TNT Diet: Women and Weight Loss  

But because one of the driving principles of our plan is to that you maintain and even build muscle while you lose weight, women are sometimes hesitant to jump on board. Especially since it requires lifting weights. This is simply based on the fear of "getting big," which most women have an aversion to, even if it's muscle, and not fat.

However, we've studied the effect of resistance training on women for several years now, and the women we've worked with experienced only desirable changes to their figures. The main reason is that women aren't genetically engineered to increase their muscle mass significantly.

 

The fact is, they have a limited capacity to produce testosterone, the hormone that's responsible for controlling the rate at which your body builds muscle. So trust us when we say that women don't have to worry about adding an impressive amount of muscle size.

 

Now, if you're a woman, and you start our plan, you may feel like your muscles are getting bigger right away. But there are a couple of key points to remember: First, you may experience some slight swelling initially because you'll be working your muscles in ways you never have before. The swelling won't be visible to the naked eye, but you might notice it by feel.

 

You'll also be more aware of your muscles. If you've never lifted before, you'll probably find that it feels good, but that it also makes you think about your muscles more often, something you probably don't normally do. This can lead to the perception that they're growing.

 

That said, most women could stand to gain a little muscle anyway. Muscle burns fat—so the more you have, the greater your ability to flatten your belly and melt away your hips. Plus, muscle takes up less space than fat, which means that even if you gain a little muscle as you lose fat, you'll still be getting smaller.

The bottom line: Pay close attention to how your clothes fit, especially those tight-fitting jeans. In no time, you'll find they're fitting better than ever. So let that—and the mirror—be your main guide.

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