Muscle weight

[NarsAddict]

My diet has been going sucessfully so far but the one thing it's lacking is an exercise regime. I know I need to get that side of it sorted out as I'm not just doing this to lose weight but to boost my health in general.

I'm just a bit wary of ending up putting on weight and this is what keeps putting me off. I'm not lazy and actually really enjoy exercise when I get into it. It's just that I know the muscles build up more and that can cause weight gain. And I know people who start going to the gym etc can find they're dieting and losing nothing .

I KNOW it's silly because it doesn't show in the same way fat gain does. It's more a psychological thing though. If I see the scales creeping up I don't know how that's going to affect my inspiration to stick to the diet.

It's just being going really well and I don't want to wreck it. So was wondering if anyone had any experience of starting an exercise regime after starting a diet. So could give me an idea of what kind of an impact it had on the scales, good or bad. If it was bad did you just not care because you were so happy with the impact it was having on your measurements, bodyshape etc.

Ok think I'm rambling now, I guess I'm just looking for a bit of reassurance as I'm actually looking forward to getting fitter and don't want any more excuses.

 

[totty]

it depends on the kind of exercise regime you do :happy036:

more cardio ..treadmill/x trainer/ running will not increase muscle mass to an extent that you will see a gain on the scales...but your loss may slow a little

also try pilates/yoga for toning if you dont want cardio

 

[J2BLUE]

I don't think cardio affects muscle too much. If you do hours at a time then your body might start using muscle as well as fat for energy but cardio won't cause you to gain lots of muscle. You really need to do some sort of weights program so you don't lose the muscle you have. Unfortunately it's a case of use it or lose it. It's best to do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps with 'heavy weights' and then eat carbs and protein afterwards. You may gain some muscle initially but that is better than losing the muscle you have. You may want to take measurements and not worry about the number on the scale so much. The best way I have heard it described is that fat is like a big bag of feathers where as muscle is like a little chunk of gold. Each pound of muscle burns 40-60 kcals per day so will help you when you get to goal if you have a decent amount!

Source: Months of obsessing over muscle loss and reading every scrap of info on the net

Good luck

 

[Yorkshire Adam]

to be honest depending on how you work at gym i.e weather to increase muscle mass with heavy weights and do lower reps, or more endurance/cardio work you will feel better for it.

And if the scales do go up doesnt matter in my opinion its how you feel, how your clothes fit and such

 

[Patchninja]

Why not invest in a set of scales that tells you how much fat/muscle/water/bone density you have? That way you can monitor fat loss/muscle gain. I bought a set - the equivalent of 2 months weight watchers meetings costs, but I think they're worth it!

 

[Foxtrot]

I think we all carry our weight differently according to height and general makeup anyhow.

Perhaps you are beating yourself over the head too much with the weight thing when perhaps you should be lookling at size instead?? Shouldn't a toned body with the most important muscle, your heart, regularly exercised be your goal rather than what the scales say?

My daughter joined the army size 12 and just short of 10 stone. She's now 11 stone and size 10. She did panic about the scales all the time but now her wardrobe is what she uses. After all everybody looks at what you are wearing, they don't come up to you and pick you up to see how much you weigh, do they!!!!

 

[totty]

After all everybody looks at what you are wearing, they don't come up to you and pick you up to see how much you weigh, do they!!!!

oooooooooooooooh i like that!!!!!!!!

 

[wannabslim]

So true Foxtrot! What you guys have all said is totally spot on IMO! However, it's easy to say that - it's what others have said to me all along - BUT after 3 years it's only just sinking in!!

I think sometimes when we have a lot of weight to lose (or have lost a lot of weight) it is easy to get hung up on the scales... because, lets face it, we have lots of fat to lose so the scales are a tool to help us find out whether our efforts to lose the fat are paying off. It's easy to forget that there are OTHER ways of measuring our success, and only focus on the lbs and oz's.

I find the mirror, a tape measure and my clothes are really the best way to tell how I'm doing - I can see certain areas shrinking in terms of the fat disappearing and where I am gaining muscle definition, and would definitely suggest that you try and focus less on the scales and more on how you look and feel. It can only be good to gain muscle and lose fat, right?

xxx

 

[Redpam]

According to Rosemary Conley, you should not worry about putting on muscle weight by getting fit. She says it takes the most dedicated bodybuilder a month to put on 1lb of muscle.

 

[Georgiestar]

I go to the gym but I dont do any weights, I just go on treadmill, crosstrainer,bike and rowing machine and for me the scales do go down if i go 3 or 4 times a week, but I agree its how you feel if you want to gain more muscle then go ahead and you will probably burn more fat..and just any excersise is good for you!

 

[Sajane]

And think that the more exercise you do, the more calories you need.

The muscle you carry the more calories you need to sustain it.

Think of the added advantages of your arteries/lungs/heart as well as fitting into your fav item of clothing.

Relax about those lbs on the scales and get the tape measure out!

 

[kingflab]

According to Rosemary Conley, you should not worry about putting on muscle weight by getting fit. She says it takes the most dedicated bodybuilder a month to put on 1lb of muscle.

Sort of. Anybody who is physically fit will struggle to put on muscle, and it can take a very long time for them to gain a pound of muscle. However, anybody who is physically unfit will put on quite a lot of muscle quite fast, you could probably put on up to 3lbs of muscle in a month.

Its like dieting really. A thin person who eats healthy will struggle to lose a couple of pounds, whilst an large person who has previously eatan unhealthily will lose quite a lot of weight in a very short space of time, afterwards it slows down.