Fat vs Muscle???

Hi everyone I need some insight here. I have heard over and over again how muscle weighs more than fat. Does this mean that when your body stops losing (say during a plateau) and you are exercising everyday..at least 30 minutes a day (toning exercises) that the body is gaining muscle so the scale doesn't move??? The scale has stopped on me..and im battling the same few pounds..up and down again. I often wonder if my weight loss has ceased on me. Maybe i should cut my calories down alot or something? Any advice, help or the like would be appreciated. hugs and hope everyone is well. JudyB

Hey, Judy! 1 lb of fat = 1 lb of muscle... a lb is a lb. They weigh the same but they take up different amounts of space because fat is fluffier than muscle. Muscle is dense. There is no question that our bodies go through phases where we lose no pounds but we lose inches. It is an interesting phenomenon. I cannot say that during every plateau it is because muscle is being built - I think our body's rest and get stubborn and get used to the routine. I think it takes a decent amount of time and effort to build a whole pound of muscle tissue. What I would do is follow Lei's suggestions when the weight doesn't seem to be moving and do things like increase water or protein, vary your calories from day to day... if you eat 1000 a day... have 800 one day and 1200 the next day, vary your exercise - if you are walking - ride a bike. The key is to vary your diet and exercise regiment such that your body gets a jump start. Personally, I'm losing 2 lbs a month. That's it. I go down a couple and then bounce around up and down for a while. Ultimately I am still seeing a downward trend but it is very, very slow. I can live with it though. Hugs, Kathy

HEY, Anthony!!!!! You got that right. Nice to see you stranger. How ya been? Almost time for my first tat. I'm thinking about it. See ya, Kathy

Dunno yet. Trying to think of something meaningful. Perhaps an ankle tat. Ultiimately I want a shoulder tat. I want two dreamcatchers overlapping. One for Rich and one for me. He is going to get the same. Kathy

First sweet Pea .. your weightloss has not stopped . Your window of opportunity is 18 to 24 months and you are still in the honeymoon period . You need to jump start your motabolism again .. How to do that ? Up your protein .. water and maybe change up your exersise routine. Your body from time to time is going to take breaks on you . You have to be willing to jump back and restart the motab . Your calories right now should not be any less then 600 to 800 a day . But that is what I was prescribed by my nut - you may need to ck w yours says .. but I will tell you - cutting back calories will stop your weight loss as well .. you have to feed that motabolism .. not starve it . Try uping the protein and see what happens . Best to ya .. Natalie

Judy, You are 7 months out from surgery. Most people I know continued to lose for at least 18 months out from surgery. You are now past the dramatic, lose-every-time-you-step-on-the scale, period (first 6 months), but have a good year left of losing slowly, which is not as dramatic and fun but is much healthier. Please don't obsess over plateaus, there is not much you can do about them, short of starving yourself, and that is not healthy. Your body will once again begin to show the loss in lbs when it is good and ready. Building muscle is good, not because of the numbers on a scale, but because muscle burns calories. Continue to do what you are doing, limit the time you spend on the scales, and enjoy this next 12 months. It's going to be different from that first 6 months, but still deeply satisfying. Carole

Judy, Nice to hear from you again. All I can do is share what I've been through. I've had several plateaus so far, some as long as a month. Really, it will end. Give it time and definitely up your liquids. As for exercising, my husband told me that your body needs fuel to burn so you should up your calories by maybe a 100 on the days that you are exercising. Make them good carbs, not just protein so the body and burn, burn, burn them. You should see the difference. My last plateau, I was two weeks into when we joined the YMCA. Started out at 2 days a week, then 3, now up to 5. None this past week due to illness. But on days that I exercised, I had a pb&sfjelly sandwich (1/2) before I worked out and every week, I consistently lost 2-3 lbs. Now, due to the illness and my total starvation because I couldn't swallow anything stronger than water for three days, I lost 7 lbs last week. But with working out, I was losing a lb every other day or so. But at least 2 lbs a week again. Good luck and I hope you find your answers. Love, Tonya