[Closed] Muscle vs fat weight gain, Lock-down...whats your experience

I wondered whether it’s muscle?

It's not muscle.

What gives?

You haven't been moving as much during the day and you've got a little bit fat. If it makes you feel any better, the same thing has happened to me and probably a lot of other people on here.

Water weight? I still get confused about water retention but I know that changes to hydration can change how and when you retain water etc. Think I gained weight during a week in Girona as I was drinking so much because of the heat.

Also, what are you eating the nights before you weigh yourself? I see a variation of almost 1.5kg at my morning weigh-ins, bizarrely my lightest weights seem to correspond with having a whisky the night before (dehydration?) and most recently, having a chippy! I think the chippy was because chips are a 'low residue' food unlike my usual quite healthy fibrous and salad-y dinners...

My mileage during lockdown has been good, diet has been reasonable, but seem to have plateau-d at 85kg, I think I need to start working in a bit more high intensity stuff, it's all been low intensity to date.

Despite what social media might suggest, I think more people have gained some undesirable weight over lockdown that gained muscle.

you’ve got a little bit fat.

Aye, clearly...I wonder where it is..?

You have to weigh yourself una consistent manner and not too often. Something like every Saturday morning after your morning dump. When I use to lift I used to see variations of 1 to 1.5kg all the time.

You have to weigh yourself una consistent manner and not too often

Yes to consistent as in something like same time of day but do it daily and look at something like a 5 point moving average. Weighing infrequently risks catching your weight at opposite ends of normal variation on consecutive samples, which can be misleading and demotivating. Or just input your weight into Google Fit which gives you a trend line, much more useful than point values.

I fluctuate between 91 and 89 now regularly. Lockdown has made a difference, but only that I'm not lifting what I usually was in the gym.

Regular weighin at the same time of day once a week and wearing the same clothes (or none, up to you!).

Ignore small ~1-2kg over a week.

Depending on age, adding muscle takes a LOT of time and effort!

Lost weight over the first couple of months, then a stressful project and losing my job ruined it all 🤣

Aye, clearly…I wonder where it is..?

Everywhere, subcutaneous fat is the jiggly bits and forms all over the body although predominantly around the lower back an sides as love handles and across the belly in males.

You've been moving less but eating the same amount. Eat less or move more.

If you're moving less it's likely you'll start to lose muscle, not sure that's helping though 😀

Eating in a 16-8 or 18-6 hour time slot intermitent type fast could get you back to where you were. so for example eat ony from 9am till 3pm and have other health benefits too.

Eating in a 16-8 or 18-6 hour time slot intermitent type fast could get you back to where you were. so for example eat ony from 9am till 3pm and have other health benefits too.

If you reduce the time that you're "allowed" to eat then you'll eat less. There's no magic. Calories in versus calories out unless the laws of thermodynamics have changed recently.

Not if you cram a days worth of meals into that window...

If you reduce the time that you’re “allowed” to eat then you’ll eat less. There’s no magic. Calories in versus calories out unless the laws of thermodynamics have changed recently.

Either that or you'll binge eat and end up putting more on 😀

There’s no magic. Calories in versus calories out unless the laws of thermodynamics have changed recently.

Broadly agree, but not entirely.

If I consumed my entire calorific requirement by drinking 250ml of sunflower oil daily, how would my body weight and composition change?

body weight and composition would be the least of your problems.

I am moving more working at home as I cycle in the week now as well as every weekend. I am also eating less crap as I don't have a crap filled vending machine at home.

Weight - the same 72kg I have been since I was 18 (34 years ago)

I've stayed pretty much the same weight over lockdown (within a few kg) but have definitely gained some muscle in my legs - thighs and calfs - thanks to taking up running in December and keeping that going all through lockdown.

IME if you have put on weight without trying (i.e. a strict diet and weights regime)... then you have put on fat.

i started a tight calorie controlled diet just over two months ago, ive lost a stone, (11.5 down to 10.5) mostly/hopefully fat, but likely some lost muscle mass as well.
I used MFP with an initial target of 1500cal/day was horribly tough, for a couple of weeks i had zero energy on the bike, but thats got easier, the recorded reality of calories was more like 1700/day.

next challenge is to wean myself away from calorie counting, as its all encompassing and something I would rather not do.... but concern then is managing my diet in the future.
First plan was to increase the calorie target and maintain strict recording, but im going to just run free and keep an eye on the scales for the next few months.

