Losing Fat vs Losing Weight

If you are trying to lose weight, you are obviously following loads of techniques including diet plan, workout plan and would even make a few lifestyle changes to lose weight and to see the number on the scale go down. But are you stuck between losing fat vs losing weight?

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“Isn’t losing fat and losing weight the same?”

If you’re having this thought on your mind, to your surprise, the answer is NO. Most people think that losing weight only corresponds to losing fat. But if you dig a little deeper, you would know that the number you see on the scale reflects your whole body! This includes fat, muscles, bones, organs and body fluids and unfortunately, most of the people who train or diet for weight loss, end up losing muscle along with fat.

Usually, what you see on the initial stages of your weight-loss journey isn’t a fat loss. At the initial stages of your weight loss plan, you would have cut all carbs and processed foods. This means you are reducing the fluid content in your body by reducing and carbohydrates and sodium from your diet. So, if you see the weighing scale go down, its usually water weight loss during initial stages.

Read more:5 important things to know about weight loss

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The science behind muscle loss:

Both muscle and fat are needed to ensure the proper functioning of your body. But, if your body stores excess fat, you may become obese and this could lead to a variety of problems in your body and if you plan to lose these extra fats, you may wind up losing muscle too. This is particularly important because not only muscle helps you perform your daily activities like walking, carrying things and literally every everyday task, but muscle is also a metabolically active tissue. A metabolically active tissue is a tissue that burns more calories at rest than fat. So, if you don’t prioritize your workout plans and your diet plans, you will lose muscle along with fat.

“So, how to tell what I’m losing?”

There is no certain way of telling whether you are losing fat or muscle or water weight, but if you drop some weight in a few days of training or weight loss, it is most probably water weight loss. But, losing fat, on the other hand, takes a long time to notice because fat loss usually happens at a slower rate.

Here are some ways to know whether you’re losing fat or losing weight.

Exercise routine:

This is one of the best ways to know if you’re losing fat or muscle. If you do a lot of cardio and skipping the strength training sessions, you are probably losing about 50% fat and 50% muscle. So, make sure you lift weights at least 2 days a week to lose more fat than muscles.

Read more:How to lose weight by walking

Fatigue levels:

Higher fatigue levels indicate muscle loss. So, if you feel tired or notice greater levels of fatigue than usual while doing normal activities, there is a good chance that you are losing muscles.

Read more:Top 10 foods to burn fat faster

Document your journey with Photos:

One easy way you could document your weight loss journey is by taking pictures of yourself. Take progress photos once a week and notice the differences. If you are only losing fat, you would see a smaller waist and hips while the rest of the body starts taking a fit shape. Try to take the photo in the same place in the same clothes in the same pose. This will help you notice the results quickly.

Bioelectrical impedance scale:

A normal weighing scale would only give you your body mass, meaning it gives your body weight as a whole, but the bioelectrical impedance scale, on the other hand, measures your body composition through electrical impulses. It gives you your muscle weight, fat weight, and water weight. This way you can easily know if you’re losing fat.

Read more:5 best fitness gadgets in 2020 We associate weight loss with a healthier lifestyle, but in the essence weight loss is all about losing extra fat that is stored in your body. Everybody has a different body type and every body type has a different composition of fat and muscles. So, if you’re trying to lose weight, make sure it is fat that your losing and not weight.

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