hoping for right? I definitely wouldn't go any lower than 16% body fat though, unless you are training to be some kind of elite athlete.....14% would be the absolute minimum or you may well be compromising your health. Sometimes those personal trainers get a little carried away......gosh I'd be beyond ecstatic with 20% body fat lol...... I'd just work on mainting what you have achieved now.
Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, but it is more dense so if you have a pound of muscle next to a pound of fat, the fat will look much bigger compared to the muscle.
HTH : )
2007-03-11 16:18:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Muscle weighs a lot more than fat. Keep doing what you're doing. Sounds like you're doing a great job! Especially since you just start, you're gaining a lot of muscle to do the activities. After a little while the weigh gain will subside but you'll lose fat. Good job! Don't worry, it's normal.
2007-03-11 14:39:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've lost 5 kilos in my first week. It's my 10th day and I have included salad with some protein (eg. egg/ lean chicken) as you suggested. After 4 years of trying, the fat is finally coming off. It truly feels like magic!
Get started today!
2016-05-19 21:34:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are doing well, gaining weight is normal. Muscle weighs twice as much as fat. So, you are destroying all that fat and getting some muscle. Gauge yourself with slimness and how your pants fit.
2007-03-11 14:38:07 · answer #5 · answered by nurse_ren 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, muscle weighs more than fat. Plus, the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will work (to keep you from gaining more body fat)
2007-03-11 14:43:59 · answer #6 · answered by mandirae23 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes muscle is more dense than fat. generally speaking you don't want to look at how much weight you've lost/gained you want to look at how many inches you've lost i.e. around your midsection, arms, etc. that's the only way to know if you're really losing fat or not.
2007-03-11 14:37:23 · answer #7 · answered by pragmatic_nate 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes muscle weighs more then fat.. don't worry about it.
TIP; now that your working out. throw the scale away. its all about how you look and feel about yourself, not about how much you weigh!!!!!!!!
2007-03-11 14:39:47 · answer #8 · answered by gonzosc1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
thats good. it means you have more muscel and less fat!
2007-03-11 14:40:13 · answer #9 · answered by kiss the cook 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