How much muscle weight can you realistically expect to gain in 8 weeks? I am 37 years old and have been weight training off and on since 12 years old (mostly off the last 5 years). I definately lean towards being an endomorph and never had a problem gaining muscle mass when I was in college. I have always been between 10 and 35 lbs overweight so I have always gained muscle while losing fat, therefor I couldn't tell how much muscle weight I was gaining.

I have always done low-fat and could never lose that last 10 lbs. even though I would walk 8-12 miles/day and jog 2-3 miles AND lift weights. When I restricted my calories I would watch all my hard earned muscle evaporate and my strength evaporate while the fat around my waist would just stay there.

This put me in a routine of trying to bulk-up every fall and then trying to get lean every spring. Not only was I yo-yo dieting but I was yo-yo training as well. Until finally, a few years back I just gave up and figured I should just learn to accept being fat.

Then I started Atkins and I feel better than ever. My strength is increasing even though I am losing weight (a first for me). The reason I am asking this question is because my weight loss has hit a plateau for the last three weeks and I am just curious how much of it I can attribute to muscle gain.