Betty and Bonnie are identical twins. Both are 5’5”, and both weigh 150lbs. For Christmas, each received a coat from their grandmother. Betty received a down coat and Bonnie received a leather coat.
For New Year’s, they went to visit their Aunt Mae in Chicago, each wore their new coats. At the airport, there was a weight limit of 10 lbs for coats and carry-on luggage. They both made it on the plane without a hitch, because each coat weighed exactly 8lbs.
After they landed and got ready to leave the plane, they grabbed their bags from the overhead compartment and put on their new coats.
As they were approaching Aunt Mae in the terminal, Aunt Mae leaned over and whispered to Uncle Charlie, “Looks like Betty has put on a few pounds.” Uncle Charlie replied “Yeah, you can definitely tell, don’t say anything.” Of course sweet Aunt Mae never would.
Then End.
Okay, so what the hell am I talking about?!?!? Listen, please listen, you have got to get this critical, vital, information...
Your body fat percentage, not your total weight in pounds, is THE most determining factor in how you look, and what size you are! Not your scale weight, your body fat percentage! Okay, let’s dispel the myth first…
Muscle does not weigh more than fat, but, muscle is denser than fat. Here's what I mean...
A 10lb. bag of potatoes, weighs exactly the same as a 10lb. dumbbell; but, would you rather your butt look like a 10lb. bag of lumpy potatoes, or a 10lb. piece of steel? I know...it’s a no brainer!
The reason the 10lb. dumbbell is smaller than the potatoes, is because the material it's composed of is denser, ie. steel.
Here’s another example based on the truth of math: Two women, Sally and Shirley…two more identical twins (yeah, I know, but it works), weigh exactly the same…we’ll say 150 lbs. again…however…
Sally’s body fat percentage is 20% and Shirley’s is 30%…so what right? Wrong! Let’s take a look at what they’re made up of and why Sally is a size 10/12 and Shirley is a size 14/16…now, take a peek at Sally and Shirley's charts below...
| Sally |
|
Shirley |
| |
Total Weight in Pounds |
Body Fat Percent |
Lbs. of Body Fat |
Lbs. of LBM (Lean Body Mass) |
|
|
Total Weight in Pounds |
Body Fat Percent |
Lbs. of Body Fat |
Lbs. of LBM (Lean Body Mass) |
| Stats |
150.00 |
20.00% |
30.00 |
120.00 |
|
Stats |
150.00 |
30.00% |
45.00 |
105.00 |
Okay, so what do we notice here (remember they both weigh the same)...
At 20% body fat - Sally's body is made up of 30 lbs. of fat (potatoes) and a 120 lbs. of Lean Body Mass (steel)
At 30% body fat - Shirley's body is made up of 45 lbs. of fat (potatoes) and only 105 lbs. of Lean Body Mass (steel)
Here's the kicker...Shirley has 45 lbs. of fat, and Sally only 30 lbs., that means that...Shirlely has 35% more fat on her body than Sally!!!
35% is over a 1/3 of a whole...so remembering that everything else about these twins is basically the same...At the same weight, Shirley is approximately 1/3 larger, not heavier, than Sally! And that's why Sally wears a size 10, and Shirley wears a size 14!
Are you seeing it now? You see why Sally is "smaller" than Shirley, even though she's not "lighter" than Shirley? And lets face it ladies and gents, smaller is really our goal isn't it.
Remember our story of Betty and Bonnie (of course you do it's 5 inches above this paragraph...sorry), anyway...if each of them stood on a scale, wearing their 8lb. coats, each of them would weigh exactly 158 lbs (their weight plus, the weight of their coats), but Betty would look bigger. But since we're now talking fat vs. muscle, and not coats with Sally and Shirley, Shirley actually IS bigger than Sally.
If any of you guys bake, you know that 8 egg whites in a bowl, is much "smaller" than 8 egg whites beaten into a meringue! You could fit 8 unbeaten egg whites in an 10 oz. glass, but you couldn't fit 8 egg whites beaten into a meringue in a 10 oz. glass. Clothes work exactly the same way...Your jeans don't know if it's fat, or muscle, or jelly beans, they just know...whatever it is...it won't fit! It's all about body composition, ie. what your body is composed of and the percentages of those components.
I know this to be true of personal experience as well. As of this writing, my current weight is 122. Years ago, when I was gaining weight, when I reached 122, I was 4 sizes...yes 4 sizes larger, than I am now. Why? Because then, I was composed of a much larger percentage of that fluffier material called fat, than I am today.
Now, what is this LBM or Lean Body Mass crapola? Well, Lean Body Mass is everything that makes up the weight of your body minus the fat. It includes your body's water, organs, bones, blood and muscle. Since the first four items weigh the same all the time (except for 1 week a month for us ladies), the only thing that can increase or decrease your body's LBM is the loss or gain of muscle...
Now, so what, and who cares? Well, you should; we all should, because the more muscle you have, the more fat you'll burn, and the more defined and sculpted your body will be. By the way...that's the secret of looking great naked!
If you've read my journey, you'll know that I accomplished the weight I wanted, way before I accomplished the size and shape I wanted (which by the way is still a work in progress)...but I digress...
Ladies, I'll tell you a secret...
It is possible to be a size (whatever), in two different versions:
- The turn the lights off version, or;
- The leave the lights on version
Body shaping and sculpting, makes the "lights" dilemma, a matter of personal preference, rather than a matter of personal fear.
Plus, body sculpting is to cellulite what Kryptonite is to Superman. Outside of drinking lots of water (an article to be posted later), body sculpting is the quinessential answer to cellulite. Why? Take an old balloon that the air has been let out of (okay yuck), and then, pull it over your hand in it, and watch it smooth out. When you stretch your well nourished skin, over a hard, firm muscle, it becomes, well actually, it becomes what the LLC theme is for 2006..."Suede over Steel!"
Eating Low-Carb is the best thing I do for my body internally; Lifting weights is the best thing I do for my body externally. The results and the rewards of the two are unbelivable!
I promise you ladies, and it bummed me out at first too, that even if you incorporate a successful eating plan, but you do no exercise, or only aerobic exercise, you can reach your size goal, but you will not reach your shape goal, unless you pump some iron!
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The picture to your right is an exact example of what I mean in terms of: size vs. weight and fat vs. muscle.
Even if you were to simply exchange 5lbs. of fat, for 5lbs. of muscle, you would become significantly smaller, harder, firmer, and tighter, even though, you would weigh exactly same in either case! I cannot stress this enough.
Again, everyone has seen a 10lb. bag of poatoes, and everyone has seen a 10lb. dumbbell, and though they weigh the same, the sizes are vastly different. It's all about body composition...what you're composed of, and that dear friend, is up to you! |
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