Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

One of my clients sent me a text this morning to let me know that she had lost a pound from yesterday. This made her morning!

Last night at about 11:56 p.m., I got a text from another client. He was concerned and discouraged because he had not lost one pound after following four days of a meal plan we had outlined.

I can’t tell you the number of times I explain weight loss vs. fat loss on a daily basis. But, with so much attention placed on “pounds lost per week” on popular T.V. shows, it makes this everyone’s priority!

I don’t want to get all scientific while explaining this, at least not in this blog posting, so I’ll keep it real simple.

The human body is 50-60 percent water.  So, for 150 pound women, approximately 75 pounds of her total body weight IS WATER!

If she had dinner one night, which contained a lot of salt, she would retain water.  So, the next morning the scale may read 152 pounds.  She didn’t “get fat” over night, although the scale says she’s 2 pounds heavier.

Let's pretend someone eight ounces of chicken, 4 ounces of rice, and 4 ounces of vegetables. This totals 16 ounces, which is one pound.  If this was lunch, that same one pound that was on your plate is now in your stomach. So, you weigh one pound more than before lunch. Not to worry, within 24 hours it will be broken down by your body and you will return to the weight you were the day before.

This is the reason a persons body weight can fluctuate 3-5 pounds day to day. What you must keep in mind is that weight loss and fat loss are two different things! 

Burning calories during exercise and reducing your caloric intake over time will lead to fat loss, better overall health, reduced risk of heart disease, lowered risk for type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure, more energy, and better mood.

Losing a pound of water weight will only make the scale tell you are one pound less….for today anyway.

Please email any questions or future blog topics to Chris@ChrisFitNY.com