Anybody know? Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm all proud of going to work out and feeling stronger and stuff, but since I've been so ill this past week I haven't done squat in terms of physical activity...
What makes me wonder is that I saw a nice 2.5 lb loss this week, and part of that may be due to sickness, but I'm wondering if my hard-earned muscle is leaving me..... I didn't eat *that* well this week!
Not to scare you or anything, but I would think fairly quickly. Muscle takes a lot of nourishment to maintain and the body is always trying to conserve energy. If you weren't getting enough protein or activity you may start to lose, HOWEVER I would not think 2.5 pounds in a week. I think you're safe. Just get back on track. Good luck!
I lost 3lbs last week and 1lb of that was muscle mass (according to my mOron BF% thingy anyway!) and to make matters worse I'm off weights this week, just to rest up.
BUT don't let this put you off, just get back to it, get those heavy weights out and start eating more chicken!
I don't know why this sticks in my head, but 6 weeks of TOTAL non-use will lose you 60% of your muscle mass. I don't know what it means in terms of short-term loss, but a break every once in a while is good for you (gives the fibers a chance to repair themselves).
I would think a 60% loss would be if you didn't hardly eat and you were bed ridden, that's pretty dramatic. And those body fat analysis things aren't 100% accurate at all. I think that perhaps a little of it would be muscle, but your body doesn't turn to eating its muscle mass for food unless it's starving, and that I learned in Biology. I wouldn't worry about it too much. If people lost thier muscle mass that fast, people would be weak and barley be able to move around!
I'm with 2frus ... it's far too early in your weight loss to be worried about that. Just keep pluggin' away.
I wish weight came off in a straight line, logical way but it often doesn't.
If you're eating good foods most of the time and exercising more than you used to ... you'll be fine. You will be building a fine musculature under there and as the fat goes ... Voila! You'll find it.
I was just going to ask this...!
I always feel so toned and my muscles are so vibrant during my workout weeks... but as soon as i stop for a week i get my saggy arms and butt back.
Trns & everyone actually - I think a lot of feeling saggy and untoned after not working out for a week or 2 is a lot mental! I mean I could be the same weight 4 weeks in a row, the weeks I work out and eat better I feel thinner because I know I've been working hard. Physiologically there's just no way anyone is losing muscle that fast unless they're running continuously, barely eating etc. I will ask my bio professor who's a doctor next class just to make sure, but I just think it would be impossible to lose a significant amount of muscle under normal conditions.
Wow, thanks for all the info. I'm not scared that my muscles are atrophying or anything, I just couldn't rationalize a good weight loss this week any other way!
The closest thing I've had to watching my muscle disappear was between September and December of last year... So 3 months, and I saw a LOT of my leg muscle go away because I wasn't walking every day like usual. But that was three months, and now we're talking a week...
Anyway, I'll just get back at it next week, I'm sure I'll be well enough then! That's the only way I'll know if there's actually been a difference!
trns - I think the reason you feel saggy is because "damaged" muscle ie after exercise/weight bearing activity holds onto water, so it puffs up and stores a little bit more water as it is trying to "repair" itself (ie get bigger). After you've been resting a while, this water retention in the muscles goes away, so they don't look as big.
And as LockItUp says, it's not actually that you're burning muscle, but I'm sure the reason they look flabby is because they're not all puffed up trying to heal themselves! If you want to puff up your muscles more, try creatine it takes a ton of water into your muscles and makes you look bigger But if your a scale watcher I wouldn't recommend it - ****-O water retention and 7lb gains in a week etc
The way i understand it is that your muscles take as long to 'disappear' as they did to wake up.
so for example, you work out for 3 monthsand then stop suddenly, it would take 3 months for your muscles to get back to where you started. on the plus side, once you have worked out with strength and resistance training and then stopped, your muscles only need reminding of what they were and get back in no time - shorter time than initially.
not the best example - not sure how to word it, but i hope it helps.
How quickly do you lose muscle mass?
(according to my mOron BF% thingy anyway!) and to make matters worse I'm off weights this week, just to rest up.
