Question of the Day

Absolutely. There is a world of difference between muscle and fat. People say "muscle weighs more than fat" but the truth is that a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat. The advantage of muscle is that it is more dense, so the same weight in fat takes up less space. This is why you can lose inches without losing any weight on the scale if you are shedding unwanted fat and building muscle in the process.
Another advantage of muscle is that it is metabolically active tissue. This means it takes the body a lot more calories to maintain muscle than fat. Fat is basically a sack that holds fat droplets. There is very little "overhead" to maintain a fat cell. Muscle cells, on the other hand, contract even when you are at rest. They require oxygen flow and nutrients to replenish their energy supply. This means that each pound of muscle will burn far more calories even when you're resting than a pound of fat.

This is why people say, "The scale lies." It's not true. The scale tells the truth, people just don't understand that truth. They want to lose weight because they want to get slim and don't realize that you don't have to lose weight to get slim. If you are dozens of pounds overweight, it is impractical to think you can gain dozens of pounds of muscle in a short period of time, so your weight on the scale WILL have to go down. On the other hand, if you're relatively thin and only have a few pounds to lose, you might be able to build muscle and lose fat and find that you are slim and ripped without dropping a pound.

Finally, fat, unlike muscle, may be a risk indicator. Having fat in certain areas can be a sign that there are more dangerous issues at stake. To learn more about this, read Mike Geary's, "Execess Abdominal Fat: A Serious Danger Beyond Vanity Issues.

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