Muscles vs. Fat

[l2hvn]

How do you know when you're gaining muscles instead of fat????

[bluechocolate]

ummm.... you see them?

 

They can be pretty obvious things, muscles.

 

....you feel them?

 

They're also generally harder than fat, especially when flexed.

 

....your measurements start to change?

 

Bigger in some places, smaller in others.

 

Then of course there is also a fat test that you can compare to previous fat tests.

[stoopid_guy]

Muscle's also more dense, so you can actually get smaller clothes sizes without loosing weight, and you won't float as easily. (Not that that's a reason to desire fat. )

[Adunaphel]

I'm lucky because for me it's a no brainer..

 

I know for sure that when I can show off muscles, I am dating a bodybuilder...

So if I gain weight, it has to be fat.

 

Seriously - blue and (not so) stoopid are right about how to figure it out.

Fat will usually accumulate in different parts of your body than the ones which get bigger when you gain muscles.

[sloane]

the best way to tell for sure is to have your body fat percentage tested. depending on the method used, you may not get a completely accurate percentage, but you will get a solid number that you can use as a comparison in a few months when you re-test to tell if you have lost fat. many gyms, fitness centers, and even doctors' offices offer body fat testing.

[l2hvn]

I know the question sounded stupid.

 

I just freaked out because I've gained at least 10lbs within the last 2 months. Of course I have also been working out at least 5 times per week in the same time frame. I've been eating same calories.

 

My clothes fit better though. And I'm still a small size.

 

So thank you all for the replies. Makes me feel better.

[bluechocolate]

If you're building muscle generally you will get heavier because muscle weighs more than fat.

[Jizzosh]

Lol. Dude, it's really not hard to tell at all. Especially since you've been working out. If you feel sore the next day progress is being made. If you increase the weight on your exercises then you know this way as well. Adding on to what everyone else said.

[Teacher's Pet]

I'm glad I found this thread!

 

I've been working out pretty hard lately (gone from once a week to 4 times a week, and doing a lot more weight-training now)..

 

I have a LOT of weight to lose, and even though I don't seem to really be losing much weight, I'm getting stronger.

 

My arms are slowly getting solid, and I feel my legs (quads, especially) getting tight - I do a LOT of lower body exercises.

 

With that said, I know that the actual weight loss will be slow for a while, since I'm building some muscle mass, but will that eventually "catch up" to me and help me burn off more of the fat? Will "building muscle" still slim me down and help me lose weight (ok, I'll say it...and look better) in the long run?

 

Thanks

 

-tp

cute fat guy

[KittenMoon]

The more muscles you have, the more fuel (calories) you burn in a day. So over a long time period, if you keep working out, your body should "catch up" and start burning more and more stored fat (providing you restrict your calories enough to need to burn fat, but not so much that your body goes into "starvation" mode and burns the more energy dense muscle tissue).

[RecordProducer]

I know the question sounded stupid.

 

Actually it was a very good question! Because when you lose muscles, you feel like you're still fat and want to lose more. There are certain strategies for losing fat instead of muscles. The result is - you look better after losing weight.

 

You can't really see the muscles unless a drastic change happens. If you've lost 2 lbs of muscles and 5 lbs of fat, you can't possibly know this ration, you only know you've lost 7 lbs total. Only the machines, as much as they are precise, can tell you this ratio. So the answer to your question is: you don't really know.

 

My gym trainer told me to consume proteins in 4 little meals per day in order to gain more muscles. They say after 40 minutes of exercise, you start losing muscles, between 20 and 40, you lose fat. There are other tricks, but I am not willing to obey them. I am 5'6'', 122 lbs and just need to continue to work out and watch my diet. I have no time in this life to implement complex strategies for gaining muscles.

[inde4544]

Nutrition is important too. If you can get calipers and you can get your body fat percentage then just figure out how much of your weight is muscle and how much is fat. I like to say 80% of being fit is nutrition the other 20% is exercise.