Muscle vs Fat

So i've been out of the exercise world for a while. Longer than I care to think about. Once upon a time I weighed about the same as I do now, but was a size smaller. It's hard to comprehend how there can be such a difference in size with the same weight. It can also be mentally challenging to not get discouraged by the weight on the scale and give up. This is something I've seen over and over again over the course of my career. Even though I know what to expect it is still something that I too, struggle with everyday. With that being said I thought that I'd share some facts on muscle vs fat.

First of all, even women need to weight train. There is a very common misconception that if women weight train they will "look like a man" or "bulk up". The truth of the matter is that you have to know what you are doing and train hard to build a lot of muscle as a female. So why is it important to weight train as a female? Faster fat loss. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn and the slimmer you look. So start lifting ladies! :-)

Another misconception is that "muscle weighs more than fat". A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same...a pound. However, muscle does take up less space so it it possible to weigh more yet look smaller. This is one of the reasons why I HATE the chart the Dr's use to determine if you're under/overwieght or obese. I really don't see how you can determine where an individuals health stands based on these charts. By these standards I am actually considered obese for my weight & height...... I am a size 8 and obese! Seriously?!

Anyway, what is the point to all of this? Stop letting the scale dictate how you feel about yourself! It's just a number and should be used as a reflection of yourself. I know it's easier said then done. I get caught up in the numbers game too but am learning to go by how my clothes feel rather than what the scale says as I hope you will too.