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Weight Loss Vs. Fat Loss: Understanding The Difference

Often people confuse weight loss and fat loss. When a person says they want to lose weight what they often mean is that they want to lose the excess

Often people confuse weight loss and fat loss. When a person says they want to lose weight what they often mean is that they want to lose the excess fat in the body. Weight loss typically means reducing the weight on a weighing scale. This could be because of the loss of fat, muscle, water and more. This can potentially do more harm to the body than good. However, when the focus is on fat reduction it is a more focused way to remove the extra fat from the body to have a healthier body. 

Just not eating, falling sick, not getting enough nutrition into the system could all lead to weight loss, however, that is not a healthy way to look thinner. In fact, losing weight using the above-said options actually makes you look weak and unhealthy. It sheds all the good from the body and makes you more tired and fatigued. This is not at all the ideal way to lose weight, for anyone. 

There are many weight loss treatment programs that help you lose weight the right way. These weight loss programs ensure that you lose fat but maintain the composition of the body, and help you stay healthy.   

There are multiple ways in which these fat loss programs help you remove unwanted fat from the body. It typically would be a combination of the right kind of diet and the right kind of exercise to shed that extra fat and look and feel healthier. Sometimes, you might need to also go through some treatment to enable you to shed that extra “weight” or fat. 

Understanding the difference between weight loss and fat loss

It is important to understand that though clinics often use weight loss and fat loss interchangeably, what they typically want to do is help you lose the excess fat. In reality, though losing weight is different from losing fat. Here are some basic differences

  • Weight loss is more appearance-based, fat loss is overall 
  • Weight loss may not always be healthy, fat loss is healthy because it is taking away the excess fat while ensuring you stay fit
  • Weight loss can cause health issues and lead to fatigue, the whole point of fat loss is to stay slim yet stay fit
  • Weight loss could lead to muscle loss, fat loss ensures the muscles stay fit while the fat is taken away

Preventing Muscle Loss

Muscles are very important to our body, and losing the extra fat while maintaining the muscles is an important aspect of weight or fat loss programs. There are many things you can do, to ensure that you prevent muscle loss as you try to reduce your weight, here are some suggestions: 

  • Ensure you get the right amount of calories for your body.
  • Make sure you eat the right kind of food, include fruits, vegetables, meats, legumes, tubers, dairy, and whole grains into your meal.
  • Eat enough carbohydrates to help the kind of activities you perform in a day. 
  • Do not miss having healthy fats and EFAs (essential fatty acids).
  • Exercise to give your muscles strength. Muscles need exercise to stay fit and grow.

Ways to shed the excess fat

There are many ways to shed the excess fat from the body while ensuring your muscles are intact.

Diet: What you eat matters. To stay healthy and lose that excess weight, ensure you eat the right kind of food. Nutrition rich food is the best option for weight loss. Include natural fruits and vegetables in your everyday diet and try and avoid sugar-heavy alternatives. A freshly squeezed juice can go a long way in comparison to the canned alternatives. Smaller meals and multiple meals throughout the day helps your body digest faster. 

Exercise: Your muscles have memory and if they are not used, they stop working. So, exercise to help them be reminded that they must work and they are important. When they work, you feel stronger and more energetic. Depending on the kind of exercising you like whether it be hitting the gym or doing yoga or running ensure you take the time out to get that workout and strengthen your muscles. 

Rest and Destress: People often underestimate the role of rest and stress as an important aspect of fat loss. When your body does not get the rest it deserves, it tends to act up in different ways. If you are stressed, there are chances that your body can bloat up or shrink. 

Weight loss and fat loss programs: There are many clinics such as Medical Clinic Mobile that provide weight loss solutions based on your body type and your medical history. They design specific programs for individuals based on their habits. These programs often provide focused attention. They are done in consultation with specialists that provide overall treatment for better health.

Liposuction: If you need professional help to deal with your fat, Liposuction or lipo is a way to go. It is a procedure that helps remove the excess fat in certain parts of the body. A plastic surgeon or dermatologic surgeon can help you with the diagnosis and the procedure. The areas this procedure can deal with are areas like the hip, belly, buttocks, back, thighs, and more.   

Finally, it is safe to say, though what you are looking for in the weighing scale, what you actually want is fat loss and not just weight loss. To understand the difference is half the problem solved because then you will not obsess with the weighing scale and instead focus on better health and being fit.