Hi. I've been working out and watching what I eat for the past five weeks. I see muscle definition in my body, but I have also gained weight and my clothes are tighter than before. Any advice?

The fact that you have gained weight is not so important (I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you cannot rely only on the scale to give you the whole picture. The scale only tells you how much you weigh, not what makes up that weight. Since you're working out, you are adding muscle and that means more of your weight is lean body mass. You're seeing more muscle definition because of that additional lean body mass, and that's great. (Keep in mind that that ideal range for body fat in women is 16 to 26 percent.)

However, you do say that your clothes are tighter, which leads me to believe that you might be a mesomorph body type. Mesomorphs generally have a solid build with hips and shoulders that are approximately the same width. Mesomorphs have the ability to add on lean body mass quickly and also build strength easily, too. Does this sound like you?

If making your tailor rich is not one of your goals, you will have to be sure to include enough cardiovascular activity in your fitness program to keep your body fat down as you pack on some extra, healthy muscles onto your frame. Mesomorphs do well with 30-60 minutes of aerobic activity 4-6 times a week. Aerobic activity (like walking, running, cycling, bladding) is necessary to burn calories, thereby burning the fat surrounding your budding muscles. This extra calorie burn should solve your clothing dilemma.

By the way, there's great advantage to being a mesomorph. With consistent workouts, this body type tends to sculpt and shape well-defined muscles more easily than their slender underwear modeling counterparts, the ectomorphs. Madonna is a famous example of a buffed and muscled mesomorph. So are Linda Hamilton and Gloria Estavan. Michelle Phillips and Jennifer Love Hewitt are examples of fit ectomorphs. (There is one additional body type known as the endomorph. Endomorphs have hips wider than their shoulders and tend to be round and curvy. Cindy Crawford and Alicia Silverstone are good examples of endomorphs.)

Below, I've outlined some recommendations for the mesomorph who wants to get in shape, but isn't training to compete in the Ms. Olympia Body Building Championships.

Sample Mesomorph Training Program

• Perform 30-60 minutes of cardiovascular activity a minimum of 4 times a week. Work at a moderate intensity (so you feel breathless but you can still carry on snatches of conversation as you exercise).
• As you increase your fitness level, you can throw in 3-4 higher intensity bursts activity that last 5-10 each. Do this within 2-3 of your workouts each week. This will burn even more calories and promote further development of lean body mass, i.e. muscle.
• Strength train a minimum of 2 times per week working upper and lower body each time. Include abdominal exercise and stretching each workout. (link)
• For tone, shape, and sculpting, do 1-4 sets per body part. Use moderately heavy weights you can lift 10-15 reps per set. If you have no desire to bulk up, stay away from low reps and very heavy weights.
• To help keep your body fat down, try to maintain a diet that is between 20-30% fat. You don't need extra protein to build that muscle so keep your protein intake at about 15-20%. That leaves 50-65 percent of your diet for healthy complex carbs like whole grains and other healthy starches, fruits, and veggies.

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