It's true!

So I've been in a stall for about 3 weeks now... I've decreased food slightly, increased exercise, all to no avail.

Last night while getting ready for bed, my spouse catches me from the side and says, "Wow, your legs have gotten so buff!" I look down and it hits me--the reason my weight hasn't dropped is because I actually have muscled legs now! "Muscle weighs more than fat" has been a tired refrain I've heard for so many years, but it's true!

I've been doing about 2.5 miles walking every weekday, and doing 60-80 flights of stairs a day at work. I also do a 30-minute hike once a week, and hit the gym to do weightlifting, cardio, and the stairmaster.

I actually do have muscles! I wasn't expecting to gain any muscle during the honeymoon period, but apparently I get enough exercise and eat enough protein to do so.

Now if I could just get those arms of steel with as little effort... LOL ;-)

Yeah, it's true the muscle-fat thing. Below is a post I post many times over the years for those who hit stalls. Brian

Below is a copy and paste from DX...very knowledgeable man. It might help. He had said after WLS it is like decending stairs...

Still staying on-track calorie-wise? And the scale shows you stopping? Or Even Gaining?!?!?--Re-Post Unsolicited advice/info -------------------------------------- Pull back from your daily charting, and look at a weekly or even monthly. There are up and down spikes each day, But if you graph the highest to the lowest, I'd bet there is still A downward slope over the course of the month. There's an 8 to 10lb. volume of "wiggle room" due to water alone. And it comes into play a lot. This has to do with our bodies using glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, But it is stored in our muscles for quick energy. One pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, And the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, (Like when you drop down to your calorie intake) Your body turns first to stored glycogen, Which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, You also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it Voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of any diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, Your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue And burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes---- (by way of your liver releasing hormones signaling low Cal intake) ---That fat can't be used for short bursts of energy...Like to outrun a saber-tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, And rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, (Thus showing negative Calorie load overall) Your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while As you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Yes? The whole weight-loss process is not a straight "Slide" down the scale. More like "Stair-Steps," (Down then forward, then down, then forward, etc... As your body cycles fat out of "deep storage" and through the Liver Into the muscles as Glycogen. The muscles and Liver can hold about a 3 weeks supply. This is why many people find that their "Stall" or "Plateau" Breaks when adding a bit of exercise And upping their water intake, or in the case of an "extreme exerciser," The total Calorie or Protein Intake, To signal the liver to let go of more Glycogen. Fear not, many people who are now enjoying life at a normal BMI Once had a few weeks or so of thinking- "...my weight loss has been awfully slow, has it stopped..."? Hope this helps some. You are doing Great! Keep it Up! Best Wishes- Dx