Building muscle to raise your BMR - the honest number

If you have ever tried to lose weight, someone has told you this: build muscle, because muscle burns more calories than fat, even when you are just sitting. That part is true. Then comes the famous number: one pound of muscle burns 50 extra kcal a day. That part is false, and it makes people expect magic from the gym. The honest figure is much smaller, about 13 kcal per kg of muscle per day, which is roughly 6 kcal per pound. Building muscle is still worth doing, for shape, strength, and keeping the body you want while you lose fat. But it is not a substitute for the food deficit. Let us look at the real number and what it actually means for your day.