At what point does muscle burn fat?

[rabid_child]

I hear time and time again that if you build muscle, it helps burn away fat, so along with cardio, i've been doing resistance/weight training, and building some nice muscles in my arms and legs, though its just muscle in addition to fat, and not in place of it. Thus, i've gained a bit of weight, when it was initially recommended I lose weight. Obviously, not going well in that direction. I've been working out about 5 hrs a week for 3 mos and I'm just getting frustrated. How long does it take to start losing fat?

[lucycat]

Having more muscle helps you burn more calories, so eventually you lose fat. I would say that how much fat you lose depends on a bunch of factors, like your body composition, your workout routine, and your diet. Cardio increases your metabolism and burns fat, so make sure you're doing enough. I would probably concentrate on that more than the weight training, though both are important.

[Trent Steele]

Just a couple of thoughts, rabid:

If you're weight-training is skewing towards mass-building (low reps/high weight) and not tone (more reps/less weight) you'll be building muscle faster than you want to.

If you do cardio early in the AM before eating, you stand to burn more fat. If you do high-intensity cardio, you'll burn more fat. How much aerobic exercise are you doing? Are those 5 hours spread out through the week? You need to do aerobic every day or close to it. If it's not high-intensity it ought to be around 45 minutes at a decent heart-rate.

Lots of good info here: http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss.html

[rabid_child]

Trent: My weight training is skewed toward tone. I use almost all the machines at the lowest weight possible (either 10 or 15 lbs). I've been working on increasing reps, though as of now, I generally do 3 sets of 10 on almost everything. (I could do more on some, but if I lose energy too soon I can't make it that far on others, if that makes sense) There's one or two machines i can only do two sets before my arms give up.
I can ONLY exercise on an empty stomach, otherwise I can't finish my work out cause I feel too sick. (My mother is critical of this and says you're not supposed to, but there is no choice) Thus, I can only work out on days I don't have to be at work in the morning first thing, otherwise I can't just NOT eat for an entire work day to go to the gym in the evening y'know? My gym schedule is gonna change now cause my work schedule did, but I was doing an hour S/S/T/W/Th (M/F i work 8:30-5:30). Its gonna be much more difficult to get that much in now cause I work earlier on Wednesday now. I can't go in before work M/F because I have enough trouble staying awake through a work day on 8-10 hrs sleep without getting up at 6:30 and exercising.
I typically do half aerobic and half weight. It took the entire month of June, but I weaned myself off the treadmill and onto the elliptical machine which I hate but it does keep my heartrate around 165-170 (i'm a week shy of 25) and burns tons more calories. I was also doing yoga instead of two days of the above described, but cut it out since it didn't seem as effective.

I'm exhausted and sore costantly. My BMI is at 25 - right on the line for being overweight. Its like, the last 10-15 lbs are the hardest and all I have to lose are the last 10-15 lbs. I feel like if this isn't doing anything and it isn't going to start cause I can't commit enough hours to it then why I don't I just stay fat/lazy/stupid?

[*AHIMSA*]

I don't see why having 10-15 pounds to lose and needing slepp would make you "fat/lazy/stupid". I think it makes you *human*. Building muscle is good- it helps you burn more fat, just by doing nothing at all and working with weights helps build bone density too! I say, good job for being consistent for the last 3 months. Good job for switching it up with yoga, weights and cardio work. You are (like most women) too hard on yourself, sweetie! BE beautiful, be okay in your own skin, be you!

[silverundertone]

when i first started weight training..i gained alot of weight..but within a month or two after gaining it..i pretty much lost it all...but was really toned..
..
try mixing in some kind of cardiovascular exercise twice (or more..if u like) a week...cardio tends to burn more fat..whereas resistance training builds muscle..
..
ive heard somewhere that muscles burn on average 50 + calories a day at rest...im gonna try to find a link to verify that tho...
..i really hope u dont stop doin the weight lifting thing...its kind of hard to get into at first...but after a while..its usually great..

[Trent Steele]

I'm exhausted and sore costantly. My BMI is at 25 - right on the line for being overweight. Its like, the last 10-15 lbs are the hardest and all I have to lose are the last 10-15 lbs.

Being exhausted and sore constantly may be more of a concern than the BMI score. I'm not sure what to tell you about that, because it could be many things or nothing at all. The BMI is kinda crap, I think. I'm 195 at 6'2" (BMI:25) and although I'm not in shape right now, I will barely dip below 190 when I do work out regularly. So if you're working out and eating well, f*ck the BMI. As for the exhaustion-thing, perhaps you could get with a trainer for one hour/month? That can be a huge help.

[Miss Meg]

I need to start working out. I weigh the most I have ever weighed, which still isn't too bad but I feel out of shape. Some things may just take time. You don't want to exaust yourself, that won't make you feel any better. Plus then I would have to come and yell at you :P If you still feel like you need do be doing more how about old fashioned walking. Sometimes I find outdoor exercise makes me feel much better and less tired than indoor work on machines. Sex is also supposed to be good exercise, if you do it right.

[kirkjobsluder]

You know, when I was training for half-marathons, I found that I plateaued at a BMI of 25, after a few weeks, I stopped worrying about it. Being exhausted and sore all the time are also symptoms of overtraining.

[zoebird]

all muscle that you have burns calories, calories can come from fat, so any that you have already does this. But, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, which eventually leads to fat loss.

uhm, there is no such thing as "toning." any sort of weight bearing exercise is a muscle building exercise. the way the muscles look once they are trained depends not so much on the kind of training(high rep low weight, or low rep, high weight), but rather on genetics (length of muscles/muscle bellies, hormonal factors, etc). Either method of working out builds muscle mass, bone density, and neuro-muscular pathways. it's excellent for all around health. Trent is right though, low rep, high weight will build muscle more quickly (and in my opinion, more efficiently).

also, fat and muscle does weigh the same amount (a lb of fat equals a lb of muscle--both are a lb!), but fat takes up more space than muscle. This is why many fitness regimens don't look at weight so much as they look at inches (or the space that you take up) and body fat percentage (amount of body fat that you have). So, when you gain muscle, you may gain weight, even though you've also lost some fat. The only way to determine if you've lost fat is through testing body fat percentage before and after.

The other thing is that women particularly constantly fluctuate in weight. Each month, because of my menstrual cycle, i gain 4-6 lbs in water weight and whatever else. My husband is always "shocked" at the end of my period "wow you look so fit" where for the last two weeks he probably mentioned (more than once) "it looks like you've gained a bit." about which i remind him that i am heading toward mensturation and that this is "normal." He's starting to figure it out. By watching your cycle, you can begin to understand your normal body-weight-hormone fluctuations and not judge yourself so harshly when you gain and loose a few due to menstruation.

also, remember that body type has it's own place in this. i use the ayurvedic system--vata, pitta, and kapha types--and each body type will look different when they're at a "healthy" weight. some are long and very thin with small muscle bellies. others have round muscles and look quite "athletic," and others have the classic "bombshell" look with the lovely round hips, thighs, and tummies--which is also where they have a LOT of muscle and develope quite quickly in these areas. SO, what is 15lbs overweight? a person with the irst kind of body type may be 5 ft 7 and weigh about 115-20 lbs. the second kind of gal may be the same height but weigh 135. and the third type may weigh 145-150 and be just right for them. due to what is fashionable, people think that everyone should look like the first body type and that her weight is the "healthy" weight--but noticably, this weight is very unhealthly (too thin) for women with the other sorts of body types.

lots of different people out there. the main thing is to look to fitness and health, and not worry about numbers on the scale.