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Published: Monday, Feb. 20, 2012 / Updated: Monday, Feb. 20, 2012 11:33 AM

Fit & Healthy: Find strength through training

These days, everywhere you turn there is information about weight loss. At any given time on a social media site, there is bound to be a friend or two talking about a product or weight loss secret that worked for them. You can’t turn on the television without seeing a commercial or infomercial about a proven weight loss program.

With all of this information, how can you decipher what is best for you? How do you know which product, brand or program to trust?

I had to ask myself these questions after several failed weight loss attempts. Finally, I found the answer – strength training.

Strength-training exercises burn calories for up to 39 hours after a workout, compared to only three hours after a cardio workout.

One common misconception is women will bulk up from strength training. The truth is a woman can only add about one pound of muscle per month while a man adds about 2 pounds of muscle per month.

So rest assure ladies, you will not bulk up. Also, the good news is one pound of muscle burns 50 additional calories per day at rest.

Have you heard muscle weighs more than fat? The truth is a pound is a pound no matter which way you look at it. The difference lies in the space it takes up. Muscle takes up 18 percent less space than fat. Building muscle is the key to losing fat and keeping fat off. You can lose weight by doing cardio, but the weight will pile right back on when you stop the cardio routine.

Another key to my success has been accountability. My personal trainer, Demetrius Townes of Charlotte, helped me change my life. Without his guidance, I’d likely still be pounding the treadmill – and my head against the wall – waiting for the weight to come off.

At first, I was scared to work out with a trainer who was in great shape. I couldn’t even go upstairs without huffing and puffing. But he knew how to start me out and progress the workouts as I became stronger.

When I started to see results, I became motivated to change my eating habits (find out more in next month’s column).

While diet is 80 percent of the battle, exercise was the motivation I needed to want to change my diet.

I had accountability, motivation and direction from my trainer. My life was improving daily in more ways than I could count.

Starting and sticking to a strength-training exercise routine was just the beginning.

Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t go another day without strength training:

Your heart will be healthier.

You’ll build stronger bones.

You’ll be way more productive.

You’ll get into shape faster.

You’ll handle stress better.

You’ll lose 40 percent more fat.

Make 2012 your year to become strong, healthy and confident.

Rachel Gilmore of Lake Wylie is the owner of Wellnessridge. She is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer and an Impact instructor and Sharecare Elite trainer. Gilmore and her husband have three daughters ages 5 to 10. She can be reached through wellnessridge.com.