MYTH: Muscle Weighs More Than Fat

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MYTH: Muscle Weighs More Than Fat

FACT: One pound of muscle actually weighs the same as one pound of fat: They each weigh one pound! There are, however, two important differences between muscle tissue and fat tissue that are important to recognize.

For one, fat tissue is more bulky than muscle tissue, so it occupies more space under the skin. Thus, one pound of fat tissue actually has more volume (and will appear larger) than one pound of muscle tissue. For this reason, a 170-pound woman whose body is composed of 25% fat tissue will appear much leaner than a woman weighing the same but whose body fat percentage is 45%. Therefore, individuals need to assess their weight management efforts using a wide variety of body measurements and health parameters – focusing solely on the number on the scale can conceal real and important improvements in body composition. Aim for the look and the feel – not just a number.

Secondly, muscle tissue utilizes more calories than fat tissue. What does that mean? Let’s take the two 170-pound women mentioned above. The woman with 25% body fat has more muscle tissue, so her body needs more calories to keep its systems running. Thus, she burns more calories – even when she is just sitting around – than does her 45% body fat counterpart. As a result, the leaner woman can actually eat more calories each day and maintain her weight as compared to the woman with more fat tissue.
If you want to appear leaner and be able to consume more calories without gaining weight, be sure to incorporate regular strength training into your exercise program to promote muscle development.

By Katie Rickel, PhD

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Eating to Live: Getting It "Write"!

Even the most disciplined person can fall off the fitness wagon. One of the simplest things that you can do to get back on track is to keep a food journal. Writing down EVERYTHING you eat, the size of each portion, and daily water intake for just one week will lead to the discovery of why your weight or health condition isn't what you need it to be. Don't restrict your journal entries to sit-downs meals only. Include every piece of candy, chip, cracker, snack, etc. Medications, vitamins, and dietary supplements should be included as well.

At the end of this seven day period, re-read your journal and look for trends. Are you grabbing donuts and bagels from the break room at work? Do you snack on candy and chips during the day? Do you eat when you are stressed out, sad, lonely, celebrating, or watching television? How much water are you drinking? Are your portions too large? Are most of the foods you eat fresh or are they in a package, bag, or a can? Consider what was happening at the time you reached for that bag of chips. Try to link what you eat with why you eat it. Often food is a coping mechanism for other issues. What could you do differently the next time a certain situation presents itself? Once you know better, strive to do better.

Utilizing a free online tool like My Calorie Counter http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/ will help you identify whether you are eating enough, too little, or too much food. It provides nutritional content and also measures calories burned from your workouts.

Be good to yourself! More next time...