Am i gaining muscle and so not losing weight?

I started working out about 8 weeks back. I was 80 kilos at that time with 35% body fat. After five weeks of alternate day weights and cardio, i dropped to 77 kilos with 31% body fat. Since then i am working out about like below: a) 10 minutes of warm up and stretching b) 30 minutes of weight lifting (moderate to intense) about 10 to 12 sets each day one body part c) 20 minutes of cardio d) 20 minutes of calesthenics - abs, yoga, crunches, etc.. Diet is fairly under control with about a 800 to 1000 calorie deficit per day. Its been over a week and the weighing scales are still showing 77 kilos although i had to pull my belt by one inch more and i am feeling thinner in general. Is it because the muscle gain is offsetting fat loss? i just cant wait for three more weeks before checking my body fat and taking measurements again! any thoughts?

Public Comments

1. It takes time to lose weight, but are you watching what you eat also. Remember it all starts with the mind! Then you will see the difference.
2. one of the hardest things to do is to lose fat while gaining muscle and keeping track. i suggest that you try losing fat first. excercise mainly for fat burning with some light weights so you dont go soft. but also, restrict your diet to 1200 calories a day, period.
3. I attend weight watchers and curves. Both locations have repeatedly stated that when you start to exercise you may not see a loss in pounds on the scale. However, you should see loss of inches. Muscle weighs more than fat, but takes less space, because it is more dense than fat. Keep going and eventually you will see the loss on the scale as well as pant size. Good Luck!
4. Muscle weighs more than fat. You should know that if you work out so much. The fact that you had to fix your belt should say enough. The scales won't tell you anything you really need to know. Muscle also burns more fat, so you should up your cardio and just wait a couple more weeks to see your weight drop a little more.
5. The metric system throws me a little but it sounds like your conclusion is correct. If you are no longer experiencing weight loss but are still losing inches I would say that your muscle gains are somewhat offsetting your fat loss. Watch your caloric deficit if you dip too far while doing a lot of training it will be harmful not helpful. You may in the future have to consider increasing calories or changing your training. You lost about 6-7 pounds in 5 weeks if you are looking for just loss of mass this is a little slow but still good, if you are just trying to go for body composition change and the scale weight to stay the same then you are on the right track, its all about goals and results. Good Luck.
6. yes definatly if you are sticking to what you say above then its definatly because your gaining muscle that the scales havent changed. i tell all my clients to go by their clothes size and body tone rather then the scales. i bet you have noticed that you are more toned like your arms are tighter in general. muscle weighs more then fat so you'd still weigh the same if your gaining it. you'll see when you check your body fat again you'll be a lower % for sure!
7. You do know that muscle weighs more than fat, right ? If your clothes are fitting better, then you are suceeding. It isn't the number on the scale that matters, it's how much better you are feeling.
8. definately. I just started drinking protein shakes and eating a lot of fish and tuna about three weeks ago after my workouts. My muscle strength has been rejuvenated so quickly, I honestly went from flabby muscle to thick vascular muscle in two weeks. I still weigh the same as I did three weeks ago, and I went from benching 225 for 2-3 reps to benching 225 6-7 reps. If you are re-activating your muscle cells, then its normal, your body is burning fat for energy (explains your fat loss), but maintaining your muscle, because it has enough energy, to get by. Give it some more time, and your see results, trust me. When your muscle become naturally pumped, the fat burning process will work for itself. Oh, and restricting your diet 1000 calories and trying to build muscle is quite tough. I would bulk up first, then try to incorporate cardiovascular exercises or something fun thats burns energy. You'd be surprised how well it works out. It stinks not having energy to do work that involves your brain.
9. What you are doing now are fine I think. Just keep in mind that weight reduction is not equal to "fat reduction". What you want is to reduce fat efficiently and show your ripped muscles right? The you should stick to the usual 6 small meals (balance diet) and preferably some form of quality whey protein. To lose fat effectively, you have to be really careful with what you eat. By eating the "right food" at the "right time", you are actually increasing your overall metabolism too. Which turns your body into a fat burning furnace to be exact. While the list is too huge, just go for "natural" products. And minimize oily, fried and sweet stuff. Add in interval trainings 2-3 times a week to give your metabolism a real boost is good too. Visit my fitness and muscle building blog for more tips here: http://www.effective-fat-burn.com/howtobuildupmuscle
10. sounds like it.... you are doing a good job. Keep it up.......you will be pleasantly surprised good luck