Muscle Your Way to Weight Loss

Muscle Your Way to Weight Loss By Kathy Jordan, MS, RD

For years we have been told to diet and do aerobic exercise to lose weight. Current research, however, finds that this formula may help you lose some weight, but not the right kind. And 98 percent of people gain it back. According to Wayne Wescott, PhD, only 10 percent of those who do aerobic exercise do enough to impact their weight. Let’s look at the facts to see why we gain weight over the years, and the role dieting and exercise play in successful weight loss.

The average American gains 30 pounds between the ages of 20 and 50. Over the same period of time, we lose 15 pounds of muscle. Theoretically, that means we end up with 45 more pounds of fat on our bodies at age 50 than we had at 20. This creates a weight loss/weight management dilemma because the amount of muscle we have largely determines our “resting metabolic rate” (RMR) or the amount of calories we burn at rest. RMR accounts for 65-70% of the calories we burn each day. Fat tissue is not very metabolically active, but muscle is. So the more muscle we have, the more calories we burn.

When you go on a weight loss diet without the right kind of exercise, it sets you up for difficulty in keeping that weight off (Am Psych Journal). Why? First, cutting calories enough to result in lost pounds may reduce muscle mass. Less muscle mass reduces your RMR which means you are burning far fewer calories after your weight loss than before. If you don’t lower the amount of calories you eat during the “maintenance” stage of your diet, you won’t maintain the lower weight.

What should you do to successfully lose weight and keep it off? Do not overly restrict calories or you will lose too much muscle. Instead, focus on eating a healthy mix of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and plenty of lean protein such as fish, poultry, non-fat dairy products and protein drinks. It is difficult to get the recommended daily allowances for many nutrients when calories fall below 1600 per day.

• Eat a protein-rich diet combined with regular exercise to preserve lean body mass and maximize weight loss that comes mainly from fat.

• Add strength training to build muscle. Although strength training and brisk walking each burn 7 calories per minute, in the hour following your strength training session you burn another 25 percent, or 40 extra calories. This may not seem like much, but it adds up. And the more muscles you condition, the more you increase your RMR and the more calories you burn all day long, even at rest.

• In addition to strength training at least 2-3 times per week, do some aerobic exercise such as walking or something else you may enjoy for 30-60 minutes several days per week. Aerobic exercise will burn some extra calories, but the other benefits such as improved cardiovascular fitness really make it worth while.

• Dietary supplements are important for overall health when you are cutting back on calories so you don’t miss needed vitamins or minerals. Although there is no pill that will do what strength training can do for your metabolism, there are some supplements that will help you burn more calories during and after weight loss.

• Other benefits of combining strength training with a healthy diet and aerobic exercise include a stronger, sleeker, more toned body, more lean body mass and better balance. In other words, you’ll look and feel great!

1 Reference: US Department of Health and Human Services, US Department of Agriculture. 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. Available at: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/report.