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fat loss / muscle gain ????

azredhead57 Posts: 1,651 Joined: 2003/04/11	2003/05/30, 04:48 PM I apologize if this question has been asked adnauseum. I see people referring to their fat loss/muscle gain and I'd like to know how this is calculated. I know I am gaining muscle because I can see it, but I am not losing pounds. I have a weigh-in and measure this weekend and I'm trying to stay positive as I know I have worked really, really hard the last 4 weeks, but if the scales have actually gone up, it would be nice to know that I am losing fat by gaining muscle. How do I measure that? -------------- ~Victoria~ ...Some things have to be believed to be seen!
Deby Posts: 333 Joined: 2002/08/05	2003/06/02, 09:29 AM I cannot answer your question because my trainer does all of the figuring, and there is a lot involved. Since March 16 I have lost about 10 pounds of body fat but GAINED 16 pounds of muscle, see the GAIN!!! It is getting discouraging, I should have another weigh in/measuring in the next week or so and I STILL have lost absolutely NO WEIGHT. -------------- Gramma
drio Posts: 288 Joined: 2003/04/22	2003/06/02, 10:01 AM I've invested in a body fat scale. I'll be rather blunt in stating that it's really not an accurate measure of body fat. BUT what it does do.. is give me a good reading on my progress. (because it does give a good reading in that sense) So I suppose I use it as a reference more than anything else. One important note, if you decide to get one, be sure to use it at the same time of day.. every day. I use mine first thing in the morning. (your body fat ration will fall and rise almost 3% through the day..) I got mine for around $80 US.. and for the life of me can't remember the brand. Mine even has a graph to show my progress, which is rather nice. -------------- Dont wait! Procrastinate NOW! =)
fsimmons Posts: 77 Joined: 2003/03/24	2003/06/02, 11:51 AM drio where did you get your body fat scale?
azredhead57 Posts: 1,651 Joined: 2003/04/11	2003/06/02, 12:25 PM That gaining thing seems to be a real bummer to us girls. I had my 1 month update and it was not very encouraging. My weight stayed the same. My arms actually measured an inch smaller, but my thighs are an inch bigger! Everything else was about the same, except for a half inch on my waist lost and a half inch on my lower abs gained....weird. I guess it would help to know if I lost some fat even though my weight stayed the same. Oh, well.... -------------- ~Victoria~ ...Some things have to be believed to be seen!
krazymatt Posts: 24 Joined: 2001/12/19	2003/06/03, 06:28 PM Well, To make you feel better, muscle is like rock or steel, as where fat is like cotton, or sponge. The mirror or your clothes don't lie!
Lynhira Posts: 26 Joined: 2003/03/27	2003/06/03, 11:16 PM The scale is not an accurate counter of your success when building muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat but fat takes up more space than muscle. So you will see your success in your measurements, not so much in the scale. With me I have noticed scale will stay same a couple of weeks and then give an overall drop. Stay strong
azredhead57 Posts: 1,651 Joined: 2003/04/11	2003/06/03, 11:44 PM Yeah, that's why I was wondering how to measure your muscle gain and fat loss instead of pounds lost. I am only weighing myself once a month now, just for my records. I haven't actually lost any weight in months, so when i hear people talking about their weight loss it's a bit confusing. But I know that everyone is different and I'm not giving up yet! Thanks all. -------------- ~Victoria~ ...Some things have to be believed to be seen!
	2003/06/04, 01:25 PM Hang in there Red. I've lost about 35 pounds over the last 6 months. It does seem to move in fits and starts. My biggest motivator during the plateaus is how much better I feel. No one can say how hard you are working but for myself I don't feel satisfied unless there is some burn and then residual soreness for a day or two. If your weight and fat charts aren't showing progress, are your exercise gains showing progress? I'm 50 and it seems every gain takes twice as much effort as when I was half my age. If you feel better, run with it. The rest will come. Charlie
azredhead57 Posts: 1,651 Joined: 2003/04/11	2003/06/04, 05:05 PM Thanks Charlie (that's my hubby's name, too). I am seeing some changes and I feel great. It's just that 40 years of thinking that the scales don't lie. Now I know they sort of do. It will still be nice when I can say I've lost weight. -------------- ~Victoria~ ...Some things have to be believed to be seen!
Deby Posts: 333 Joined: 2002/08/05	2003/06/04, 05:27 PM I totally agree with you RED!!! I can't wait for that day too but losing some inches would be great also. -------------- Gramma
warlock Posts: 14 Joined: 2003/05/19	2003/06/06, 02:29 PM I'm there with the people that think we should through out the scales! I used to be a scale freak I would weight a couple of times a day and take averages for better accurace. now I weigh once a week if that. and I hate how some doctors diagnose people obese on the BMI when they have 20% Body fat or less (small vent there) (0: Red if your feeling better and like the way the clothes fit then be happy with what you have done. If you really want to know you BF% have some do some caliper tests on you, then go from there.
azredhead57 Posts: 1,651 Joined: 2003/04/11	2003/06/06, 03:12 PM How often should you have caliper tests done? I had them done at the first of May as a starting point. I'm doing my weight and measurements once a month, also at the first of the month. -------------- ~Victoria~ ...Some things have to be believed to be seen!
drio Posts: 288 Joined: 2003/04/22	2003/06/06, 03:31 PM Eek sorry fsimmons.. been away from the boards for a couple days. The brand I have is called Tanita. And can be found here-> http://www.tanita.com/consumer/products/bf/tbf.html I got the BF-572 model which gives a little graph of progress. (based on your body fat.. not weight) It also let's you program it for multiple users. I joked that I was going to charge my roomate monthly for it's use. =) -------------- Dont wait! Procrastinate NOW! =)