I am as guilty as all of you. That scale going down always just seems so rewarding but it can be MISLEADING if you aren't careful. Let's talk about what we all REALLY want to see happen; lose FAT not WEIGHT. These terms are NOT the same.
Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss: What's the Difference?
Problems with Weight Loss.
- Unreliable. Your body-weight can fluctuate daily since it’s influenced by your stomach/bowel/bladder content, water loss/retention, muscle loss/gain, fat loss/gain, … You’ll have no idea what’s going on.
- Irrelevant. Two people with similar height can weigh the same, but look completely different because one has lower body fat than the the other.
The pictures below are me a few years ago at 145 pounds and me today at 145 pounds. The difference? I've spent the last few years lifting weights and focused on a balanced diet to have FATLOSS. The first picture I ate decent but too FEW calories and only did tons of cardio to lose WEIGHT.
Here’s How The Weight Scale Can Mislead You.
Think of this: have you ever woke up feeling slimmer to only weigh more? I have done it so many times and let me tell you, right now I am not weighing and my eating is better than ever. Why? I feel good about myself each day and it makes the day easier to fuel up properly for my workouts. Otherwise, I want to drown my sorrows in a bucket of KFC.
- Carbs & Water. Carbs bind to water. Eating less carbs will make you lose weight: water loss. This is why you lose so much weight on a diet like Atkins the first 2 weeks: it’s mostly water. Of course, increasing your carb intake will make you gain weight again: water retention. This is why I'm doing a lot of work with the PNP girls on an Abs Menu.
- Muscle Gains & Fat Loss. You’ll gain muscle while losing fat when you start a strength program. But on the weight scale it will look like you’re not making progress: your body-weight doesn’t change. Track your body fat using a fat caliper and you’ll see your body fat is going down.
How to Make Sure You Lose Fat, Not Muscle? Check the picture above: 5lbs muscle takes less space than 5lbs fat. That means you’ll look slimmer at the same body-weight by building muscle. Keys to losing fat, not muscle:
- Get Stronger. Strength training builds muscle & prevents muscle loss.
- Eat Healthy. Follow my Basic Eating Strategies 101.
You can do cardio to speed up fat loss, but without strength training, cardio will cause muscle loss and you’ll end up skinny-fat. Here's some free routines from my site and my 30 Day Treadmill Bootcamp for those who MUST combine cardio and strength due to time constraints.
How to Track Progress Efficiently. You don’t need to track progress weekly, changes wouldn’t be drastic enough. Track progress every 2 or 4 weeks. You'll see more results and get more excited about your efforts!
- Stop Weighing Yourself Daily. The daily fluctuations will kill your drive unless you have a VERY HEALTHY mental state about why the scale goes up and down so much. Weigh yourself once every 2 weeks or once a month.
- Look in The Mirror. Self-image issues can skew perception. Start practicing choosing something you love about your body daily. Focus on it and TRULY appreciate it.
- Track Body Fat. Even though body fat scales can be "off" you can certainly track the trend to make sure it is going down.
- Take Measurements. Once a month measure yourself and make sure your problem areas are shrinking.
- Shoot Pictures. Full body pictures in the same outfit every two to four weeks show a good diary of progress.
- Training Stats. Keep a training log. Make sure you are lifting more weight, walking further, and doing harder levels in your cardio. You should be doing a little better each week or it's time to switch things up.
Last but not least, when someone says you look like you've lost weight just simply say, "Thank you. I've been working very hard." Most of you will dismiss the compliment and it's time to start appreciating what other people say to you!
