I'm trying to understand the concept that muscle weighs more than fat and I have to tell you that I'm just not getting it. If I'm moving twice as much am I now turning fat into muscles? Those nay sayers say it isn't so, so why on earth am I getting way more exercise and seeing no changes. I've haven't been this active in years. Maybe my brain finds exercise so foreign that it rejects it. Maybe I'm the only person in the world whose body thinks exercise is food and stores it to fat, I knew I didn't have any muscle. Now that makes sense in my head.
Todays Question: "Have you ever come up with utterly ridiculous thoughts to explain absolutely ridiculous results?"
I'll bet you have if you are a weight watcher, and all of us are to greater or lesser degrees. I was warned that after 40 it was much harder to get extra weight off. My momma told me it happened to her and she wanted me to know it could happen to me too. I had no idea how right a mother could be....I do now. I eat half as much as I used too and weight considerably more...I was going to say twice as much but thankfully that is not the case. Whew!
I think my biggest struggle is with the injustice of it all. I'm a person who loves things to be fair, I like everyone to be treated well, I like effort to yield a result. I do not like it at all when those things do not happen. I didn't gain any weight for the record...don't want you to think I'm trying to justify gain. I am 14 pounds lighter still, that 15th pound is losing it's grip. I am merely trying to understand something that may not have an explanation. I thought that if I ate less, let's remember I only eat one sugar treat on Sunday, exercised more, I even danced last night, as if riding three horses, walking and hauling water were not enough, I would see some results. I got my horse on Saturday, but the work started Friday, so tomorrow will be one week of accelerated activity...yes I sweat...I have not lost a pound as a result of that work. I did drop those two pounds when I gave up the sugar but apparently all the work I did caused me to gain one back. ##%%^$####^##%^&*))*&***!!@!! Forgive the language...remember I not getting this and not understanding something does not sit well with a person who is highly analytical.
I'm not going to quit, although I have to tell you my history longs to repeat itself. I'm going to keep moving, I'll be feeding three horses soon, exercising them and me as a result, brushing them, cleaning up after them etc. Let's see if there is any truth to this do more and weigh less theory. So far I'm not too impressed with the data gathered...I am happy to have maintained and not gained the 10-15 pounds I've dropped since I started this process. I'll press on...even though I feel like my patience is being tested. No surprise to any of you by now that I'm not that patient, looks like I'm being forced to practice it. Yikes!
My Prayer: "Lord, help!!!"
Be Blessed with a Wonderful Day.
I am still smiling and know that I have much to be grateful for my friends. :)
Nice post! I figured I'd jump in here and possibly help clarify some things for you - may help you forge on.
ReplyDeleteSo yes, muscle does weigh twice as much as fat.
Imagine it this way. Let's say you have two contains that are the exact same size. Now you fill one of those containers with rocks and the other with feathers.
Which weighs more? Both take up the same overall amount of space, but obviously if you picked up the rocks, it weighs much more because rocks are more dense than feathers.
Muscle is more dense than fat. So even though you may have the same overall volume (space taken up on the body) by fat or muscle, you will be MUCH heavier on the scale if it's muscle as opposed to fat.
Two people at the exact same body weight can look incredibly different based on their overall body fat levels.
Now, in your situation you very likely could be adding muscle mass. How do you LOOK? That's usually a key in all this - avoid using the scale. If you think you're looking firmer, a bit slimmer, and are feeling stronger, then chances are you're losing fat.
Just note that muscle will never replace fat. You can burn off the fat and build more muscle, but you can't convert one to another. It'd be like trying to convert potatoes into pasta. Both are entirely separate body tissues.
Hope that makes more sense now. :)
~Shannon
Very good comment, Shannon - so helpful! It's true...once you have more muscles developed, you can burn more calories! Hang in there Jenny, you will see a change & feel a change:) By, the way....you look already amazing, Jenny <3 WJM
ReplyDeleteThanks Shannon...I get it....yay! And thanks Wendy...I do fit my clothes better. :)
ReplyDeleteIf you are moving more now than ever, your body is going to retain water for a while. Usually for about 2 or 3 weeks. Your muscles hold onto water to help with repairs whenever you increase your exercise intensity. So hang in there - keep doing what you're doing and you'll see the scale agree soon!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenn, I did not know that but strangley enough I felt it. :)
ReplyDelete