Weight loss refers to a decrease in your overall body weight from muscle, water, and fat losses. Fat loss refers to weight loss from fat, and it's a more specific and healthful goal than "weight loss".

It can be difficult to know whether you're losing weight from fat or even muscle.

Let me explain why fat loss is more important than weight loss Cleveland TN, how you can tell the difference between the two, and provides tips for losing fat and maintaining muscle.

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Ways tell whether you're losing fat Cleveland TN

It's common practice to track your weight loss progress using a scale.

While this can be helpful, most scales don't differentiate between fat loss and muscle loss.

For that reason, tracking only your weight isn't a reliable way to determine whether you're losing fat or muscle and in what amounts.

Conversely, a Comprehensive Body analysis (TANITA) can provide a more accurate picture of your body composition by measuring the percentage of fat, bone and muscle you have.

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Focus on fat loss, not weight loss

Many weight loss programs claim to help you lose weight quickly and easily.

However, it's important to realize that a significant amount of this weight may include water and muscle losses

We have learned that losing muscle can be detrimental, as muscle is a crucial component of your overall health.

Maintaining a healthy percentage of muscle has several benefits, such as regulating healthy blood sugar levels, maintaining healthy fat levels - like triglycerides and cholesterol - in the blood, and controlling inflammation.

Indeed, several studies have linked a higher fat-to-muscle ratio to chronic diseases like metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and diabetes

Maintaining your muscle mass may also reduce your risk of age-related muscle loss, which results in frailty and potentially disability.

Additionally, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. This is the main reason why men generally have higher calorie needs than women.

Consequently, losing weight in the form of muscle can decrease the number of calories you burn at rest, making it easier to regain any weight you lost in the form of fat.

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How to lose fat and maintain or gain muscle

There are a few simple ways to ensure you'll lose weight in the form of fat and either maintain or gain muscle mass.

These include eating plenty of the right protein, moderately exercising, and following a nutrient-dense diet that puts you in a slight calorie deficit which we will coach you how to do along the way.

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The bottom line

Weight loss refers to a decrease in your overall body weight, whereas fat loss refers to weight loss that occurs specifically from losses in fat mass.

Losing weight in the form of fat rather than muscle should be the priority given how important your fat-to-muscle ratio is to your overall health.

We will coach you to prioritize fat loss by eating plenty of protein, moderately exercising, and food plan/food portions. You will have weekly coaching, as well as a once a month coaching session in our office. We look forward to helping you understand the importance of FAT loss over weight loss!