Fed up that I was not losing weight as fast as I could, I started skipping dinner and limiting my calorie intake as much as I could. I was actively doing strength training so my metabolic rate was high. I kept feeling hungry all the time and I just kept telling myself "Burn the fat, burn the fat". Pretty soon I was 10 lbs lighter :-) I was so proud of myself. But the bubble got popped when my personal trainer took my measurements again. My trainer was surprised with the results. I had lost 6 lbs but my body fat percentage had increased significantly. She was so surprised that she did the measurements twice. But the results were the same each time. She told me I had burnt up the muscle mass that I had built very quickly. My trainer had always told me about the importance of feeding the body just enough calories and eating as clean as possible so that it can continuing burning fat and building muscle. I confessed to her that I had been skipping meals when possible. This explained the muscle loss and body fat percentage gain. I was putting my body on starvation mode.
Weight
|
Total Inch Loss
|
Body Fat %
|
|
6/14/2014
|
146 lb
|
22.9
|
|
7/16/2014
|
145 lb
|
Lost 8 inches
|
19.8
|
8/25/2014
|
139 lb
|
0 inches |
27
|
In spite of my hard work the reason I had not been losing much weight in mid july was because I had gained muscle mass. I had lost inches but not pounds. I got frustrated because the bathroom scale was not tipping in my favor. So when possible I would skip dinner and have a light breakfast. This was effectively putting my body in starvation mode. When the body goes in starvation mode it will burn up the energy that it can use up most easily which is the glycogen stored in the muscle. As a result gradually the muscle mass also dissappears. The body tries to increase the fat reserves because it is going into starvation mode !! That is why by late August I had lost weight but my body fat percentage had increased. The weight loss was not reflected in July because I had built my muscle mass and lowered my body fat percentage. Remember lean muscle is much more denser than fat so it weighs much more than fat. Here is a visual comparison.
The most important take away lesson I learnt was to stop thinking in terms of pounds and start thinking in terms of inches. The goal is not just to lose weight but to be fit, healthy and strong !! On of my class mates in the Less Mills Body Pump class was a true inspiration. She was a Japanese grandma around 65 years. She did not have a single strand of black hair on her head and she would regularly do strength training 3X times a week. Believe it or not the Japanese super grandma would do bench presses with 40 lbs on the barbell during the Less Mills Body Pump class and I am almost half her age but I would struggle to do the chest track with just 25 lbs on my barbell. She was a living role model of good health and clean living. A true inspiration indeed !!
Start building muscle today !! Many women fear that strength training would cause them to bulk up. The truth is that women can't naturally grow massive muscles like men do, it would take heavy weights, hours of dedication, the right nutrition, even years to get lean muscle definition and you still wouldn't get bulky. Men have more testosterone than women, that’s why they can build more muscle than us, and still, men will have to work hard for a long period of time, and eat right to see the muscle gains they want and maintain it. So women don't be afraid of strength training !! I have seen some really strong women in the gym who are really lean and toned.
There are several benefits of building muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism. So this means you are burning more calories even while sleeping, as your body needs to use more calories to fuel your muscles, which helps you to burn more fat! Resistance exercise can reduce bone deterioration and build bone mass, preventing osteoporosis. It has been proven to have a positive affect on insulin resistance, resting metabolism, blood pressure, body fat and gastrointestinal transit time, factors that are linked to illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. So don't just obsess about your weight loss goals and get into fad diets. Make fitness and healthy eating a lifestyle choice. Good luck !!
