Muscles Key to Weight Loss?
By Stefanie Hamilton
Diets that focus solely on calorie restriction rarely work unless the restrictions are extreme. The body is designed to begin storing extra fat when food intake is reduced significantly. Believe it or not, the key to weight loss is an increase in muscle mass.
“Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. It requires a certain number of calories each day to maintain itself. Therefore, the more muscles you have, the more calories you burn even when you’re just sitting around. As your muscle mass drops, so does your daily calorie requirement.”
This is where most diets miss the mark; they emphasize a reduction in calories without an increase in exercise. Not only is aerobic activity important, but strength training is essential as well.
Comments
I've been trying to add weight lifting to my regular workouts and even though the scale hasn't changed much, my clothes are fitting better. Plus, I got a cute trainer for some much needed movtivation!
Helpful motivation tips, thanks for the link! Once I get myself on my treadmill I do pretty well, but I can be hard to motivate myself to put on those workout clothes hop on. I recently started listening to audio books while I workout and it has really helped. I find that I get so into the books that I look forward to the time I spend on the treadmill!
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