Obviously a pound of each weigh the same but what does this mean for fitness/ training purposes. My ongoing quest for weight loss has slowed but the inches are still coming off, is this why?

yes

probably.

Fat reduction + increased muscle mass = weight-loss plateau and buffness.

Does your weight even matter?

I think it would be better if people said muscle is more dense than fat.

ie, a pound of fat takes up more space (or hangs over your trousers more) than a pound of muscle.

Also, the muscle will burn calories while you’re a rest where as the fat just sits there.

FunkyDunc has it right, I feel.

Why do you even care what the scales say? Are you looking/feeling/performing better?

Lol ->

Ads for fat loss and chips!

It takes a lot longer to grow a pound of muscle than to lose a pound of fat. If you have hit a plateau and still have a chunk to lose, then you need to take an honest look at the amount you exercise and your diet.

However there can be short term reasons so don’t worry about it for short periods (2 or 3 weeks), and if you don’t have that much left to lose, just tweak things a bit.

[edit] Oops wrong thread!

+1 for Bullheart.. although unless you are specifically doing reps within the muscle building range you should be able to keep losing weight until you see a six-pack.

Put simply muscle is denser than fat so for the same volume, it will weigh more. Weight is a poor indicator of fitness for active people generally as we normally carry more muscle than the inactive which is why the BMI system is useless.

muscle will burn calories while you’re a rest where as the fat just sits there

Increase muscle mass elevates the basal metabolic rate marginally.

It’s main effect burning calories is during the “afterburn” or EPOC. ie post work-out. The more muscle you have – the greater the post-workout calorie burn.

This thread just my make surf matt return..

This thread just my make surf matt return..

he likes muscle? 😯

What we need is a menshealth style picture of a muscular forumite… who would have one of those?

*Looks for Mat-Phone*

Thanks for the replies. I’m only eating around 1500 cals a day at the moment I upped it from less during my inital push.

Losing around 2-3lbs a week from a high of 6lbs a week but I suppose that’s alright it’s still a stone every 6-8 weeks.

FunkyDunc sums it up nicely.
Ignoring your weight for a moment, joolsburger, can you lift more weight for more reps or run or cycle further and faster than when you started ?

1500 cals a day sounds low, most men would lose weight at that daily intake even without exercise, I would say there is a good chance some of your weight loss has been muscle as well as fat.

FunkyDunc – Member

Does your weight even matter?

depends how fat he is?

nowt like loosing a bit of excess,make’s biking easier

I’m only eating around 1500 cals a day at the moment

Reminds me of the woman on that BBC program “10 Things You Need to Know About Losing Weight” – brilliant stuff.

It’s available on iPlayer (1 day left to watch)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ksh7c

Im lifing a lot more and doing lots more reps too, so yes defintely getting considerably stronger, was pressing 50 kilos + the bar at lunchtime which is loads more than when I started although not as much as I’d like. I’m 16.5 stone now and was 18.5 😳 in October.

I want to get to 14.5 but I think 15.5 would be OK as I am a pretty large bloke widthwise.

Also worth noting I sit on my arse all day in an ofice so the gym and bike is pretty much it.

Waist to hip ratio is a pretty good guide as to how big you are.

1500 cals a day sounds low

It is low.

FunkyDunc – Member
Does your weight even matter?

It does if you have to drag it up a hill – there’s a reason pro-cyclists (and all pro endurance athletes) are skinny, and not built like Arnie in his glory days.

I am a pretty large bloke widthwise.

Diiiiir-ty!

Reminds me of the woman on that BBC program “10 Things You Need to Know About Losing Weight” – brilliant stuff.

Was she the one that took that doubly-labeled water then demonstrated that even though she carefully kept a food diary she was eating twice as much as she thought? 😀

IanMunro – almost but she was eating almost 3 times as much as she thought.

Slow metabolism v’s Greedy pig

Can you voluntarily sink, and lie without moving on the bottom of a swimming pool by just exhaling? My unscientific notion always maintained that was a reliable guide to body fat ratio, but it’s untested on many (except I know I can)..

Put simply muscle is denser than fat so for the same volume, it will weigh more. Weight is a poor indicator of fitness for active people generally as we normally carry more muscle than the inactive which is why the BMI system is useless.

Isn’t it the case that whilst BMI is innaccurate for extremely muscley people (like weightlifters or high level professional rugby players and other professional athletes), for pretty much anyone else, it is a pretty good indicator. Although having said that, the ‘BMI is innacurate’ thing seems like a great excuse for doing a little bit of exercise, then eating loads of pies to compensate, and saying ‘I’m not fat, I’m an athlete’, so maybe I should shut up!