Greetings and salutations my friends! As you can see from the picture to the left, I've been thinking about body fat and lean muscle mass. All of us, from the very lean to the extremely obese carry both of them in our body, but I've got to ask you. If you could choose, which one would you rather have going along for the ride of your life?
Obviously, the lean muscle mass has some advantages to it...let me point them out:
1. Lean muscle mass is going to help you in the day to day activities of life. Need to lift a child? You need muscles. Want to stretch up onto the top shelf of the cupboard to lift down the gravy tureen? You need muscles. Ever tried to open a jar of peanut butter or fruit preserves, and were unable to get it open? You need muscles. You need lean muscle mass to live!
2. This is the biggie...as you can see from the picture, 5 pounds of lean muscle is compared to 5 pounds of fat. Which one is bigger? Which one is going to take up more space in your body? Which one will give you a bigger waistline? Which one will allow it to shrink? It's true that 5 pounds of muscle equals 5 pounds of fat, but clearly the lean muscle mass takes up MUCH less space in your body. So for those of you who worry that the scale isn't getting any lower, TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS! It is very likely that you're swapping out fat for lean muscle, which weighs the same, but you'll notice a huge difference in the size of your waist, hips, thighs, arms, etc.
3. Lean muscle mass burns more calories than fat. Hello!! That means you have to eat more in order to maintain your body weight. And if you're trying to lose weight, building lean muscle will supercharge your metabolism!!!
I've been working out regularly since April 3rd. I've dropped 32 pounds or so, and in the past 3 months, the scale hasn't been very kind to me. However, I took my measurements yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. Though I may have lost only 2 pounds or so, I lost another inch from my waist, an inch and a half from my hips (this one is a miracle!), another inch from my thighs, and I'm losing a ton of belly fat so that the ab muscles I've been working on are starting to show. Obliques look pretty nice on a body! So no, I'm not 'losing weight' but I'm definitely getting leaner, getting rid of body fat, dropping pants sizes, and getting SO much healthier.
So how do you do it? You've got to invest in some sort of resistance and cardio program. Cardio helps burn fat, resistance work helps build lean muscle. You really do need the two. Some really good options are ChaLean Extreme (5 days per week @ 45 minutes per day--90 day program), Slim in 6 (30-45 minutes per day, 6 week program), P90X (6 days per week @ 60-90 minutes per day--90 day program), and for those with little time, Ten Minute Trainer (stack 10 minute workouts each day to create the length that works for you). Plus, all of these programs come with good, basic nutritional guides to help you burn fat, build that lean muscle, and boost metabolism.
In addition, you can get me as your free Coach to help you along the way. Yes, I said FREE!! I'll be here to provide support, answer questions, and offer motivation whenever it may be most needed. Don't wait until tomorrow, when today could be the day to jumpstart the rest of your fit life!
Send me a message if you have questions about how to get started, and if you're ready to start today, you can find the products here. Push play, everyone!!
