Pet Peeve

[SuperBug]

I know I'm being picky, but I have heard people say this throughout my life, and I was very surprised to see people on these boards espousing the same thing. So I just thought I'd point it out.

Muscle does not weigh more than fat.

A pound of muscle and a pound of fat BOTH weigh the same thing: 1 pound.

A pound of feathers weighs just as much as a pound of lead: 1 pound.

The difference is that one pound of muscle occupies much less space than one pound of fat. It is much more dense; so in that respect, given the same volume (lets say an 8oz. measuring cup) of fat and muscle, the muscle would register a higher weight on the scale--but because there was more of it for a given volume, and volume is VERY different than weight.

A pound is a pound is a pound, OK?

 

[Phemomena]

i like the analogy of marshmellow and rocks... i've used it a couple times.... a pound of marshmellows weighs the same as a pound of rocks, but what would you rather stuff in a pair of jeans (providing that the rocks are smooth and muscle shaped of course )

 

[tripleV]

people say "muscle weighs more than fat" when they are referring to people actually GAINING more weight when they lose bodyfat and gain lean muscle mass.

So if you lose 1 lb of fat and gain 1 lb of muscle, you are heavier.

"ravity doesn't exist, the earth just sucks!" hehe

 

[SuperBug]

"So if you lose 1 lb of fat and gain 1 lb of muscle, you are heavier."

tripleV, I have to respectfully disagree. If you lose one pound of muscle and gain one pound of fat, you remain exactly the same, weight-wise.

Here's an example of how that's true:

Let's say you hand me 1 pound of fat. I get on the scale and read the number--let's say for convenience the number is 150 pounds.

Then I step off the scale. You take away the pound of fat, and hand me a pound of muscle. I get on the scale.
The number will still read 150.

A pound weighs a pound. Always.

 

[Phemomena]

"ravity doesn't exist, the earth just sucks!" hehe

okay scooby doo! hehe, sorry girl, couldn't resist!

 

[wilson6]

Muscle = 1.1 g/cm3

Fat = 0.9 g/cm3

Thus, 1/cm3 of muscle weighs more. So there you have it. Muscle weighs more than fat.

W6

 

[SuperBug]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, w6, but I believe that g/cm3 is not a measure of weight; it is a measure of VOLUME.

As I pointed out above, volume and weight are entirely different forms of measurement.

 

[Phemomena]

hey, that's cheating, that's density/volume, not weight...

the girl isn't arguing the density of fat vs muscle, just that a pound is a pound is a pound...

yeah the pound of fat is taking up a bigger space, but its still a pound

 

[SuperBug]

Thanks phem!!

 

[tripleV]

OK the thing is that you know what I mean....and just want to argue.

Obviously I know 1 lb = 1lb.

A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat it just takes up less space. So if you change out a pound of fat for a pound of muscle you will be physically smaller but weigh the same.

The difference is muscle is much denser than fat.

Think of it this way: Muscle is like brick. Fat, on the other hand, is like cotton balls. It takes far more cotton balls than brick to equal one pound. So a pound of fat takes up more space on the body than a pound of muscle.

Muscle weighs more because it is more dense than fat.