Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

To clear things up in a very simple way…Many of us talk about weight loss when what we really want is fat loss. What the hell is the difference you ask? Let me explain.

Weight loss is the loss of overall mass/ lbs, It can come from water, lean mass or fat mass and has less bearing on our ability to appear lean and fit (aka look good naked). Weight loss is indicated by the scale going down due to a caloric deficit achieved by any means necessary.

Fat loss is the loss of fat mass while retaining lean muscle tissue resulting in the appearance of a toned fit body (aka look good naked). Fat specific loss has 2 general drawbacks for the general population.

First- There are more steps involved when targeting fat specific loss. Fat loss is achieved by strength training and eating in a caloric deficit while maintaining a high protein diet along with a well structured strength training program.

Second and most important- fat loss is more difficult to gauge. Fat loss cant be measured by a scale alone it must be measured by a combination on body composition testing, pictures or visual aids and the fit of clothing.

We are in a society that is ruled by the scale. We believe that if the number goes down it means we are good and if it doesn’t we are bad or failing, not at all true. Everyone struggles with this scale validation thing. It used to hold a lot more value for me as well. I learned a whole lot in my last bodybuilding competition prep. I watched the scale fluctuate 3 pounds up and down on any given day while there were no changes in training or nutrition, There it was, my proof that the scale didn’t matter much for fat loss. I was looking leaner by the day and I learned to value what I saw in the mirror regardless of what the scale said.

When targeting fat loss the scale may move a little or not at all for many reasons, none of which I will go into here but feel free to email me with questions.

#fitnessmyths #cornwallfitness #JessikaRamie #eatingtoloseweight #weightloss #fitnessclasses #groupfitness #fyte #fitness #eatinghealthy