My experience over 10 weeks has been pretty scary - at 11.5st most folk would have classed me as thin/athletic, but the initial belly fat is quite easy to ignore - I was carrying at least a stone of unnecessary body fat, I now look at bigger folk and mentally calculate how many years of that level of brutal calorie control they would need to tolerate......

I’ve got fat due to lockdown and having the virus. Still can’t exercise without getting tired very quickly. All the fat is around my midriff too 😕

You’ve been moving less but eating the same amount. Eat less or move more.

I have been walking less fo'shure, I used to do between 10K to 13K steps daily, and that's down to 6 or 7k a day, but I'm definitely cycling more, I can be out of the door minutes after closing the lid on the laptop, so I'm doing 3 or 4 rides that I wouldn't do otherwise. Diet's not changed*...I'm pretty sure it's fat, I don't jiggle any more than I used to though..

* I'm a vegetarian, this time of year, I just eat salad.

I've gone from a steady 71-2kg to 73-4 since lockdown, which doesn't seem like a big deal... but for the first time in my life (39) I'm struggling to shift belly flab and love handles. My Garmin-estimated Vo2 max has also dipped.

While I've diligently kept up my total cycling distance (100+ km per week), it seems that my old commute and office walks must have been a more intense regime.

For the first time ever, I'm now looking more closely at doing some exercises rather than just assuming that I can eat what I want and never have to exercise apart from cycling. 🙁

I hadn't weighed myself for years until recently when I needed to work out what size swimming wetsuit to get, to my shock I was the heaviest I'd ever weighed in at, 88kg. I know I'd put a load of timber on as I was laid up for nearly 8 weeks over Xmas and NY with a broken leg and the earlier days of lockdown I didn't do as much as I should have with work being daft busy, I tend to go with how my clothes fit and I couldn't get in my previously loose work shirts. Got myself on top of it now and have shed 4kg since early June, booze only twice a week, exercise at least 5 days a week with a mixture of stuff and eating better. The lack of commuting to the office and then wandering around the office during the day has definitely contrbuted, but seemed to have found a decent routine now and feel much better in myself.

IME if you have put on weight without trying (i.e. a strict diet and weights regime)… then you have put on fat.

i started a tight calorie controlled diet just over two months ago, ive lost a stone, (11.5 down to 10.5) mostly/hopefully fat, but likely some lost muscle mass as well.
I used MFP with an initial target of 1500cal/day was horribly tough, for a couple of weeks i had zero energy on the bike, but thats got easier, the recorded reality of calories was more like 1700/day.

next challenge is to wean myself away from calorie counting, as its all encompassing and something I would rather not do…. but concern then is managing my diet in the future.
First plan was to increase the calorie target and maintain strict recording, but im going to just run free and keep an eye on the scales for the next few months.

My experience over 10 weeks has been pretty scary – at 11.5st most folk would have classed me as thin/athletic, but the initial belly fat is quite easy to ignore – I was carrying at least a stone of unnecessary body fat, I now look at bigger folk and mentally calculate how many years of that level of brutal calorie control they would need to tolerate……

Almost mirror image of my own experience since lockdown. 11 stone 3 down to 10 stone 1 as of yesterday. Since lockdown I've been hammering the cycling but also set up a bar for body weight exercises and have stuck religiously to every other day. Used mfp to get a handle on calorie intake, weight measurements occasionally but more importantly chest, belly and bicep measurements. Lost less than a cm from chest and bicep, lost 12cm off my belly, again noone considered me overweight but that's a lot of subcutaneous fat to be carrying around needlessly, quite an eye opener. Feel loads better too.

I've stopped running a calorie deficit now, looking to maintain for a month or so before slowly upping but cleanly. Only used mfp for about a month just to get a handle on what I'm eating (generally recycle the same meals over a month or so as don't want to end up neurotic about calories)

Was 86kg at the beginning of lockdow and have been furloughed since April the 1st. I did some cycling at the beginning in our 1 hour allowance (did an hour and 10 min one day!) Though have done no more than 120miles in the last 6 weeks.

I have started drinking more frequently rather than at weekends only, I've eaten pretty much what I wanted though haven't binged. I have however done at least 150 press ups throughout each day, have done yoga every other day and adopted a 2 year old.

