Think Fat Loss, Not Weight Loss

Weighing oneself is a daily part of those trying to lose weight and lose a few inches of their belly. Our body weight is not a number we see on the weighing scale, but it adds to how we feel about ourselves on a day-to-day basis. Anyone would be happy to see their weight loss when they first wake up and check their weight on the scale.

Most people think that losing weight is the same thing as losing fat off your body, but that is not the case. Many fat loss diets claim to make you lose weight, but it is not that simple. The amount of weight you might lose through these kinds of ways might make you lose muscles instead. It is important to focus on fat loss rather than weight loss. 

Do Not Focus on Weight Loss

If you are just starting with your fat loss diet to begin your fat loss journey, the weighing scale would not be a good way to measure your progress. Focusing on losing your body fat is much more important in comparison to losing body weight, which most people generally tend to focus on. When you reduce your body fat percentage, you will be making changes that will be permanent to your body. With fat loss, there will be a complete shift in the composition of the body, there will be much more muscle in comparison to fat, and you will be getting healthier. It is not possible to track your progress with weight loss. Yes, you might be losing weight, but that does not mean you are getting healthier. The weighing scale for weight loss tracking can mislead you in many different ways –

• Reflection of your health – The weighing scale which you use for your weight loss measurement does not tell you about the difference between muscle loss and fat loss. You might have a low weight but a high body fat percentage which is unhealthy for your body.
• Reflection of changes happening – The weighing scale does not reflect the changes that are taking place in your body. If you are focussing on strength training and cardio activities at the same time, you might be getting leaner and losing fat at the same time, but the scale would not indicate the same.

The Difference Between Fat Loss & Weight Loss

When we talk about fat loss, it means reducing our body-to-fat percentage. In a human body, there are 3 types of fat cells, beige, brown, and white. The fat is stored in the human body in three different forms as well, visceral fat, essential fat, and subcutaneous fat. If there is an increased percentage of fats in our body, it can lead to multiple diseases and conditions. Fat loss, unlike weight loss, cannot be achieved through simple weight-loss diets. Two people might share the same weight on the scale, height, and age, but their appearance can differ a lot due to their body to fat percentage. When we talk about weight loss, it is a combination of muscle and water loss from human bodies. You can lower your weight just by having diets, but to reduce body fat, you cannot do the same.

• Body Fat Percentage (BFP) – In comparison to weight loss, BFP is more important as an indication of your health. BFP is the only measurement for the body which calculates someone’s body composition without taking in the height and weight factor of the person. If someone has a higher BFP, they may be at risk for heart diseases, obesity, and other health issues. However, lower BFP also leads to a reduction in energy levels, and the body’s resistance to diseases is also lowered. It is very important to maintain a proper BFP level. 
• Eating Healthy – Strength training is crucial when going for fat loss. If you build more muscles, your metabolic rate will increase, which means that you will lose more fat. When engaging in strength training, eating protein is important for the building of muscle tissues. A good fat loss diet includes a lot of protein-based foods. It helps you feel full for a longer time and encourages your body to lose more fat, and maintains the body’s lean mass, which is important for a healthy body.

How to tell if your body is losing fat

As mentioned earlier, your regular weighing scale would not help you measure your fat loss percentage as it would measure your weight loss but not your fat loss. To measure your fat loss, you need to have specialized tools such as –

• Scale for Body Fat – Few scales are designed for measurement of fat loss, and this is done through bioelectrical impedance analysis. These scales are accurate and fairly easy to use.
• Tape Measure – A simple waist check would give you the idea of whether you are losing belly fat or not. Though it is not that accurate, it is cheap and easy to use.
• Skinfold Callipers – This tool can measure fat around certain areas of your body by pinching it. It might be more accurate in comparison to a simple tape measure but is more difficult to use than a tape measure. 

If you are looking for precise measures, you can try going for 3D body scanners, DEXA scanners, and hydrodensitometry, though these will require you to go somewhere like a gym or doctor’s office, unlike other fat loss tools which can be used at home.

Fat loss for your body is much better in comparison to weight loss, as weight loss can make you lose your lean body mass. So, focus on fat loss rather than weight loss. With a proper fat loss diet, you will lose fat and will also automatically lose some of your body weight. Your confidence would only increase knowing that not only you have lost weight but also bad fats from your body, plus you will be much healthier in general.