Do you want to look your best? People often focus on losing weight, but they also need to focus on the fat to muscle tissue ratio. The two aren’t equal. A biological female weighing 130 pounds but has over 25% body fat will look far heavier than a counterpart weighing the same whose body fat is 14%. Even though the two are the same weight, the one with more muscle will look thinner.
Muscle tissue is denser than fat tissue.
If you created a container to hold precisely one pound of fat tissue and a container to hold exactly one pound of muscle tissue, the one containing fat tissue would have to be bigger than the one containing muscle. A pound of fat tissue isn’t as dense as muscle tissue and requires more space to hold a pound. It weighs less per cubic inch. It’s why working out makes you look thinner even if you don’t lose a single pound. You’ve built a pound of muscle and lost a pound of fat. You’ll look thinner the more muscle you have.
Fat plays a different role in the body than muscle does.
Fat is stored energy that is ready to use for energy if there’s not enough food. Muscle performs a different function. It’s necessary for movement and that movement can keep the body healthier and bones strong. Muscle tissue requires more calories for maintenance than fat tissue does. The more muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolism and the more calories you’ll burn even when you’re at rest.
Too much fat plays a negative role in health.
If you’re extremely muscular and at the high end of the weight chart, there’s normally no effect on your health. In fact, you’ll probably be healthier than the average person within the normal weight range. You’ll have lower blood glucose levels, less inflammation, and better insulin sensitivity. Excess fat plays a different role in health, particularly if it’s around the waist. A higher percentage of fat can increase the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer, metabolic disorders, and diabetes.
- You’ll look better with a healthier fat to muscle tissue ratio. You’ll have a more defined body mass that doesn’t jiggle when you move. It doesn’t matter what body shape you have lean; toned muscles add to its appearance.
- Never try to eliminate all fat from the body. Fat plays an important role too. It’s a matter of ensuring you don’t have too much.
- Diet alone isn’t enough to achieve a good balance of body fat and muscle. Exercise that builds muscle tissue improves body composition. Strength-building workouts and a healthy diet can reduce body fat while providing many health benefits.
- If you’re doing strength training to build muscles, you’re also increasing your output of calories, which can lead to even more weight loss. While cardio exercises are important, the calories burned come from both muscle and fat.
For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness