Muscle vs. Fat

Did you know that for every pound of muscle you gain, your body burns an additional 50 calories per hour? But isn't muscle unattractive for women you ask? No! Not if you build it up in the right way. The beauty of a workout is that you can make it as hard as you want, and you get to control how much muscle YOU gain. But, I think you would be surprised as to how much different muscle looks than fat. 

See what I mean? This is the same girl after working very hard! However, her picture on the right shows that she actually weighs MORE .... What? How does that work? See, too many times, we weigh ourselves wanting to be within a weight range we like. Well, that is not necessarily healthy. Have you ever seen a girl (or guy) who has some chub around their middle or thighs yet has a light weight? Well, I have! Being 'smaller' doesn't mean healthier. Just because one weighs less, does not mean they have a great shape. 

God created our bodies with a figure. Some of us are big boned, some have long legs, some have a wide rib cage, but we all have one thing in common ... a shape. When we don't eat properly, and refuse to exercise, our fat stores up distorting our shapes. But as we begin to tone our muscles, our fat burns up, leaving the beautiful figure God gave us :) Isn't that encouraging?! 

Here, I am going to add a challenge, because I PERSONALLY know how difficult a relationship with my scale can be! For 2 weeks, I challenge you not to weigh yourself once. Yea, you heard me! I don't want you to be discouraged if weight doesn't 'fall off', or if you are not where you want to be. It is not about the weight any more ... it is about a healthier you! If you can see your body changing (more energy, happier disposition, muscle toning) then you are doing it right! And, odds are, you are going to swap fat for muscle so you might end up gaining some weight, in the long run. BUT ... you will look like you lost weight because of the different shape your body will take. I want each of you to feel encouraged and successful through this lifestyle change, not defeated. So get rid of those scales!