“Muscle Weighs More Than Fat” — Not Quite!

You may have heard that “muscle weighs more than fat.” The truth is, a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same – SURPRISE.  No, really, though, a pound is a pound! In truth, muscle is much denser than fat, so it takes up less space in your body. That’s why two people can weigh the same but look very different depending on how much muscle vs. fat they have.

Why This Matters More Than the Scale

• Your health is about composition, not just weight.
  The scale can’t tell you if you’re losing fat or muscle. Even if your weight stays the same — or goes up — you may be getting healthier by building muscle and losing fat at the same time.

• Muscle helps your metabolism.
  Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does. That means you can eat the same amount but burn more energy when you have more lean mass.

• More muscle = more strength + better aging.
  Healthy muscle supports your joints, posture, and balance, making daily activities easier. It’s one of the most powerful tools to prevent falls and maintain independence as you age.

How to Tell if You’re Making Progress

Instead of just watching the scale, look for these changes:

• Clothes fit better around your waist and hips

• Feeling firmer

• More energy and faster recovery after workouts

• Body composition testing results (like our InBody scan)

How to Improve Your Muscle-to-Fat Ratio

• Strength train regularly. Use weights or resistance bands 2–3 times per week.

• Eat enough protein. Aim for 20–30 grams at each meal to support muscle repair.

• Stay active. Walking, cycling, or other forms of cardio help you burn extra fat and improve heart health.

• Sleep and recover. Your body needs rest to build new muscle.

Bottom Line:
It’s time to stop letting the scale dictate your health. Focus on building muscle, losing excess fat, and paying attention to how you feel, move, and live. At Seeds of Health, we listen to you AND we use tools like the InBody Scan to measure your body composition and track progress over time — because health is about more than just a number, whether that be cholesterol, weight, age, or otherwise.