I try not to weigh myself every single day. If I did, I would drive myself crazy. Often times the scale does not represent the way I am feeling about my body. On days when I feel I haven’t exercised in awhile and I’m feeling flabby, the scale shows a lower number. And other times, when I’ve worked extremely hard at bootcamp or ran around after my kids the whole day, I’m surprised by the high number on the scale. It is in those moments when I’m staring at that number and trying to remember what I ate the day before, that I must remember what I’ve heard again and again: MUSCLE WEIGHS MORE THAN FAT.

I decided to do some research on this myth to see what I could find. According to fitness experts and scientists, muscle is more dense than fat. But a pound is a pound. A pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle. The difference is the density. If you have a block of muscle and an equal size block of fat, the muscle will weigh more. The wonderful thing about a pound of muscle, however, is that it is much TIGHTER and it looks much better than that pound of fat! Muscle is dense and more compact. We want to get that compact look so that we’re not hanging out all over the place.

It is true that if you are weight training you will most likely put on weight due to the muscles building. However, if you are also doing cardio, you should be burning fat away. The muscle you put on will keep the pounds on your scale, but you will notice that your clothes will fit much better. You will feel slimmer but the scale will tell a different story. It’s important to keep that in perspective when you get on that scale. Especially when you have been regularly exercising. Lean muscle looks great! And it may tip the scales a little higher but it’s okay, as long as you are not gaining extra fat from too many calories left unburned.
If you need another way to track your progress without getting on the scale, you can buy fat calibrators or body composition scales. These will give you an accurate measurement and ratio of fat to muscle.
But the best way really is to note your progress by keeping logs or journaling. Write down what you are eating and how much you are exercising. If you feel that you are gaining weight and your clothes are tighter in all the wrong places, then it is time to watch your calories and up the exercise regime.
With Real Body Bootcamp, you can burn up to 500 calories in one hour! We burn the fat with cardio and we help you build lean muscle with strength training exercises. After a few sessions you will see a difference. Your arms will be more buff and your abs and legs stronger. The numbers on your scale may remain the same, but it’s probably because you are losing the fat and gaining the muscle. Don’t be discouraged. The exercise is wonderful for you and when you build muscle, you begin burning more calories!!! Now THAT is a good thing!
Liz Samuel

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