For many people, watching what they eat is the last thing in the world they want to do. We live in a culture that celebrates, rewards, and comforts with food, so it’s difficult to limit what we eat at times.

However, for those who don’t want to cut down on portions but still want to maintain their weight, it is possible to eat more and not gain weight. This is done through building muscle mass.

Building muscle is essential for fat burning. As most people know, muscle burns more than fat. Each extra pound of muscle burns up to 50 calories a day, while a pound of fat burns just two.

Muscle mass has a number of other benefits as well, including:
It prevents the loss of lean body mass that happens from dieting and/or aging
Weight training workouts burn calories, just as aerobic do
It helps change your body composition, which helps shape your body and keep you healthy
It strengthens bones and connective tissue along with muscles
It keeps you strong and active as you get older
The bottom line is, if you want to eat more and not gain weight, you have to turn your body into an efficient fat burning machine. You can do this through the following exercises:
Bicycle. To do the bicycle, Lie face up on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head, then bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the ground, being careful not to pull on the neck. Straighten the left leg out to a 45-degree angle while at the same time turning the upper body to the right, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee. Then, switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee. This is a great ab exercise.
Weight Training. While it doesn’t burn as many calories as aerobic exercises, weight training is essential to weight loss. It helps build muscle, which not only gives a toned look to the body, but muscle helps to burn fat, so an exercise program that combines cardio with weight training is the most effective. Weight training can be as simple as exercises using light hand weights at home.
Squats. The ultimate exercise for the butt, hips, and thighs, squats are easy and require no equipment. To do a squat, stand with your feet hip-width apart and squat down, keeping back straight, abs in and your knees behind your toes. Squat down like you’re sitting in a chair and then return to the starting position, squeezing your butt as you stand. Repeat for 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps. You can add hand weights for more intensity.
Tricep Kickbacks. Stand with your fit hip-width apart and tip forward from the hips, keeping your back flat and abs in until your torso is parallel to the floor. Start with your elbows bent and pulled up to ribcage. Tighten the triceps and then straighten the elbow, bringing weights up behind you.Lower back down and repeat.
Hip Abduction. To do this leg exercise, lie on one side with your hips stacked and knees slightly bent. Lift top leg, squeezing the glutes, then lower back down without completely relaxing. If you want, you can use ankle weights for added resistance.
The above exercises don’t require any expensive equipment and are a great starting place for building muscle mass