Do you want to lose weight or do you want to lose fat? Interesting question isn’t it? For most of my life and most of the time I spent yo-yo dieting I never thought about it. Frankly I didn't realize there was even a difference until I started strength training and working with Ryan. Surprisingly there is actually a really big difference between the two things. Although these words are used interchangeably the difference is massive. Let’s take a deeper look at what these things are.
Weight loss is defined as an overall reduction in body weight. Weight loss is a result in a decrease in muscle mass, fat and water.
Fat loss is defined as weight loss from fat. Fat loss is a more healthful and specific goal.
It can be difficult for most people to know if they are losing fat or muscle mass. The most commonly used tool to measure success is a scale. Many scales do not differentiate between fat loss or weight loss. There are body composition scales that can provide a little more data to help you know where your weight loss is coming from. But Stephanie, are body composition scales accurate. Not exactly. They are definitely not the best way to measure fat loss but they do provide some baseline data for users to go by. There are some better ways to measure fat loss though.
Circumference measurements - I usually recommend clients take measurements. Oftentimes, especially for beginners, you can be losing body fat while increasing muscle mass (if you are strength training). What this means is that the scale weight may not go down but you may see an overall reduction in inches from varying places on your body.
Progress Pictures - This is one I literally can not stress enough! You will not see your own progress in the mirror. You will 100% be able to see the difference in pictures though.
Clothes fitting better - Are those jeans that were too tight suddenly comfortable again? Are your shirts looser? Did you go down sizes? These are all really good ways to gauge progress.
Losing fat is achieved through prioritizing strength training, prioritizing protein and eating in a moderate calorie deficit.
Weight loss is achieved through excessive cardio, often a drastic decrease in a caloric intake. Generally this is not sustainable and to be completely honest with you it never actually yields the results you are looking for. If your goal is to look a certain way then you do need to lose fat and not just weight.
Don’t worry girlies, picking up those heavy weights won’t make you bulky. You probably aren’t working hard enough to get bulky….I said what I said.
I have not only lost 115 lbs but i have successfully recompositioned my body while doing so. If you need help getting on the path to the strongest, healthiest you reach out. I’d love to give you some advice and help you get there.
-Stephanie