Losing weight vs. gaining muscle

[Chasin2Kids]

I started at 149 and am currently at 137. Here's my question. When you start gaining muscle and the scale will show a weight gain (since the scale can't decipher between fat and muscle and everything else)...how is it that you get down to your goal weight (in my case of 125)? I've never been good at math...so I'm hoping someone can explain to me how this works. I know that you continue to lose inches even if you are gaining muscle. So let's say at 137, next time I step on the scale the scale says 139 (but I'm losing inches, so I assume its muscle that's making the numbers)...do things even out and you eventually start losing on the scale? I'm not a slave to the scale, I only weigh twice a month. I jsut thought I would ask, is my goal weight of 125 not going to happen if I'm gaining muscle, or do I still understand math about as well as I did in 5th grade??

[julirama723]

Muscle is an active tissue, meaning your body burns calories just to maintain it. I can't remember the exact number, but a pound of muscle burns like...50 calories a day. So if you add muscle, you're burning more calories at rest than you are with that same pound of fat--fat is INACTIVE meaning it doesn't burn calories at all, it just sits there.

An increase in muscle, therefore, is an increase in metabolism. AND after you work out, cardio/strength training/whatever, in order to maintain your weight, you'd need to eat 110% of the calories burned. SO if you had a 500 calorie workout, you'd have to eat 550 calories to keep from losing weight.

THis is just the stuff that I know...there should be actual people who actually know a LOT about this stuff who can help you out more than I did...LOL

[Chasin2Kids]

Thanks for the answer. I think the hardest thing about Atkins is all the math I'm encountering. Rungs, carbs...muscle vs, fat, percents...I feel like I'm back in school.

[Bren]

Question! How did you pick your goal? Is it based on a chart?

I would suggest you use your body fat as a goal. When exercising you will be surprised how small you become, even if the scale is not friendly!

[Chasin2Kids]

125 was what I weighed when we got married (I think) and its also right in the middle of where I should be for my height on Fitday. So that's what I went with.

[Bren]

ok, next question! I AM A PAIN! lol lol lol

Where you working out when you got married?


and totally OT....... I love your avatar!

[Elizellen]

Many people post that they are now able to wear smaller clothes at their current weight than they could at the same weight previously. So they often reassess their goal weight or use clothes size as their ideal goal size and forget what the scales say.

[Brook]

I reached a point in fat loss and muscle gain that I had to throw my ideas about what my "goal" weight was out the window. For me to have gotten down to 135lbs, I'd have been straight up unhealthy and sick looking. The day I called goal again I was 148lbs (5'5.5" tall), and 17% body fat, which is very healthy by any standard.

Bottom line is that if your body is measuring up to your ideals and goals and the scale doesn't match it...ditch the scale

[Chasin2Kids]

Ditch the scale! Ditch the scale!

It will be my new mantra!

Thanks ladies. You've been a big help!

How did the world get so scale obsessed anyway??

[soappedaler]

I'm 47 and now weigh the same as I did in High School. 114 or thereabouts. But I am much leaner and wear a smaler size since I started weight training, not to an extreme but regularly. I have found that when I'm on Atkins I get leaner while working out with weights than when I was watching calories and fat. I think the protien helps build muscle.