I’m Trading Fat for Muscle

I remember some time ago, I would watch what I ate but be afraid to add exercise to my health regimen.  Here was the Big reason why.  Whenever I would start exercising, even if I just decided to do something small like pushups and bicep curls, I would STOP losing or even GAIN weight. How depressing is that? I would have put so much effort into avoiding certain foods and then I weigh more now??

So I was set on just eating a certain way to lose the weight. But I specifically remembered a good friend telling me, that I had lost weight but also had “lost my curvy shape.”  I enjoyed the fact that I was smaller, but my now flabby body and oblong looking backside was just not cool. 

Well I now know better.  I know that at least for the first couple weeks of a new workout regimen its possible not to lose weight (I don’t look at the scale at all till around week 3-4) What’s more important is what’s happening inside my body.  I’m getting slimmer, I’m feeling better, and my body is more shapely and toned. So what’s happening exactly?  I’m gaining muscle maybe at the same rate that I’m losing fat. The scale doesn’t reflect that. Muscle is more dense than fat but it takes up less space.

5 pounds of muscle takes up about as much space as 3 tangerines. 5 pounds of fat takes about as much space as 3 grapefruits. I’ve traded fat for muscle.

So I’m thinner but not lighter, yet.

 Lesson here is that it is totally possible for you to give it your all and initially show no change in weight on the scale. You are losing inches of body fat and your body is shaping and looking more firm because you are trading fat for muscle.

We are not really in it to lose weight. We want to lose FAT and GAIN lean MUSCLE. So maybe instead of investing in a great scale, find a Funky Tape Measure.