Question:
Is it true that we lose muscle and fat during weight loss?

If ALL WLS people as well as dieters, lose weight consisting of both fat and muscle together...and MOST dieters/wls people are NOT body builders (my first point which was mistaken, horribly...my fault for not explaining myself a little more clearly that I am talking specifically about just regular, WLS people, during the first year post op) then how is it that as soon as someone hits a plateau the first thing some people say is "you might be gaining muscle" whether they KNOW if the person is lifting weights/strength training or NOT???? 'Cause lets face it, you don't gain "pounds" of muscle by walking on a treadmill/spinning on a bike generally, not saying it's impossible, but when I never saw a dude with muscles, spinning or running laps and eating extremely low carbs and 600-800 calories a day and barely able to eat enough protein a day (which is not enough to fuel significantly contribute to muscle weight gain). Eating a deficit of calories and carbs your body starts using the protein/muscles as fuel and we go into KETOSIS ..then HOW can one be gaining muscle if we are losing 20%? ALSO...Women do not GENERALLY have the hormones (testosterone) to look like Hercules especially while losing the amount of weight we lose on such a calorie/carb restricted diet due to WLS and the diet that comes with it! Don't you need a lot of complex carbs (foods that turn into glucose) to gain muscle??? And protein not to gain muscle but so you don't lose as MUCH muscle while losing fat???... I think that's how it works ...I'm sorry, I guess my logic is making me stupid again...But my logic says that if we are mostly in ketosis the first year, we are losing muscle not gaining it...and the newer diet rules that surgeons are handing out are extremely low carbs of any kind which are completely opposite the muscle building diet! I still believe that a lb of fat is the same exact thing as a pound of muscle regardless of how many of you say I am wrong...If 99% of people tell the same lie, it doesn't make it right! Just ask Chris Columbus... But that's okay! I understand you are trying to get me to understand the volume vs weight (I already know that and mentioned it in my first question rather clearly...That's not the point at all!) :) It's okay...I just see weight gain during the first year as water retention mostly (or over eating, eating the wrong foods again, not exercising) and sure there are some that will lose much of their weight fast and begin gaining muscle weight well into the last half of their first year with rigorous weight lifting/training...I just thought it was overly hopeful to call weight fluctuations muscle gain...I'm sorry...If it makes everyone happy so they can understand my point better...I will say it myself again "Muscle by volume is/looks heavier than fat" Okay? ...and weight gains can be muscle weight if you are weight/strength training vigorously rather than doing mostly cardio and eating plenty of complex carbs, protein and calories to do this. Don't you have to EAT in excess to gain weight...whether the weight is fat OR MUSCLE! (Isn't that how the whole "volume" thing works?) NO? If you are only eating 600-800 cals a day...I'm sorry, I do not believe you are gaining muscle! I could be wrong...I'd gladly say so if I thought I was! SO my question is: Is it true that ANYONE/dieters lose muscle and fat during weight loss? And what do we have to eat and do for exercise to gain muscle weight and still lose fat? I ask these questions for those who have been told they are gaining muscle...I just think they should know since I am wrong according to the majority who answered my first question/answer...    — .Anita R. (posted on February 10, 2009)

February 10, 2009
Although that was a very long and confusing post, I think you have it kinda right...I think that when a person works out and gains a little bit of weight it is water weight...The muscles need the water to repair after a workout...you do tend to retain water after working out...I think that that is what people mean by that...Or the fact that people think that gaining muscle is heavier than losing fat...muscle is denser and heavier than fat, you can lose a whole lot of fat and really see a difference, but as you build muscle the difference is much slower and less seen right away because of the density..Plateus happen the body just sometimes needs to catch up...or needs a break...who knows why exactly they happen, but they just do...
   — lori042499

