Q: Is it possible to lose weight if I gain muscles? I mean, I’m training 5 days a week with your DVDs (like 1 hour and a half each day), and I’m on a diet. But with your DVDs, I’m developing my muscles; I can see it. It’s good, but I’m just wondering this: if I gain muscles, won’t that mean that I’m gonna gain weight, too? How can I lose more weight AND have beautiful muscles? Thank you very much; I know that my question is a little bit weird, but I don’t know the mysteries of the human body… –Mouz

A: Hey, Mouz! Thanks for your question. Yes, if you gain muscle mass, the scale will show less weight loss than you might expect, or maybe even a bit of gain. Now, if you do lose fat weight, too, you should still be losing weight overall, but maybe not as much as you imagine you should.

Your weight on the scale doesn’t tell you very much. When you have more muscle and muscle tone (instead of that flabby no muscle look), you will actually burn fat more effectively … and it looks so sexy. Although muscle mass weighs more that fat, it takes less space. Compare a pound of gold (muscle) to a pound of cotton (fat) – takes a different amount of space, right? That means muscle looks “smaller” even though it’s heavier.

If you are not running or jogging at this point, maybe you should consider starting. It’s a great addition to the DVDs. Do the DVDs every other day, and do cardio in-between. Make sure your diet is balanced. Take in enough water and try to eat fewer salty foods, which can also contribute to water retention.

Hope this clarifies it a little bit!

Tanja

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