Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

Are looking to lower the number on the scale? Guess what. You are NOT alone. A lot of people that come to me for help are concerned with one thing and one thing only – the number on the scale. For these clients I focus on putting them into a caloric deficit. A caloric deficit means consuming less calories than what is required to maintain their current bodyweight, or their maintenance calories. A calorie deficit is all that is needed to lose weight. I am going to repeat that again for all of those that seem to jump from fad diet to fad diet. A CALORIC DEFICIT IS THE ONLY REQUIRMENT TO WEIGHT LOSS. So in the end, no matter what diet you follow, a caloric deficit is the only way to lose weight.

Let’s say you do everything you need to do. You count your calories. You do cardio. And you drop 30, 40, 50 pounds in less than a year! Awesome! But then the next thing you hear… I’m not happy with the way my body looks even after losing all of this weight. Meaning that they are not happy with their body composition. Remember from one of my previous blog posts, “Eat More and Totally Transform Your Body”, that body composition is the proportion of fat and non-fat mass in your body. So, after you decide that you would still like to see further changes, the next step in your weight loss journey is getting that “toned” look.

When people use the word “toned” what it really means is lowering your body fat percentage which will then allow you do see some muscle definition. To do this you must put yourself in a caloric deficit to lose weight AND eat the right amount of protein for your body to maintain your muscle tissue. I will touch on this in a bit, but I do want to point out the misconception with “toning” and that you can do it with light weights and high reps. Not true. To maintain muscle during a caloric deficit you need to make sure you are eating enough protein and make sure that your muscle has a reason for sticking around. That means you need to be using and challenging your muscles!

Now let’s touch a little on fat loss. Fat loss differs from weight loss in that you are eating and training to lose fat, not your muscle tissue. For people who do not lift weights, strength train properly or who do not consume enough protein, the weight they lose will be fat and muscle tissue. Which will not provide that toned look they are going for (no muscle definition). So long story short, if you are looking to lose some body fat… lift those weights, consume enough protein, and be in a caloric deficit!

So how do I target fat? Good question. As we discussed above, to lower your body fat percentage you need to overload your muscles while consuming enough protein and by being in a caloric deficit. That really is it! I personally think the MyFitnessPal app is an amazing tool to help you with counting calories/macros. I make all my clients use it to help keep their nutrition on track on a day to day basis. For my clients I figure out their macros for them, but if you aren’t one of my clients and wondering how much protein you should be consuming in order to target body fat… it’s fairly easy. A good rule of thumb is about 0.8 grams per pound of your ideal body weight. If you are looking for more info on how to track macros, reach out to me! I am always happy to help!

Now remember, the other key factor to fat loss is strength training! Lifting weights is important to maintaining muscle while you are in a deficit. Make sure you are adding weight, sets, or reps to almost every workout in order to keep progressing. Now that was a very brief and simple description of progressive overload, but if you are a beginner focusing on fat loss that is all you really need to focus on.

If you stick to this formula a few months (strength training + enough protein + caloric deficit) you will start seeing better changes in your body composition than you ever have with just counting calories or being a little cardio bunny (been there, done that). And while we are here, we should touch back on how you will NOT get “bulky” from lifting heavier (read my prior post “Why Women Should Be Lifting Weights”). If you are eating at maintenance calories or at a slight caloric deficit and hitting the weights, then it won’t be long before you start seeing the muscle definition, curves in all the right places, and an increase in leanness.

While on your weight loss/fat loss journey, do yourself a favor and find a better way to measure progress. Remember that with body recomposition, you may lose body fat but gain muscle. So in the end, you may end up weighing more but still have a totally different look to your body. Imagine if you are on a journey to weight loss and you see that number on the scale increasing. That could totally ruin your motivation, right? That is why I advise my clients to ignore the scale for monitoring progress and instead take measurements and progress pictures.

TIME TO SUM IT ALL UP!!

Why is focusing on losing body fat beneficial?

· It will help you focus on calorie quality vs quantity

· It will help improve your metabolism

· It will increase your overall strength

· It will improve your body composition

· It can help delay aging and disease

How do I target body fat while trying to lose weight?

· Make sure you are in a caloric deficit

· Consume AT LEAST 0.8 grams of protein per 1 pound of your ideal body weight

· Make sure you are strength training 3-6x per week

· While strength training, make sure you are adding weight, reps, and/or sets each week

· Monitor progress through measurements

· STAY CONSISTENT!!!!

Looking for some help to calculate your macros or help you come up with a strength training plan? Maybe you just need to be supported through your journey? Let me help you! Check out the programs I offer. There is no time like now to start crushing your goals!!

- Body By Riss