Shana Skillstad's Blogs

Which weighs more, muscle or fat?
There is always a minconception related to the weight of muscle and fat so here is a hint...
What weighs more, one pound of chicken, or one pound of steak?
Answer: pound for pound chicken and steak are the same. MUSCLE and FAT are also equal.

In size, which is bigger, muscle or fat?
Volume wise, FAT takes up more space than MUSCLE.
Fat takes up 20% more space than Muscle does.
In order to burn 1 pound of fat, you must expend 3,500 calories.

As athletes, house wives, dads, weight lifters, elderly, sedentary people it is important for everyone to understand the importance of building and maintaining lean muscle mass AND reducing body fat.

So to understand the benefits of lean muscle mass we must also understand the risks of carrying exess body fat.
Having a large amount of belly fat increases your risk of:
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Some types of cancer
• Type 2 diabetes
• Insulin resistance
• High triglycerides
• Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol
• Metabolic syndrome
• Sleep apnea

More than 100,000 cancers in the US each year are linked to excess body fat
The estimates show that excess body fat is linked to
49% of endometrial cancers (20,700 cases per year)
35% of esophageal cancers (5,800 cases per year)
28% of pancreatic cancers (11,900 cases per year)
24% of kidney cancers (13,900 cases per year)
21% of gallbladder cancers (2,000 cases per year)
17% of breast cancers (33,000 cases per year)
9% of colorectal cancers (13,200 cases per year).

*Gallbladder disease and gallstones.
*Fatty liver disease (also called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH).
*Gastroesophageal reflux or what is sometimes called GERD. This problem occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly and stomach contents leak back—or reflux—into the esophagus.

STRONG benefits of MUSCLE:
•Research has shown that regular resistance training can increase your Basal Metabolic Rate by up to 15%. So for someone burning 2000 calories per day, that's a potential 300 extra calories
•Building a little extra muscle can reduce the risk of injury.
•Resistance exercise can reduce bone deterioration and build bone mass, preventing osteoporosis.
•Strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments gained through weight training are more capable of withstanding stress.
•Improved flexibility gained by strength training also reduces the likelihood of pulled muscles and back pain.

Should WOMEN lift weights too?
YES!!! YES!!! YES!!!
Testosterone is a very important factor in the development of muscle size and shape, because women have very low levels of this hormone their muscles develop differently, thus, little resistance training will not lead to a bulky, masculine physique.

FUN FACTS:
What is metabolically active bodyfat or muscle?
-Muscle- it burns calories

How many calories does muscle burn at rest?
-Studies have estimated that for each pound of muscle that you add to your body, you burn an additional 35 to 50 calories per day.

How many calories does fat burn at rest?
-About 2 calories a day


Activities to Increase activity and burn fat:
Try these activities to add more movement to your daily life:
•Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make sure the stairs are well lit.
•Get off the bus one stop early if you are in an area safe for walking.
•Rake the leaves or wash the car.
•Park the car farther away from entrances to stores, movie theaters, or your home.
•Take a short walk around the block with family, friends, or coworkers.
•Walk the dogs!!!
•Visit museums, the zoo, or an aquarium. You and your family can walk for hours and not realize it.
•Take a walk after dinner instead of watching TV.