February 10, 2009
Anita: A pound is a pound is a pound; that is true. What you neglect to factor in is SPECIFIC DENSITY. A pound of FEATHERS takes up MORE SPACE than a pound of BRICKS. The same is true for a pound of FAT verses a pound of MUSCLE. Muscle is DENSER than fat. Therefore, it WEIGHS MORE per CUBIC MEASUREMENT than fat. PICK the cubic measurement, be it square inches, square meters, square feet, or whatever, muscle weighs MORE per the CUBE than fat. It takes MORE of the same VOLUME of fat to make the same WEIGHT in muscle. That is why you can still GAIN weight and lose FAT. As long as you are working out,and eating more protein than your body needs to replace what it uses to rebuild itself, you can gain muscle. When you WALK, you build up your LEG muscles and OTHER muscles in the trunk of your body. Just because you are not BENCH PRESSING does not mean that you are not going to build muscle. MOST weight loss regimens are HIGH PROTEIN regimens. They are LOW calorie and replace most of the caloric requirements with PROTEIN. Protein can be broken down and USED by the body for energy, but it isn't as easy for the body to use as calories. This is why the body goes into ketosis when it doesn't have enough calories. It is breaking down protein for use as energy. The body would actually PREFER to use protein instead of fat as an energy source, and this is why it is important to keep within a specific caloric range and not go under it or the body will scavenge your protein instead of the fat. As long as you eat within the range specified by your dietician, you should be ok. That is not to say that it will work every time, since every one is different. You also need to take into account other factors such as hormone levels and the like. If your thyroid levels are off, you may not be ABLE to lose weight without medication. Hypothyroid sufferers require medications such as synthroid or levothyroxine to help regulate their hormone levels. This allows their metabolism to be regulated, and allows them to lose weight. WITHOUT the medication it is almost impossible for them to lose weight, even with weight loss surgery.
   — hubarlow

February 10, 2009
To answer your question, everyone that looses weight looses both muscle mass and fat. In order to keep from loosing as much muscle mass we should eat the required amount of protein and do light weight workouts. That is what I was told by my trainer and a nutritionist.
   — deejacobs

February 10, 2009
Anita, Calm down and listen to Hugh Barlow. He explained this exactly right. I'm hypothyroid and I do know what Hugh is talking about. You have to consider the whole picture. Ask type 2 diabetics how easy it is to lose weight. If you eat less calories your metabolism shifts into low gear and the weight remains high at least that was my experience. vinnigirl, retired RN
   — vinnigirl

February 10, 2009
Hi Anita...just to clarify..I agree a pound of feathers is the same as a pound of lead. But an ice cube of lead is going to weight more than an ice cube made of feathers, since feathers don't weigh as much. I think people are confused. I also agree that when someone hits a plateau and they say its muscle gain..I think it is wrong. It takes a long time for a muscle to build up. Atleast thats what my doctor said. And let's face it, if gaining muscles were easy, everyone would go around looking great. I eat 600-900 calories a day and lose only 2-3 every 10 days or so. I am still losing inches and as long as I am losing ..I am ok with a slow loss.
   — gpcmist

February 11, 2009
Hey, Anita, I think you totally get the fat/muscle thing. I don't know what your surgeon requires or suggests. But mine suggests vigorous aerobic exercise along with strength training. So not wanting to do this wrong (since we really only have one chance to to the wls thing right) I joined a gym and found a personal trainer. I weight train 3 days of the week and do aerobics 5 times a week (by aerobics I mean, the treadmill, swimming, biking, playing basketball or just power walking on a trail near my house). So when I said yesterday that I am measured in a pool of water to determine body fat and lean muscle mass, I am gaining muscle and the cool thing about that is that having lean muscle mass means that we burn calories more efficiently. The exercise is worth it because it is helping me burn more calories and really weight loss = calories in - calories out. When we it one of those days or weeks when we stop losing for a short while, if nothing has changed with the calories in or out then generally it is water retentio which our bodies do from time to time, it happened to me 3 weeks after surgery and was very frustrating for about a week and then things started going down again. You are right a pound of fat is no different by weight than a pound of muscle, they just look completely different. That distinction is just a point for everyone to argue about which is pretty silly, we need to support each other here and does it really matter that both sides are right on this point, you are just looking for answers to how this WLS works. I hope that you find the answers that you are looking for. I know for me this is the best thing I have ever done for myself and on the days when I am frustrated I get on the scales and remember where I was 2.5 months ago. Good luck to you! Cathy
   — brindledanes