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Expert Q&A

	By Kelli Calabrese Exercise Physiologist

Does exercise really increase your metabolism? I began a diet and exercise program at the same time and have lost some weight, but it's hard to tell if it's from the exercise or from the change in my eating. I know you're supposed to do both, but which one is really more effective at weight loss?

Great questions! Yes, exercise absolutely does increase your metabolism. It's one of the very best ways to do so. Our metabolism is primarily driven by our muscles. For every pound of muscle on our body we burn approximately 35 calories per day. Every pound of fat on the other hand burns a measly 2 calories per day. As we age, women loose approximately 7 pounds of muscle a decade beginning from the time they are 20. Conversely we gain about double that amount of fat per decade. Exercise can reverse that. Strength training is the key to maintaining and building more metabolically active muscle.

You can lose weight with dieting alone, and if you just started dieting and exercising at the same time, the "weight" loss likely came from the diet. However, the "weight" against gravity on the scale came from water, muscle and fat. Where exercise comes in is that exercise helps you to lose fat rather than muscle, and it is also key in keeping any fat weight loss off permanently.

The two work hand in hand and should be done together as a lifestyle in order to have the most fit, healthy, lean and sexy body. Those who diet alone have a 95 percent chance of regaining every pound lost. However, when they regain the weight, they don't regain the metabolically active muscle they lost; they regain fat leaving their body in less favorable proportions and leaving their metabolism suffering even more making it harder to lose fat the next time. It's called yo-yo dieting and many women are all too familiar with it.

Take a look at the women in the gym. They are firmer, leaner and have a better shape than those who go to diet centers without exercising. Would you rather be a flabby skinny person or have sexy lean muscle which keeps your metabolism fired up, allows you to eat more calories in addition to many healthy, fitness, performance and longevity benefits?

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