I'm now 78kgs - get a kid folks, it works.

Started well here, PE with Joe withe kids every morning, couple of runs and rides a week, few goes on the chinning bar a day. HENCH.
However the slow descent into lethargy, alcoholism and a rampaging cheese addiction have long since annihilated those early gains. Was due to start the fight back this week but on the sauce on Roquefort Tonight, due to circumstances beyond my control.

However the slow descent into lethargy, alcoholism and a rampaging cheese addiction have long since annihilated those early gains.

I feel less of a failure after reading that. Thanks.

3 to 4kg of muscle from riding around an hour or so a few times a week. You've found the silver bullet my friend. Get a fitness dvd made and you'll be a millionaire by Christmas.

Seriously though. 3 to 4kg of muscle is hard to put on without shifting iron regular, if you've not been doing that, what gives is your weight gain is fat/water retention. Sorry. Probably not what you wanted to hear.

Actually doing ok here.

Quite early on I made the change in psychology from thinking of biking/running as the core components of exercise to pilates/weights being the core. That is, they take priority and facilitate biking/running. I did wonder if this would result in reduced time running/biking but that hasn’t been the case and my total monthly time spent exercising has increased from around 20-25hrs per month to currently 40hrs without any long runs/bikes.

2-3 weight training sessions per week with 2-3 Pilates sessions per week, the two overlap a little but is structured to avoid working the same areas on consecutive days.

Ive no idea how much fat I’ve lost, if any, but all my clothes fit looser around the waist, and a few items (already close fitting) are now struggling around the chest. No measurements taken but I’m generally looking less like a clothed sack of potatoes with legs and I’m taking that as a good thing. Body posture has been a clear win. In general I just feel less knackered.

The problem I have with the weight training is I’ve gone for fixed weight Rubber Hex Dumbbells, which involve big gaps between sizes and are becoming eye wateringly expensive for what is basically a metal bar with two lumps of rubber stuck on the end.

I’m now 78kgs – get a kid folks, it works.

I've got 2 and have put on about 5 or 6kgs since lock down started. I'm just not doing as much as I used to as I'm not commuting every day and feel I have to do more family stuff so not getting out on my own for proper exercise.

Plus a calf strain has knackered my running....

3 to 4kg of muscle is hard to put on without shifting iron regular

Yep, this would be an excellent result from 12 months lifting without excessive fat gain.

3 to 4kg of muscle from riding around an hour or so a few times a week.

Not what I thought anyway, some of it clearly is muscle, not much though I'd have thought, and some of my gains is also cardio fitness.

Sorry. Probably not what you wanted to hear.

Oh, it's fat, I know that, hint: I've said so twice so far on this thread. My main interest is where the hell is it, I'm still on the same bet notch, none of my clothes feel tighter...

I'm still the same weight, hovering around the 83kg mark, but it's in different places. My upper body has lost a bit of muscle mass and that has moved down to become love handles. Pretty happy with it TBH as I did very little upper body work over lockdown compared to 2-3 gym sessions a week and I wasn't doing any major climbing when on the bike.

While I’ve diligently kept up my total cycling distance (100+ km per week), it seems that my old commute and office walks must have been a more intense regime.

I have missed my cycling commute, replaced it with a daily ride but it wasn't the same. The amount of heavy lifting and walking I used to do at work has been missed though, it really did burn the calories and keep my upper body working well!

Overall I'm happy with what condition I've come out of lockdown in, similar to what I'd be at the end of winter but I've obviously lost a few months to build on that for the summer. Plan is to keep it up and carry it through the next winter and hit next year ready to make up for this year.

Individuals store fat differently, men can store fat around their chest areas. Moobs for example? Maybe hiding out there?

Yes to consistent as in something like same time of day but do it daily and look at something like a 5 point moving average. Weighing infrequently risks catching your weight at opposite ends of normal variation on consecutive samples, which can be misleading and demotivating

This massively. My weight only this week went up on one day by 3.5lbs. However, I can't gain or lose that much fat in a day. The average trends are more useful.

Op: perhaps take an average weight over a week and compare this.

Individuals store fat differently, men can store fat around their chest areas. Moobs for example?

Is there any way of encouraging the fat to turn into moobs? Asking for a friend.

Wearing a trainer bra may encourage growth in that area.