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| Fat Loss vs Weight Loss |
When most people think of weight loss, they're really thinking about FAT
loss. You can lose a lot of weight and still be fat, and you can lose a
lot of fat without actually dropping any pounds. The two are very
different, and the truth is that fat loss is far more important than
weight loss. Why is that?
Muscle is Heavy
If you try to lose weight, it often means that you are losing
muscle mass instead of fat mass. Muscle weighs a good deal more than
fat, and it takes more work to maintain. If your efforts are focused on
just losing weight--which usually involves a lot of cardio and a low-fat
diet--chances are you're neglecting your muscles. You may lose weight,
but you retain the same amount of body fat. All that you've lost is
muscle mass, making it harder for you to get rid of the fat in the long
run.
More Muscle = Better Fat Burning
Make no mistake: your muscles DO NOT burn fat. They burn ATP, a form of
energy produced from glucose--essentially sugar. But, the more muscle
mass you have, the more glucose your body uses. As you cut back on carbs
(the key to weight loss), you only give your body a limited supply of
glucose. If your muscles use up all the available glucose, it forces the
rest of your body (brain, organs, internal systems) to turn fat into
glucose. This not only encourages more efficient processing of the fat
in your diet, but helps your body to activate stored fat. The result:
fat loss!
Weight Loss Affects Your Metabolism
If you lose a lot of weight, your body is more likely to shut
down, treating the drastic weight loss as "starvation". This causes it
to conserve energy, leading to a low-energy state and less effective fat
loss. But, if you focus on burning fat, you give your body all the food
it needs, but you increase the amount of exercise you do and adjust
your diet. Your metabolism is revved up thanks to all the food and
exercise, and you end up burning more calories every day.
Weight Loss Causes Dehydration
If you lose a lot of weight very quickly, chances are most of
that was water weight. While it may feel great to be lighter than
before, this can backfire quickly. Your body is made up of 70% water, so
a lack of water can be a serious problem--leading to dehydration. If
your dehydrated state persists, your muscles will shrink and atrophy as a
means of adapting to the low-water state. This can lead to muscle mass
loss, the opposite of what you want!
"Weight Loss" is Unhealthy
When you say "weight loss", most people think of a low-calorie
diet. But did you know that eating fewer calories isn't always the smart
way to go? Your body needs energy to function, so if it senses that you
aren't getting enough food, it will send less energy to your brain,
your eyes, your heart, and all your other internal functions. This can
lead to a low-energy state, making you feel lethargic and fatigued. But
with a diet and exercise program aimed at fat loss, you're getting
enough calories to produce energy. You give your body what it needs, but
with a balance of nutrients that encourages your body to burn stored
fat when you exercise. The result is a much healthier body, and a diet
and lifestyle that is far easier to sustain over the long term!
