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Have you heard the saying that muscle weighs more than fat? Does it really? Here’s an understanding of the “muscle weigh more than fat” statement.

Does muscle weigh more than fat? That’s something you’ll hear a lot when it comes to weight loss. I’ve seen it stated in weight loss groups all that time.

When I started out as a Weight Watchers leader, they wanted us not to use the saying at all. My boss at the time kept telling me that it was a myth. However, she clearly didn’t understand the meaning behind the actual saying.

She kept saying a pound is a pound is a lb.…That is like saying a pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of lead. But the two don’t weigh the same when you consider size, and that is the same principle as muscle and fat.

Does muscle weigh more than fat?

While a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat, it’s important to think about the size. This isn’t just important when you’re asking “does muscle weigh more than fat?” It’s about anything that you’re comparing in weight.

A pound of lead is going to be much smaller in size than a pound of feathers. Now let’s use that principle with the muscle and fat.

A pound of muscle is much smaller than a pound of fat. So, with that in mind, when you put muscle and fat of the same density together, the muscle will weigh more than fat.

How does that affect your weight loss?

So, now that you know muscle does weigh more than fat, it is time to find out how that affects your weight loss.

The truth is that one week of exercise is not going to build the muscle that causes the weight gain. In fact, two or three weeks of exercise for the average person is not going to cause this. It takes time to build the muscle to replace the fat, and create it to such a density and size that it will weigh more than the original fat did.

Does that mean exercise isn’t worthwhile?

Of course not! Exercise is excellent for those losing weight, maintaining their weight loss, or just trying to live healthier. You see, exercise helps to tone the body, and aids with the process of weight loss.

But don’t people who exercise gain weight? That is where the idea of muscle weighing more than fat comes from, right? Well, it is not likely to do with the muscle or fat. It could be your body going into “starvation” mode because you’re not eating enough, although that is when you keep going for a long time.

When you do exercise, your body burns more calories. If you don’t eat enough, your body starts to panic that you’re not going to eat enough on a regular basis. To prevent it from starving, the body starts holding onto calories you eat by slowing your metabolism down. To see the benefits of exercise, you need to eat a little more—not too much so you eat more calories than you burn, but enough so you still see a good weight loss.

It’s a case of trial and error to find the one that works for you.

So, in conclusion, does muscle weight more than fat? The simple answer is no. A pound is a pound, no matter what you are weighing. However, a pound of muscle is smaller than a pound of fat. That is the truth behind the statement.

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What weight loss myths have you heard? Which statements do you struggle to believe? Let me know them in the comments below.