Muscle burns more calories ... but how many more?

As I mentioned in my last posting, I'm about to start Chalean Extreme (CLX), a much more weight-intensitve program than I've been doing. After doing a bunch of high intensity interval training and a summer of T25, it's time to build up some muscle.

One of the catch phrases of this program is "Muscle Burns Fat". I have no doubt that this is true at some level, but will it be enough to make a real difference in my metabolic rate? In my case it's pretty unlikely... have a look at these articles:

LA Times article by James S. Fell - Put down that Haagen-Dazs

LiveStrong article - Is it a myth that muscle burns more calories than fat?

Back in August 2013, I wrote a post on "Counting Calories - Where to Start?" It talks about how to calculate your basal metabolic rate - the amount of calories your body needs to maintain itself, without accounting for any additional exercise. My BMR is currently around 1,400 calories. I don't plan to lose weight during this round - I'd like to swap about 3-4 pounds of muscle for an equal amount of fat, and drop my body fat percentage by a couple of points. Unfortunately, I don't think that means I'll be able to add many calories to my daily intake.

Current research shows 1 pound of muscle burns 7-10 calories a day, while 1 pound of fat burns about 2-3 calories. As the LiveStrong article notes, if I gain 4 pounds of muscle, I'll only increase my BMR by around 15-20 calories. I'm sure I'll enjoy those 3 grapes immensely.

Now, if someone has a lot of weight to lose, dropping the fat and adding muscle will eventually make a huge difference in that person's metabolism. And there are plenty of reasons to incorporate strength training into a workout plan beyond an increased metabolism - it can dramatically improve physical appearance, decrease the likelihood of injury, lower the risk of osteoporosis, and improve your immune system.

But I need to remember - strength training is not a pass to start eating anything I want. And in fact, I'm concerned that my new program won't give me enough cardio work. So at the end of the day, it's up to me to make sure my fitness program is balanced and well-designed to help me achieve my goals.

Effective Ways to Lose Body Fat!

Lets face it - most people start a workout program because they want to lower their body fat percentage. There are countless diet and exercise programs out there, many of them contradicting the other. All of them promise certain weight loss, and few of them deliver the goods.

This weekend, I read a really good, straightforward article which explains some of the most effective ways to cut body fat. I'm not a bodybuilder, and I'm not aiming for 10-15% body fat. I just want to lose a few more body fat percentage points to achieve the look I want.

This article really cuts to the basics of what a good fitness and eating program aimed at fat burning should include, and applies to anyone looking to get in shape Even though it's a bodybuilding website, the article is written in a way that applies to everyone, whether they have 5, 50 or even 100 pounds to lose:

Bodybuilding.com fat loss article

Some of the highlights of the article include:

1) The use of moderate aerobic exercise, which increases in intensity as fat loss occurs. High intensity interval training should be used by intermediate to advanced exercisers to speed fat loss. Insanity, anyone?

2) Cutting out saturated fats from your diet (fats that solidify at room temperature) - but keep the omega-3 and -6 fats which can enhance your metabolism.

3) Cutting out bad carbs - but keep the good ones! You don't want to go carbo-crazy, but you need some carbs to fuel your body. Foods like brown rice, beans and oats are great for you - and don't forget to eat enough fiber!

4) Drinking a lot of water

5) Incorporating weight or resistance training (which starts during T25 Beta)

There's a lot more info in the article, and I highly recommend it, since it highlights a lot of what I believe in, and I think it's very consistent with the T25 program that I'm currently doing. Tomorrow evening I'm planning to put together a list of foods that contain healthy fats and good carbs - I'm looking for some inspiration in my kitchen, and that seems like a good place to start.




Laura