Many times women feel that if they exercise too much and do weight training they will become less feminine. This is far from true! Exercise and lifting weights are necessary to get the type of body that we as women want – nice lean limbs and healthy looking skin. It is so hard to lose the weight we need to lose without adding exercise. By doing small amounts of exercise each day, or every other day, you are making it easier to burn off more calories than you consume.

Having better muscle tone will increase your metabolism. Metabolism is the speed at which our bodies burn off calories. When we increase our muscle tone our metabolism increases and we burn calories better, even while we are asleep. Muscle also takes up less space than fat, so when we get rid of the fat and replace it with muscle are limbs look leaner. When you start exercising and building muscles, you may notice that you are not losing weight, but you should also notice that your clothes fit differently. This is because the muscle is replacing the fat and you’re actually losing inches. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it takes up less space. This is better than losing pounds, because you can actually see the difference.

As you exercise you are burning off stored up fat and this gives you more energy. Exercise also reduces stress and helps you to sleep better at night. Regular exercise also improves your skin tone. As you exercise and build muscle tone you increase your immune system as well increase your stamina. Your heart will thank you. If you haven’t exercised in a while, check with your doctor before beginning any type of exercise plan.

Muscles need protein, so make sure that you eat protein with every meal and snack. This doesn’t have to be a steak or hamburger or some type of beef, you can get protein from other meats as well as beans. In fact, you should try to have several meals throughout the week that are built around beans and vegetables. Foods that are high in fiber and protein take more energy to digest therefore your metabolism increases, plus they take longer to digest which makes you feel fuller longer.

Speaking of eating, if you’re trying to lose weight, you need to eat five smaller meals per day. Most successful diet plans include three meals plus two snacks. You want to keep your body burning those calories all day long. Think of your body as a furnace, a fat burning furnace. It needs fuel throughout the day to burn efficiently.