Muscle Gain = Weight Gain?

[logicwand 269]

I am 5 months post op and at a weight where I can finally run again without hurting my joints. I can run a mile without stopping which is a sheer miracle. I absolutely love running but I'm afraid now that I am consistent with it, I will begin to gain muscle and I may gain weight. I know that's dumb. How do you battle the scale and weight loss while also working out and building muscle? I don't know why but I'm so afraid I'll stop losing weight. I have 25 pounds to go, so I know I'm close and I don't want to mess it up!

[allwet 868]

so the old saying "muscle weighs more than fat"

it also burns more energy every minute of every day so your BMR is higher.

The idea that muscle weighs more than fat is a common misconception. One pound of muscle weighs the same as 1 lb. of fat, but muscle and fat differ in volume. One pound of fat takes up more room in the body than 1 lb. of muscle. This does not necessarily mean you’ll gain weight when you build muscle mass. If you lose fat and develop lean muscle mass, the scale will likely go down.

thats from livestrong

[Matt Z 4,139]

6 hours ago, logicwand said:

I am 5 months post op and at a weight where I can finally run again without hurting my joints. I can run a mile without stopping which is a sheer miracle. I absolutely love running but I'm afraid now that I am consistent with it, I will begin to gain muscle and I may gain weight. I know that's dumb. How do you battle the scale and weight loss while also working out and building muscle? I don't know why but I'm so afraid I'll stop losing weight. I have 25 pounds to go, so I know I'm close and I don't want to mess it up!

Yes, the same volume of muscle and fat do weigh different amounts. And yes, initially you'll "gain weight" as you build muscle, and the Fluid you retain while building muscle. However, larger muscle mass requires more energy minute to minute (even while not being used) than smaller muscle mass. So in the long run, that larger muscle is going to burn more fat faster than smaller muscles. So Don't worry about the short term, focus on the long term.