For the longest time, I believed the myth that in order to lose weight I’d have to spend every day at least 30 minutes on a treadmill. No wonder I failed! And I equated losing weight with losing pounds on the scale. So I completely discounted resistance training.

Yet resistance training is the best way to burn fat and lose inches or dress sizes. You may not see a change on the scale (because of muscle weight) but you’ll notice a thinner body shape. And the great thing is, once you start resistance training, you’ll be losing fat while you sleep.

Toning muscles actually makes you look thinner, more chiseled. Since I’ve been doing resistance training, people have commented that I look thinner, that I look like I’ve lost weight. (And I have lost weight as well through simple diet modifications which is the topic of another article). Again, here’s the key point, I am gaining muscle weight, burning fat and losing inches.

The great thing about resistance training is that I only workout 3 times a week for 20 minutes! This is easy and manageable. I actually like working out. And here’s the reason I really like working out: because I’m burning fat even when I’m not working out. I love knowing that when I go to bed at night I’m burning fat while I sleep.

Here’s the truth about cardio training and resistance training:

With cardio training, you don’t continue to burn calories past the exertion. So once you’re off the treadmill, you won’t continue to burn calories. And you may even be sabotaging yourself with excessive cardio to lose weight because you may be burning muscle instead, especially if coupled with a low calorie diet.

Resistance training, pure and simple, builds muscle. The more muscle, the more fat we burn. Muscle burns more calories than fat so when we have more muscles we have more calories burned. That means that if I workout (through resistance training), I’ll still be burning fat when I’m not working out! Building muscle increases Basal Metabolic Rate (increases metabolism). In other words, your body becomes a fat burning machine. Your body becomes a fat burning furnace. The more muscle you have, the more fat burning furnaces you have in your body.

I’m burning fat (and calories) as I’m writing this article. I’m pumped. This has literally changed my way of working out. And has changed my body and body image. So if you want to look thinner, burn fat and feel better, incorporate resistance training into your life with a 20 minute workout three times a week and become a fat burning machine. You’ll burn fat while you’re sleeping. And you’ll notice a difference in your body and so will the people around you!