Fat Loss vs Weight Loss – What Should You Strive For?

Weight Loss Programs | | Jan 17, 2021 | Ally's Angels

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Do you want to lose weight?

If the answer to this is YES, you’re under a misapprehension. You’re not wrong, but what you *actually* want is to lose fat.

Anyone can pretty much lose weight. You just have to stop eating. You will lose weight, however, you will lose both muscle and fat.

The goal of successful weight loss is to preserve as much muscle as possible… or to even gain some. While at the same time lose as much body fat as possible. Your body fat percentage should be your indicator of success, not the number on the scale. In fact, you can achieve even better results by staying off the scale.

LOSING WEIGHT = LOSING MUSCLE

Muscle is vital to your success in burning fat. Muscles contain fat-burning powerhouses known as mitochondria, which are cellular power plants responsible for the production of energy.

It’s in the mitochondria that fat is eventually metabolized. There is a positive correlation between the number of mitochondria in your body and the muscle you have, and proportionately, the amount of fat your body burns at rest. The more mitochondria you have, the more potential you have to burn fat.

WEIGHT LOSS & GETTING MORE MITOCHONDRIA

How do we get more of these little powerhouses working in our bodies? A better question might be, how do we give our bodies more reasons to create them?

This is most easily done by performing high-intensity exercise. This doesn’t mean just limiting yourself to HIIT, as any exercise can become high-intensity if done a certain way.

By creating a massive demand for energy in your body (above what the body can already produce), the body is forced to create newer mitochondria so it can be prepared for the next time your muscles partake in that activity.

The great thing about mitochondria and muscle is that they essentially work as active tissue. Unlike fat, they need that constant energy in order to maintain themselves… energy such as fatty acids.

What does this mean for you?

It means that your body will be burning more fat throughout the day. Yes, even when you’re sleeping.

IF YOU WANT TO FAT LOSS, STOP STRESSING ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT

Weight isn’t something you should be ignoring, but it’s definitely something you shouldn’t be stressing over. More often than not, successful dieting is sabotaged because of a meaningless number on a scale.

And what does this number mean? It’s just a measure of the force of gravity on your body. Why should this matter? How is this indicative of health?

It can’t tell you if your clothes fit better. It can’t let you know if your body fat percentage has changed. And It definitely won’t tell you whether or not you’re looking better.

That’s why when you start dieting, it’s absolutely crucial that you track your progress using methods other than the scale. You need to combine different measuring tools so you know you’re losing fat – not weight. Tape measures, pictures, and people’s comments are all going to be useful alternatives for you.

Don’t worry about your weight – even if it goes up.

If you’re looking better, feeling better, and training better, weight does not matter. The only time it matters is when you’re explaining to someone the difference between fat loss and weight loss.

HOW DO WE PRESERVE MUSCLE WHILE LOSING FAT & CHASING WEIGHT LOSS?

If your goal is to ultimately lose fat, look better, and stay healthy, you need to focus your attention on preserving muscle while you’re working on burning off fat. Many people sabotage their diets by eating small amounts of food and too few nutrients… resulting in muscle loss, which they don’t want.

Once you start losing muscle, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle to fat loss.

Here are a few vital & effective tips for preventing muscle loss.

Follow these basic guidelines, and you’ll have a much easier time losing fat.

  • Aim for calories in the range of 10-12 times your body weight.
  • Get in 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, and do your best to divide that evenly among 4-5 meals.
  • Intake enough carbohydrates to support your current level of activity and training. Start with 100-150 grams and adjust from there.
  • Use the rest of your calories for fat – mostly essential fatty acids and healthy fats.
  • Make sure the calories you’re consuming are coming from low-energy-density sources such as fruits, veggies, tubers, legumes, dairy, grains, and lean meats.
  • Give your muscles a reason to create mitochondria – and do it by progressively overloading your training and pushing yourself to perform better in the gym every day. If you’re not someone who exercises, your body is going to shed that unneeded muscle… so force yourself to preserve it (and even grow it) through consistent training.

If you follow these simple guidelines, you will reach that true and ultimate goal you have of burning off fat, “losing weight”, looking better, staying healthier… and keeping all your hard-earned muscle.