If muscle weighs more than fat...

[skywalkerbeth]

I musta been pretty fat when I started!

Just a few months into this (and not even hard core riding, really) and I've gained 4 pounds BUT my clothes not only still fit they may even be slightly looser.

I was thinking that "I don't want to lose pounds so much as firm up" and now I've GAINED. Grrr. OK, I want to go back to the weight I was but firm up.

[Becky]

The number on the scale is just that, a number....how you look and feel is more important. If your clothes still fit well, then you didn't gain inches anywhere and you must have built muscle. Muscle is good

Accept it as a badge of honor

[jessmarimba]

It always makes me laugh when people are shocked at what I really weigh. As in, the number is always much higher than they expected from looking at me. Alllll muscle.

[OakLeaf]

When my mom was young she was a professional dancer off Broadway. She would sometimes amuse herself at "Guess Your Weight" carnival booths - she said she won the prize every single time.

[Dr.Doo]

A pound of muscle weighs exactly the same as a pound of fat. Muscle however is more dense, therefore when you build lean body mass you can reduce your size and weigh more.

[Becky]

It always makes me laugh when people are shocked at what I really weigh. As in, the number is always much higher than they expected from looking at me. Alllll muscle.

Same here. I'm ~20 pounds heavier than what's commonly accepted for my height and build. I have so much fun with the nurses and medical assistants at my various doctors' offices

[Biciclista]

I weigh 15 pounds more than I did before I started cycling. My waistline is so much nicer than it used to be. My thighs have definition. I admit the scale freaks me out but even my doctor said " you're perfect"

[Melalvai]

A friend of mine is losing weight/ gaining fitness and I'm encouraging her to use metrics other than weight, body fat, and circumferences. Like resting HR, and HR after 10 minutes on the treadmill at 2.5 mph.

I should probably take my own advice. I could stand to lose a little weight but more importantly I should monitor my fitness, and if I start to lose fitness, take steps (or pedals) to fix that.

[beccaB]

OK, I just have to brag a little. My recent bloodwork showed that my HDL is higher than my LDL. My doc says I have the highest HDL(good cholesterol) he's ever seen in any of his patients. He told another doc about it who was mad because someone had bested him!

[Biciclista]

beccaB, that's great, congrats!
My company was offering free cholesterol checks and when the nurse got my results she said "you're a breath of fresh air, your numbers are the best I've seen today" I looked at the others, 90% of them were younger than me.
Woohoo!

[Crankin]

Yep, I get the same thing about my HDL/LDL ratio and numbers. But my total is still a little above 200. I've been told numerous times not to worry and that my HDL is one of the best he or she has seen.
Most people think I weigh a lot less than I do, too.

[RubyTuesday]

Funny, I said this to my husband last night. In three weeks I have gained two pounds. Lovely.... I am going to start standing backwards on the scale when I go to the doctor. I don't want to know anymore.

Everyone always calls me trim. I look at the scale and just laugh. My weight is always under estimated also.

[VeganBikeChick]

Funny, I said this to my husband last night. In three weeks I have gained two pounds. Lovely.... I am going to start standing backwards on the scale when I go to the doctor. I don't want to know anymore.

Everyone always calls me trim. I look at the scale and just laugh. My weight is always under estimated also.

I always stand backwards on the scale at the dr.'s office and make sure they don't say the number out loud. I'd rather live in my fantasy world

[kcmpls]

A friend of mine was training for an Ironman Triathlon and was in awesome shape. She went into the doctor and was weighed. Her weight was well above what it should be, because she was all muscle. The doctor told her to lose weight! She had very little fat on her, but the doctor couldn't see beyond the BMI. She changed doctor.

[kcmpls]

Of course, me on the other hand. I'd like to think I'm 235 pounds of muscle, but my belly tells me otherwise...

But I'm down about 10 pounds this summer, but my waist and arms are considerably smaller than they were, so I know there is some muscle building happening.