Day 69 - Taking a moment from science writing...

Thank goodness! Have I mentioned how much I hate to write science publications???  If not, let's just say that I'd rather jab my very sharp, very pointy, mechanical pencil in my eye than to write a science paper or proposal.  I'll let that image sink in for a second.
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Now that I have that out of the way...

I read an article today that really kind of annoyed me:  Does Muscle Weigh More Than Fat?  Now, I get their point that a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat.  A pound is a pound is a pound.  But what annoyed me is that Laura Stusek, fitness coordinator for Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah,  made it seem that we say this as an excuse for our scales going up instead of down.

The fact is, the same amount of volume of muscle is going to weigh more than the same volume of fat.  In other words, if you lose a volume of fat, and gain the same volume of muscle, you are going to weight more.  Period. End of story.  I don't use the saying as an excuse, and I don't think that other people do either.

However, I think that the point of the article is that we shouldn't be scared of gaining muscle because the scale might go up.  The fact of the matter is, having more muscle means you burn more calories.  And that means less fat.  And that, is a fantastic thing.  It means, more energy, more fat burning, more everything really.  So don't be afraid to pick up those weights!

She also makes the point that you should look at how you are feeling, and how your clothes are fitting, and I totally agree.  Absolutely.  And I think her major issue was that because we are scale obsessed, we are scared that adding muscle is going to make the scale go up.

And besides, if the hamster can do it, I guess we can too. :)
So there's my two cents for the day. Have a fun Monday!