The (important) difference between Weight Loss & Fat Loss

​When you say that you want to lose weight, do you really mean that you want to change your bodyshape and size?

The answer of course, is ‘yes’.

Whilst many people hang onto the number on the scales, ultimately that number is just a convenient way of seeing if things are going in the right direction or not.

And it’s usually combined with a belief of “I was happy with my body when I was xxx stone……….so if I can hit that again I know I’ll be happy”.

If that sounds familiar, this next point could be THE most important concept you EVER grasp when it comes to losing the excess pounds, and feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin.

It is entirely possible for you to be upto 2 clothes sizes different, yet weigh exactly the same

Let’s see a visual to simplify this idea.

​In the image, we can see that the lady weighs the same, and is the same height, but has 2 significantly different body shapes.

How can that be ?

Muscle-to-Fat Ratio

That’s it.

That’s all there is to it.

But again, what does that mean in plain english?

We know that muscle is ‘denser’ than fat, which means that 1lb of muscle is smaller than 1lb of fat, and as such, occupies less space.
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Multiply that by 20lbs, and we can already begin to see how 20lb of muscle on our body would look different to 20lb of fat on our body.

Now we understand that idea of muscle ‘taking up less space’ on our body, let’s tie it into this critical Muscle to Fat Ratio concept.
Using the example of the lady we saw above, who weighs in at 150lbs, let’s say the following:

The lady on the left:

• 20% is her skeleton and organs = 30lbs
• 45% is bodyfat = 67.5lbs
• 35% is muscle = 52.5lbs

The lady on the right:

• 20% is her skeleton and organs = 30lbs
• 25% is bodyfat = 37.5lbs
• 55% is muscle = 82.5lbs

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What these examples tell us, is that having a higher muscle to fat ratio, will mean that we have more of the 'stuff' that occupies less space on our body.

The lady on the right has over 2x as much muscle as fat on her 150lb frame, whilst the lady on the left has more fat than muscle on her 150lb frame.
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And just to reiterate HOW this is possible - it’s because muscle is denser (smaller) than fat, so occupies less space on our body.

That is the "DANGER OF DIETING"

Dieting (a purely calorie controlled method of weight loss) alone will only help lose weight, but it WON’T develop your bodyshape, and it certainly won’t maintain or promote lean, toned, muscle tissue.

Infact, it will actually cause muscle loss (through lack of exercise ).

And whilst it can feel good in the short term - “Hooray, I’ve lost some weight” - and you will indeed probably look better for it, you won’t be moving towards your ideal shape (which is different for all of us of course).

As a side note, a strict calorie-controlled diet will allow you to eat too many poor-quality foods, so long as they’re low calorie, and that in itself, can contribute to storing fat in those stubborn areas (tummy, hips, arms, “back-fat” etc).
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When you combine a diet (‘diet’ being defined as what you need to eat to fuel your body and vitalise you) with a consistent, progressive, and structured exercise program, you will not only lose weight, but you’ll lose the right sort of weight - aka ‘FAT’.

Toning your muscles actually increases your metabolism too

Muscle tissue, is what’s know as ‘metabolically active’.

What that means is that it requires more energy (calories) to stay alive and be used.

​Fat on the other hand, is the opposite. It uses up virtually no energy (calories).

​So by combining a diet that focusses on nutrition rather than calories, with a structured exercise regime, you are not only losing fat, not just weight - you are also increasing your metabolism so that you burn more fat throughout the day.

It’s these simple, yet commonly misunderstood principles, that we firmly believe in, and base our entire approach around

Over to you........

1) If anything on this article wasn’t clear - please re-read it.
It can be liberating once it firmly sinks in.

2) What were your main take-aways and lessons? 
Any insights ? 

Reviewing what you've just learned will enhance your desire to begin adopting the behaviours that support this approach.

3) Do you find yourself STILL hanging on to the “yeh but I just want to see the scales change” mindset ? (it’s common!)

Ask yourself why you are struggling to let go of something that is scientifically incomplete.
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(hint: the answer is the conditioning we get from the media and society)