| If you have ever joined with a male friend in | | | | energy than fat, so the effect on your |
| a weight loss programme you may have noticed | | | | metabolism can be quite significant.Annette |
| that men are able to lose weight more easily | | | | has been extraordinarily careful about what |
| than women. Life seems cruel sometimes. Men | | | | she eats and hasn't been able to lose weight |
| hold a metabolic edge over women because they | | | | - with good reason. The amount of lean body |
| have more muscle, and muscles are the | | | | mass you have is an important factor in |
| "workhorses" of the body.Many women who felt | | | | determining the rate at which you burn |
| slim at 35 years, still weighing the same at | | | | calories. If lean body mass drops, metabolism |
| 45 hnow consider themselves "fat". No it | | | | drops.Every pound of muscle a woman loses |
| probably isn't social conditioning. It is | | | | slashes the number of calories she burns by |
| more likely to be the truth and they are | | | | as many as 30 calories a day. If she loses 10 |
| actually more "fat" than they used to be. The | | | | pounds of muscle over 3 decades, she could |
| scales are not the only answer to | | | | burn 300 fewer calories each day, or a |
| understanding what's going on in your | | | | whopping 2,100 fewer calories each week.By |
| body.Consider the case of Annette who weighed | | | | the time she celebrates her 55th birthday, |
| 63 kilos at age 35. At that time, 23 percent | | | | she could have lost as many as 15 pounds of |
| of her body consisted of fat. (Experts | | | | muscle, and now burn 450 fewer calories each |
| consider 23 to 33 percent body fat healthy | | | | and every day.What this means for |
| for women ages 40 to 59). Back then, 15 of | | | | Annette--and other women in their forties and |
| Annette's 63 kilos were fat. The rest--48 | | | | fifties--is that maintaining muscle mass is |
| kilos--consisted of bone, muscle, water, and | | | | critical as the birthdays add up. Lean muscle |
| internal organs.By the time Annette reached | | | | matters because there's so much of |
| age 48, her body fat had increased from 23 | | | | it.Calorie-burning muscle accounts for |
| percent to 30 percent, yet her weight had | | | | approximately 40 percent of the body mass of |
| remained the same. Her body now contains 20 | | | | a normal-weight woman--that's 56 pounds for a |
| kilos of fat, 5 more kilos of fat than at age | | | | 140-pound woman like Janet--so it's a major |
| 35. At the same time, Annette had lost | | | | factor in energy.Here's some good news: |
| approximately 5 pounds of muscle.When women | | | | Because muscle mass is linked directly to |
| gain fat and lose muscle, two things | | | | metabolic rate, women can give their |
| happen:Fat isn't as dense as muscle, so any | | | | metabolic engines a boost with weight |
| fat gained takes up more space than muscle. | | | | training and other forms of exercise that |
| Even if you haven't gained weight on the | | | | builds muscle. Second, with eating the right |
| scale, your body can appear larger, and your | | | | sources of very lean protein you can |
| clothing size may even increase.Because | | | | encourage muscle development as you |
| muscle burns more calories than fat, your | | | | exercise.Kim Beardsmore M.B.A. (H.R.M.), |
| metabolism slows and you burn fewer calories, | | | | B.Sc. (Biochemistry) is an Independent |
| which can contribute to weight gain if you | | | | Herbalife Distributor, weight loss coach and |
| don't make adjustments in your calorie | | | | creator of the online weight loss, health & |
| consumption. Muscle burns up to 7 times more | | | | fitness magazine Weight Loss Health. |