Feeling strong and fit, but up 10 lbs

[Anonymous]

I am in my early 40s and then to be thin but was “skinny fat” for most of my life. About 3 years ago I got serious about my fitness and now feel really strong and fit. I run, walk a ton, do high intensity yoga, and generally feel great. I generally eat pretty clean and a mostly vegetarian diet, but have definitely been drinking more and enjoying more treats during the summer and vacations. I’m suddenly up 10 pounds on the scale. What gives? Am I really at the age where diet matters that much despite exercise?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am in my early 40s and then to be thin but was “skinny fat” for most of my life. About 3 years ago I got serious about my fitness and now feel really strong and fit. I run, walk a ton, do high intensity yoga, and generally feel great. I generally eat pretty clean and a mostly vegetarian diet, but have definitely been drinking more and enjoying more treats during the summer and vacations. I’m suddenly up 10 pounds on the scale. What gives? Am I really at the age where diet matters that much despite exercise?

How you feel about yourself is so much more important than the number on the scale. But yes, diet matters much more than exercise.

[Anonymous]

Yes, diet matters more than exercise. All the yoga and walking can’t make up for the wine and cheese.

[Anonymous]

Yup. Time to take a look at your diet and see how many calories you're actually consuming. Then you determine where you can cut back.

[Anonymous]

I gained 20 pounds in my mid-40s even though I was an athlete. I finally admitted I had to change my diet. I cut my pasta rice cereal and crackers intake by 50% and I lost 10 pounds over 3 months. I then cut my sweets intake in half and finally lost the other 10 in about 4 months. I found what I was dong wrong and corrected it. You will too. It is all so individual.

[Anonymous]

Get a scale with body fat measurement. It’s not just your weight number, it’s also body fat percentage. I would feel
much different about gaining 10 pounds at a 30% body fat than at a 20% body fat.

If you are exercising much more it’s possible that you weigh more because you have more muscle, and muscle is heavier than fat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a scale with body fat measurement. It’s not just your weight number, it’s also body fat percentage. I would feel
much different about gaining 10 pounds at a 30% body fat than at a 20% body fat.

If you are exercising much more it’s possible that you weigh more because you have more muscle, and muscle is heavier than fat.

Are these scales at all accurate? I have a regular one but am curious.

[Anonymous]

Unclear to me how you can feel strong and fit while drinking more alcohol in your 40s. Drinking is hands down the worst thing I can do to my body at this age. I don’t diet (mostly eat what I want, but eat foods that aren’t great fir me in moderation) and love to exercise. But I generally don’t drink anymore and when I do, it makes me feel terrible (and kills my love of exercise and makes my sleep terrible and also makes me crave heavy, salty, oily foods).

I don’t ever weigh myself do I don’t know what the impact of alcohol on my weight is. But it makes me feel like garbage so I skip it 90% of the time and it seems to make everything else easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a scale with body fat measurement. It’s not just your weight number, it’s also body fat percentage. I would feel
much different about gaining 10 pounds at a 30% body fat than at a 20% body fat.

If you are exercising much more it’s possible that you weigh more because you have more muscle, and muscle is heavier than fat.

This is 100% false, I don’t know why people are still repeating this in 2022.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unclear to me how you can feel strong and fit while drinking more alcohol in your 40s. Drinking is hands down the worst thing I can do to my body at this age. I don’t diet (mostly eat what I want, but eat foods that aren’t great fir me in moderation) and love to exercise. But I generally don’t drink anymore and when I do, it makes me feel terrible (and kills my love of exercise and makes my sleep terrible and also makes me crave heavy, salty, oily foods).

I don’t ever weigh myself do I don’t know what the impact of alcohol on my weight is. But it makes me feel like garbage so I skip it 90% of the time and it seems to make everything else easier.

NP same. I’m 40 and this has been my experience as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unclear to me how you can feel strong and fit while drinking more alcohol in your 40s. Drinking is hands down the worst thing I can do to my body at this age. I don’t diet (mostly eat what I want, but eat foods that aren’t great fir me in moderation) and love to exercise. But I generally don’t drink anymore and when I do, it makes me feel terrible (and kills my love of exercise and makes my sleep terrible and also makes me crave heavy, salty, oily foods).

I don’t ever weigh myself do I don’t know what the impact of alcohol on my weight is. But it makes me feel like garbage so I skip it 90% of the time and it seems to make everything else easier.

NP same. I’m 40 and this has been my experience as well.

Ugh. OP here. I know you’re right. Alcohol - especially wine - makes me feel terrible as I get older. I have started only having a drink 2-3x a week and never wine. But I love a great cocktail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am in my early 40s and then to be thin but was “skinny fat” for most of my life. About 3 years ago I got serious about my fitness and now feel really strong and fit. I run, walk a ton, do high intensity yoga, and generally feel great. I generally eat pretty clean and a mostly vegetarian diet, but have definitely been drinking more and enjoying more treats during the summer and vacations. I’m suddenly up 10 pounds on the scale. What gives? Am I really at the age where diet matters that much despite exercise?

YES. I can exercise and exercise but it really takes me to focus on the food in order to maintain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a scale with body fat measurement. It’s not just your weight number, it’s also body fat percentage. I would feel
much different about gaining 10 pounds at a 30% body fat than at a 20% body fat.

If you are exercising much more it’s possible that you weigh more because you have more muscle, and muscle is heavier than fat.

This is 100% false, I don’t know why people are still repeating this in 2022.

That muscle is more dense than fat? Have you ever read Pippi Longstockings? Remember her very very fat dad just floated away and couldn't sink? True story.

But more legitimately ....

1 cup of fat weighs about 7.5 oz.
1 cup of muscle weight about 9.7 oz.

https://banisternutrition.com/fat-vs-muscle/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a scale with body fat measurement. It’s not just your weight number, it’s also body fat percentage. I would feel
much different about gaining 10 pounds at a 30% body fat than at a 20% body fat.

If you are exercising much more it’s possible that you weigh more because you have more muscle, and muscle is heavier than fat.

This is 100% false, I don’t know why people are still repeating this in 2022.

That muscle is more dense than fat? Have you ever read Pippi Longstockings? Remember her very very fat dad just floated away and couldn't sink? True story.

But more legitimately ....

1 cup of fat weighs about 7.5 oz.
1 cup of muscle weight about 9.7 oz.

https://banisternutrition.com/fat-vs-muscle/

Yes it is more dense. But a pound is still a pound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a scale with body fat measurement. It’s not just your weight number, it’s also body fat percentage. I would feel
much different about gaining 10 pounds at a 30% body fat than at a 20% body fat.

If you are exercising much more it’s possible that you weigh more because you have more muscle, and muscle is heavier than fat.

This is 100% false, I don’t know why people are still repeating this in 2022.

That muscle is more dense than fat? Have you ever read Pippi Longstockings? Remember her very very fat dad just floated away and couldn't sink? True story.

But more legitimately ....

1 cup of fat weighs about 7.5 oz.
1 cup of muscle weight about 9.7 oz.

https://banisternutrition.com/fat-vs-muscle/

Yes it is more dense. But a pound is still a pound.

Yes, of course, we all know that a pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of bricks. But that is what the original poster meant, and you knew that. Muscle [of any given volume] weighs more than fat [of that same given volume].