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Sonya Bolch Angelone, M.S., R.D., C.L.C. Responds:
Sonya Angelone a registered dietitian responds: When people tell me that they’re getting slimmer but either gaining or just not losing weight on the scale, I assume that they’re strength training. First, strength training builds muscle. Muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue, and it’s much more compact. Muscle is dense and solid, and fat is less dense and lighter in weight.
Consider that a serving of very lean meat weighs more than the same size serving of a highly marbled cut of meat. The portion of meat that is fatty weighs less than the portion of meat that is mostly lean muscle tissue. Second, strength training can help stimulate calcium absorption in bones—which means you’re helping to build a stronger, heavier skeleton. So it’s possible to shrink a few clothing sizes while your weight in pounds goes up slightly or stays the same simply because you’re building heavier, compact muscle and losing lighter, fluffier fat. These alterations represent changes in body composition that may not be reflected on the scale.
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Sonya Bolch Angelone
M.S., R.D., C.L.C.
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