FAT LOSS VS WEIGHT LOSS: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE
You’ve probably heard the terms ‘fat loss’ and ‘weight loss’ thrown around when you’re wanting to improve your physique, but is there a difference when it comes to fat loss or weight loss?
People often use these terms interchangeably, which is actually misleading and can create confusion and lead you down a path of misery and restriction, and not even achieve the results you truly desire.
In this article, I’m going to explain the difference between weight loss and fat loss and how they can both be used to measure your progress towards your physique goals.
But let’s start with: what is weight loss?
WHAT IS WEIGHT LOSS?
Weight loss is a reduction in an individual’s body mass. For individuals who may be overweight or obese, weight loss may seem like the best option as it may be deemed a faster way to reduce the number on the scale. For years my sole goal was to achieve weight loss. However, when I did lose weight, I didn’t achieve the ‘toned’ look I was after.
Why was this?
While the scale reflected it had gone down, I had lost a combination of body fat and lean mass, which would include muscle and water.
So how does fat loss differ?
WHAT IS FAT LOSS?
Fat loss on the other hand focuses solely on reducing the amount of body fat an individual has, while retaining muscle mass. Excess body fat is linked to many health conditions including cardiovascular disease, one of the leading causes of death worldwide (World Health Organisation).
So now that we’ve looked at both weight loss and fat loss, how do the two compare?
FAT LOSS VERSUS WEIGHT LOSS
The reason why so many people struggle in achieving sustainable physique results is they’re focused on reducing the scale weight as quickly as possible, often turning to restrictive diets promising the next ‘secret’ in rapid weight loss. Whilst these sometimes result in the scale weight going down, this doesn’t mean they’re losing purely body fat - it will likely be a combination of body fat and lean mass. This can include muscle, something we want to grow not reduce, as it’s incredibly important for our health, including our strength and bone density.
Simply put, weight loss focuses on reducing your overall body mass. Fat loss on the other hand focuses on reducing your body fat.
WHAT IS MORE EFFECTIVE: FAT LOSS OR WEIGHT LOSS?
Often when women talk about wanting to change their physique, they are talking about changing their body composition. If your goal is to achieve a more toned body with a strong athletic look, you will want to focus on reducing your body fat and increasing your lean muscle mass. This is why the combination of nutrition and strength training are fundamental in achieving this.
So how do you know if you’re losing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass?
HOW DO I MEASURE PROGRESS?
Weight loss is often only measured by stepping on a scale and comparing the number. If the number is lower, then you have lost weight. If the number is higher, then you have gained weight. If the number is the same, then you have maintained your body weight.
This is problematic.
As we have talked about before, the scale weight is your entire body mass, this includes lean mass (which includes muscle, water, basically everything but fat) and fat mass. The scale does not distinguish between these and hence does not give you a complete picture of how you’re progressing.
The scale forms one part of the equation. The best way to gauge your progress is to measure all or a combination of different factors:
your clothes are looser and/or fit more comfortably
your waist and hip measurements are trending down
you’re maintaining or increasing strength
you can see the difference in your progress photos
Each measurement will provide you different data which when combined will give you the best indication of how you’re tracking.
Remember, sustainable progress takes time. Don’t be discouraged if you notice fluctuations from day to day, even week to week. The main objective is to look at the trends from month to month.
My scale weight progress was not linear
TO RECAP
So that’s the difference between fat loss and weight loss.
So if your goal is to lose body fat and achieve your ultimate physique, have a plan and make sure you’re measuring a combination of things, and not relying solely on the scale. Or consider investing in a coach, who can take the guesswork out for you and help you to achieve next level results.
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