Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss - Are You Getting the Results You Want?

Fat loss and Weight loss are often terms that people use interchangeably. However, they’re probably not the same things. Similar, yes, but when it comes to those, who are working towards a very particular physical goal, the difference is noteworthy. Weight loss means an objective to decrease the weight of the body. It is the total weight of your body fat, bones, organs, muscles, etc. whereas; fat loss means a goal to lower the percentage of body fat. i.e., the amount of fat contained in the body.

One can see that there is an apparent variance between these two goals. Most of the people who have a desire to lose body weight are likely to carry excess body fat. If these individuals know about the right information, then they may be more inclined to specify that they are considering losing that body fat which causes them to weigh beyond where they feel comfortable.

Why fat loss is more important than weight loss

If a person wants to lose weight, it is most likely because he/she carries too much fat. Some individuals must lose weight, like athletes before going to a competition, but most want fat loss. Therefore stop weighing yourself.

•Unreliable:

The body weight can fluctuate every day because it influences because of the stomach, bladder content, bowel, water retention, muscle gain/loss, and fat gain/loss. One can have no idea what’s going on.

•Irrelevant:

Two individuals with similar height can weigh alike, but look different because one has reduced body fat than the other. For example, if you find two women who both weigh 150 pounds then they will likely seem very different. One may appear leaner, and one may be curvier. One may look taller. Their body compositions and shapes may be very different. However, they weight the same 150 pounds, thus again, weight is irrelevant.

Therefore, why is the fat loss of the body a “better” goal than weight loss? The Weight loss of the body is merely becoming a lighter version of oneself. Fat loss is how one can achieve things like visible abs, muscle definition, and consistent appearance.

Gaining weight but losing fat

When one talks about losing weight, then he/she usually means slimming down. Individuals want to lose weight around the thighs and hips, the arms and belly. But, an odd thing regarding slimming down is that it doesn’t all the time mean losing actual weight off the scale. It may sound strange, but it is likely to get thinner without really seeing a change in one’s weight. It happens when an individual loses body fat while gaining muscle.

His/her weight may stay the same, even as he/she drops inches, an indication that one is moving in the right direction. The problem is that individuals are often focused on the scale and believe that if that number doesn't change, they are not getting real results. Knowing the difference between losing body fat and losing weight can improve how one sees him/herself,  and maybe even how to look at his/her own body.

Gaining weight through acquiring muscle

Fat loss takes place when the body recruits fat stored in it. It happens when the body requires energy which does not supply by the glycogen stored in the liver and muscles. Cardio exercises force this situation by way of first expanding an individual’s body’s storage of glycogen through long-term, low-intensity exercise. When the body of an individual gets low on glycogen, it starts to “burn” the fat stored in other parts of the body. That is why cardio exercises lead to efficient fat loss.

Gaining muscle takes place by doing strength training. During strength training, a person puts his/her muscles under resistance in an anaerobic technique. The high sum of resistance causes the muscles to strain which leads to microtears. After this strength training session, the body restores these microtears by rest and protein intake, making muscles larger during the process. It points towards an increase in the muscle mass.

How to Lose Fat, Not Muscle

There are different techniques that one needs to implement to lose fat while preserving muscles,

Get stronger:

Undertaking regular strength training helps an individual build muscle, increase his/her metabolism, fight the signs of aging, as well as help reduce the risk of injuries.

Eat healthier:

Eating a cleaner and balanced diet helps a person with fat loss. When struggling to lose fat, there are a lot of different options to the traditional weight scale. They can help an individual to create realistic expectations for his/her body, leaving him/herself feeling positive about his/her progress, rather than dejected.

Stop weighing yourself: 

The variations in the scales (which can be because of a range of different factors) can demotivate a person, bringing down his/her confidence, and willpower and making him/her less likely to preserve.

Track the body fat: 

Fat Calipers can track their skin folds, something that measures as an indicator of fat loss. Perform this at weekly or monthly intervals.

Measure: 

Taking measurements of the chest, neck, waist, thighs, and arms helps an individual track his/her progress. While some may go up because of increased muscle content, his/her size should go down.

Gym measurements: 

Log the exercises and take note of all progress steps a person is taking. It can assist him/her to feel motivated because measurable results can indicate where he/she is succeeding.

Overall process

Consequently, to maintain the body weight during fat loss, one will be adding muscle. But as muscles are denser than fat, one’s speed of fat loss must exceed his/her rate of muscle growth. Thus an individual’s workout should focus on cardio exercises that emphasize fat-burning while still allowing for some sessions of strength training. As one progresses, he/she will burn fat more speedily, as more muscles lead towards faster calorie expenditure.

It implies that to maintain one’s weight throughout his/her workout program. An individual’s workout at the start will consist of numerous cardio sessions per week with a couple of strength training sessions, but as one reaches his/her target body, he/she will phase out the course of strength training, leaving perhaps one per week.