Fitness
1969-12-31 18:00:00
Muscle versus fat
: I've begun working out for weight loss. I'm wearing a smaller size, but I haven't lost any weight. How can this be?
ANSWER: Did you know that muscle takes up less space than fat? The body burns calories and stored fat to fuel a workout. Lean tissue is increased as muscle mass is built. Every pound of muscle burns up to 50 calories a day. The more muscle mass an individual has, the higher the calorie requirement needed to fuel the body. Pound for pound, muscle takes up less space than fat and makes the body appear smaller, and gives defined shape and tone. Energy is increased as the body develops more muscle mass to carry the body weight… like putting a bigger engine in a smaller car!Weight loss from following a rigid diet is usually temporary. Most diets are too drastic to maintain; they are unrealistic and unpleasant; they are physically and emotionally stressful. And most of us just resume our old eating and activity patterns. No one can realistically live in the diet mode for the rest of their life, but one can spend the rest of their life (and live longer) by eating healthy and by making gradual and realistic changes to incorporate some type of exercise into your plan. One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting a weight-management program is not including a physical activity program along with a low-fat regimen. When we cut calories without exercise, we can lose muscle as well as fat. Our muscles have high-energy requirements. Even when we are sleeping, our muscles use more than 25 percent of our energy (calories). When you implement the principles of effective physical activity, and if you are consistent in your program, you will achieve an increase in lean muscle mass throughout your body. Look for accomplishments away from the scales. If you're losing inches, which is what you are saying, then you're achieving the results that you're looking for.
