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How Much Excess Fat Converted to Muscle When Weight Remains Constant?

2K views 29 replies 16 participants last post by  Loraura 
#1 ·
If someone who is very overweight rides and doesn't lose weight, how much fat has been converted to muscle?

For instance, since I started riding about 10 weeks ago, I've ridden at least 10 miles/week. My distances have been generally trending up as I get used to it. Yesterday I rode 22 miles, my longest ride so far, and that makes 30 miles so far this week. But I weigh the same as I did before I started riding. All my other activity levels are about the same. I'm 53, 5' 10", 275 lbs, and could probably stand to lose about 70+ lbs.
 
#2 ·
Fat does not convert to muscle. But you knew that.

You would have to test your body composition to see if your fat percentage has decreased since exercising. I'd be surprised if it has changed very much given that your weight has stayed constant. If you were on some heavy-duty weightlifting regimen, I might believe you'd replaced significant fat mass with muscle mass.

Exercise is only one piece of the weight loss puzzle. The other two (IMHO) are sensible, sustainable caloric restriction, and increased sleep. There is growing evidence that the body compensates quite easily to increased output (i.e. exercise) or decreased input (i.e. caloric restriction) alone, and will hold on to fat stores.
 
#3 ·
I don't know Pretender. I think he could be bulking up his legs and loosing fat at the same time. My legs have gotten back to their 'soccer' size the last 12 weeks or so but my weight remained constant. Now it is plummeting as I burn more and more calories (riding 50-70miles/week).
 
#4 ·
Nope, you never convert fat to muscle. It's biologically impossible. You can burn fat and build muscle simultaneously, but not convert one to the other.

To the OP. Start tracking your caloric intake. Everything. Breath mints, bagles, bananas, everything. You might be surprised at how many calories you're taking in. The first, and probably only, rule of weight loss is less calories in than burned. I had a friend in a similar situation as you and when he looked at his caloric intake for a 25 mile bike ride, he was downing two large bottles of Gatorade, a Clif Bar and a few gu's or gels. The net caloric gain was over 250 kcals for the ride. It may be something to consider.
 
#5 ·
It takes quite a while to grow a pound of muscle.
 
#6 ·
22 miles is a decent distance for a beginner, but you should be doing that 3-4 days a week, not once or twice.

Once you get up to 100 miles a week you'll start to see some more changes, assuming you're eating the same stuff you were before.
 
#7 ·
PG_Gary said:
you never convert fat to muscle. You can burn fat and build muscle simultaneously
That's what I meant.

PG_Gary said:
To the OP. Start tracking your caloric intake...You might be surprised at how many calories you're taking in.
I'm not surprised. During Mondays 10 mile ride, during which I did a half hours kayaking and a couple of hundred yards swimming, I stopped at a restaurant and had a huge Lobster dinner w/ lots of bread and stuff. Halfway though yesterday's 22 miler, I had a small candy bar, then ate dinner at a restuarant (Salmon, vegetables, potatoes--no bread at that one though--but when I got home I was hungry again so I had 3 bowls of cereal with honey on it.)

So yeah, I'm getting more hungry and eating more when I excercise more. But I figure some of what was fat weight ought to now be muscle weight if I weigh the same, no?
 
#9 ·
TomBrooklyn said:
During Mondays 10 mile ride, during which I did a half hours kayaking and a couple of hundred yards swimming, I stopped at a restaurant and had a huge Lobster dinner w/ lots of bread and stuff. Halfway though yesterday's 22 miler, I had a small candy bar, then ate dinner at a restuarant (Salmon, vegetables, potatoes--no bread at that one though--but when I got home I was hungry again so I had 3 bowls of cereal with honey on it.)

So yeah, I'm getting more hungry and eating more when I excercise more. But I figure some of what was fat weight ought to now be muscle weight if I weigh the same, no?
Are you taking the piss?

If not, and if you are actually trying to lose weight, you have to get real with yourself.

The sucky thing about being fat and trying to lose weight, is you have to think and act like a skinny person when you're still fat. It's reasonably easy to act like a skinny person when you are, in fact, skinny. Truly thinking and acting like a skinny person when you are fat takes a lot of faith and positive thinking.
 
#11 · (Edited)
TomBrooklyn said:
But I figure some of what was fat weight ought to now be muscle weight if I weigh the same, no?
You didn't say how long you've been working out, nor did you say how intense your workouts are, so I don't think that anyone can really answer that. I can say that it's easier to lose a pound of fat than it is to gain a pound of muscle.

For rides of less than 90 minutes, you shouldn't need anything more than water. For longer rides, limit your calories.

As another poster pointed out, eat more frequently. Breakfast, lunch and dinner with snacks in between each meal. BUT, watch your portions. You don't want to let yourself get to where you are starving, get frantic, and start to eat everything in sight. You also don't need to feel stuffed every minute of the day.

