Fat Loss OR Weight Loss? Why The Focus Should Always Be Fat Loss

"I want to lose some weight."

Weight loss is a popular topic in modern times. One of the reasons is because a lot of people suffer from diseases and health issues directly related to their weight. Heart disease, strokes, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, liver and kidney disease, pregnancy complications, fatigue, osteoarthritis (which involves joint pain and stiffness) and immobility are some of the most common weight-related complications in our society.

Another reason for the topic's popularity is for the improvement of self-image and self-esteem. Feelings such as low self-esteem, low self-acceptance, depression, social awkwardness and shame can be signs of discomfort or dissatisfaction with an unacceptable weight category (overweight).

Whatever the reason, people around the world aspire to achieve some form of fitness that involves "losing weight".

But is there a right way and a wrong way to approach this ambition? The answer is YES.

A lot of people say that they want to "lose weight". But do they understand what they really want to do? There has been a lot of misunderstanding in terms of achieving good fitness levels, and identifying the right approach towards that goal. What individuals should always be focused on is fat loss more and weight loss less.

What's the difference between weight loss and fat loss? A LOT, if you ask me. As you progress reading this article, your understanding and priority will become much clearer to you.

While weight reduction is linked to losing fat, there can me many adverse effects involved as the end-result. There's a definite guarantee that it will lead to weight loss, but an indefinite guarantee the majority of the weight lost will be fat alone.

Alternatively, a focus on fat reduction leads to definite weight loss, with minimal side-effects, but also involves significant fat loss. There's a definite guarantee it leads to BOTH weight loss AND fat loss. Fat has mass and volume: its reduction will therefore cause a change (drop) in weight.

There's a stark contrast involved here! And I'll explain more on this matter now.

While the weight scale is an essential tool in measuring one's fat loss progress, it can also be a bit misleading at times. The reason for this is that a scale cannot determine exactly the amount of fat or muscle on someone's body. 

As we begin exercising and dieting hard, our weight begins to drop as we observe the scale. This encourages us to drop even more weight. Don't start celebrating just yet. This doesn't always mean a positive thing.The dangers of just primarily focusing on weight loss is the fact that more than just fat and water weight could possibly be lost. Precious muscle can be lost in the process also. 

Loss of muscle leads diminished strength and fitness levels, resulting in a more hollow figure of your previous body image. Ever seen the "skinny-fat" look? A skinny-fat individual looks smaller, but there's still visible amounts of fat on their body. I've been there at one point in time: I focused so much on losing weight than simply fat, much to my own detriment. Fortunately, there is a work-around for someone who finds themselves in this pitfall.

Losing muscle also causes your metabolism to slow down. Muscles are very active metabolically (even while the body is at rest), so extremely low drops in muscle mass triggers a survival mode effect. The body brings all weight loss to a halt, and attempts its best to preserve body mass. This may lead to a weight-loss plateau, where the body halts any further weight loss, and the numbers on the scale remains the same (leading to your frustration as to what exactly is going on). This may also cause a weight-gain rebound, where a person regains weight during attempts to reduce their weight to dangerous levels and the body responds by actually doing the reverse, i.e., doing more fat storing than fat burning. It's a vicious cycle.

All these adverse side-effects lead to a version of yourself that is weaker and prone to sickness due to a less robust immune system and slow metabolism. This is hardly the goal anyone should be seeking.

The objective is to burn fat, while preserving muscle. I can not emphasize this point enough.

Focusing on burning fat results in a leaner, muscular, and fitter version of you. Avoid trying to focus on fat loss via extreme dieting only: try to maintain a balance between nutrition and exercise. One way of preserving muscle mass while burning fat includes having a consistent intake of protein in your diet. Protein is essential for muscle maintenance, so always make it a priority to include it in your nutrition plan. Set aside days for a cheat meal, where you can have additional carbs in your diet than normal. This ensures that your metabolism doesn't drop. A slow metabolism is never conducive for fat loss.

In addition to protein intake and cheat meal days, include strength training into your workout plan. This ensures that the body recognizes your muscles as essential mass as you begin losing the weight and avoids burning too much muscle. Don't only do cardio.

The scale is not enough. Take photos of your body (with minimum to no clothing) over periods of time (usually every 1-2 weeks) to monitor the subtle changes in your body size. Pay attention to the areas such as upper chest, the upper and lower abdomen, obliques (where love handles form), lower back, waist, and thighs. These areas are prime areas for fat storage, and are usually the first places to see fat reduction. There's also the option to take actual body measurements with tape. Measure and record your body over a period of 1-2 weeks using the same target locations to assess progress.

Let's sum it up so far:

1. Target weight, and you lose overall body mass (both fat and muscle)(negative result).
2. Target fat, and you lose body mass (the majority of it being fat)(positive result).

It was important to have one of the first blog entries dedicated to this matter. One of the main objectives of this blog is to emphasize a focus on fat loss, while still using the scale as a valuable asset. Aiming for fat reduction ensures significant fat loss and minimal muscle loss.

I'll end here, for now. Future articles will talk further on fat loss strategies.

Thanks for taking time to read this article! I hope that from it, you learn to say:

"I want to lose some fat."

The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscle, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight

References

1. "Obesity Complications - Diseases and Conditions." Mayo Clinic. Web. 3 Nov. 2014. .
2. "Obesity - Complications." NHS Choices. Web. 3 Nov. 2014. .