Q:  Wouldn't more muscle add up to more weight?

A:  People sometimes will have a slight gain in weight when they initiate an exercise program. This temporary reaction is due to heightened levels of muscle tissue, because muscle weighs almost twice as much as fat. Nevertheless, muscle is more compact than fat (a pound of muscle takes up one-third the space of fat), so the temporary weight gain will be offset by a decrease in body size. Also, the extra muscle will burn more fat, which will also help further decrease overall body weight. Remember, your progress cannot be monitored only by what the scale says. Check the mirror and examine how your clothes fit. If possible, get your body fat measured every month or two.