From your example During Mondays 10 mile ride, during which I did a half hours kayaking and a couple of hundred yards swimming, I stopped at a restaurant and had a huge Lobster dinner w/ lots of bread and stuff" you probably burned 300 - 500 calories, but ate 1,500 back. Net gain of 1,000 calories. Four days of that, and you've gained over a pound, and it's not muscle.

In my experience, most people underestimate how much they eat (and what the caloric cost is) and overestimate how much they burn. Find an online calculator and track everything you eat, and how much you burn exercising, for at least 3 weeks. Get very honest with yourself about portion sizes. Weigh what you eat before you put it in your mouth. You'll probably be shocked. I know I was.
 
#13 ·
I'm new here but I have a M.S. In Exercise Physiology and am going to shed light on this. First off if you want detailed pathway information PM me because I will most likely talk to you on the phone. First off, do not ride for miles, but time. You need forty-five min of moderate to intense exercise to fully initiate the various free fatty acid and triglyceride pathways to utilize for energy. Second, hydration levels are more important than diet (this does not mean you can eat crap and expect results) in relation to metabolism function. Always stay hydrated. Third, bulk eating with such low miles and duration (especially if your not using skim milk is counterproductive) . Last, since you have developed habits over the years your diet structure will be the hardest part. To solve this problem you must rid your house (or divide the fridge for your foods) of all junk type foods. I mean everything. The foods that I see destroying diets are mayo, cheese, butter, high fat dairy, fatty meats, drinks and... tomato sauce (yep!). To answer the sauce question... most store bought sauces contain a high amount of sugar to balance out the sharpness. This leads to insulin spikes and retention of calories.

-Cheers
 
#16 ·
Just an FYI, unless you are averaging 22mph, solo, on your 22mi ride, you aren't burning a ton of calories. Assuming an 18mph pace, you're probably burning about 400 calories.

For more perspective:
"Lobster dinner w/ lots of bread and stuff" is probably around 1500 calories. Lobster and bread = lots of real butter, too. Each small slice of bread at a restaurant has about 130 calories in it, at least.

"a small candy bar, then ate dinner at a restuarant (Salmon, vegetables, potatoes--no bread at that one though--but when I got home I was hungry again so I had 3 bowls of cereal with honey on it.)"

3 bowls of cereal was probably half the box, right? Assuming it's healthy cereal is about 1300+ calories. Add to that the 250cal candy bar, 200cal salmon, 100 cal vegetables, and 600+ cal potatoes...

I'm surprised you aren't gaining weight...

You eat more than me, and I ride 16hrs/week (300+mi)
 
#18 ·
Low estimate

iliveonnitro said:
Just an FYI, unless you are averaging 22mph, solo, on your 22mi ride, you aren't burning a ton of calories. Assuming an 18mph pace, you're probably burning about 400 calories.
Actually, 18 mph for a 275 lb rider is closer to 550 calories per hour. Not that the OP is likely able to ride that fast, but just for reference.
 
#21 ·
I would like to know where your calculations are coming from. I did a 30 mile ride the other day with a 12 mph average and burned 1730 calories according to my Polar. Granted I weigh 200lbs and there were alot of hills so my HR was high... Tom Buy a heart rate monitor and research how to use it. Then start a food diary. Your starting off right, and need to start slow and steady. The Lobster and bread day was a bit over the top and the cereal was also a lot. Balance your calorie intake and your calorie output, favoring output. While I'm no expert and by this forums standards not even in shape, when I was younger I was. Instead of 10-20 miles a week try 40-50 a week. Increase from there.

Good luck
Chris
 
#22 ·
Hi. My question wasn't really about if I was losing weight or how to lose weight. I was just wondering if I was converting any weight to muscle when I excercise more and weigh the same. The alternative I would guess is that not that much muscle is built, but muscle tone and general fitness is increased. From just looking at top cyclists, they generally seem pretty lean. Very fit, obviously--but lean--not a lot of muscle bulk. I might build more muscle wheeling around 310 lbs (bike + gear + rider) than someone wheeling around 175 lbs does though.
 
#23 ·
Don't believe it

ChrisMBianchi said:
I would like to know where your calculations are coming from. I did a 30 mile ride the other day with a 12 mph average and burned 1730 calories according to my Polar.
60 calories per mile? Not likely unless you were climbing the entire time. HRMs and other "inferred" calorie estimators are notoriously innacurate and tend to read 30-50% high. That sounds about what your Polar is doing.
 
#24 ·
are you turning fat into muscle...not likely... you CAN lose fat AND build muscle, but requires

A. TOTAL DEDICATION
B. WEIGHT ROOM
C. possible drugs..

as long as you are riding for 30-45 mins 4x week, you should be losing...if your not....your cheating on your diet...your not building muscle, sorry

phats
 
#25 ·
TomBrooklyn said:
Hi. My question wasn't really about if I was losing weight or how to lose weight. I was just wondering if I was converting any weight to muscle when I excercise more and weigh the same.
To answer your question then, no, probably not (none of us are your doctor). You're not riding enough, at a high enough intensity, nor for long enough. Whatever you're burning, you're gaining back in your diet.
 
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