Fat Loss v Weight Loss

Most of us have been there at some point in our lives…. We decide we want to lose weight, and set a target of X amount of pounds or kilos.
Most will think - ‘well there’s nothing wrong with that!’
There is however a slight flaw to this way of thinking when you’re looking to set and achieve your fitness goals.
You should NOT get bogged down with losing weight, and continually weighing yourself! Instead, focus on reducing body fat and getting healthy.
There’s a distinct difference between trying to lose weight and trying to lose fat. 

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​With weight loss, an individual is focused on the numbers that come up on the scales each time they get on. So progress is classed as a drop in weight over periods of time. In most cases where the focus is on weight loss, how this is achieved is by a reduction in food intake (or as is commonly referred to by most “on a diet”) and an increase in cardio exercise.
 
In most cases, this will produce the desired weight loss target, but it will also lead to some or all of the following – An eventual decrease in fitness and strength, reduced immunity, a reduction in muscle mass and early aging. Its scary that this all happens as a result of the individual focusing on losing weight, and not on being healthy! 

​Now, if the focus is on fat loss, i.e. to reduce fat, and gain lean muscle, the process will involve a training regime encompassing both cardio and strength training (this will lead to improved peak fitness and strength!) It will also include adopting a nutrition plan that recommends a reduction in food that has little or no nutritional value, as well as an increase in food that are high fibre, and increases satiety levels - satiety being the feeling of being satisfied or full up.
 
This is why I advise most of my clients not to focus on weighing themselves, but to focus more on changes in their body shape. When they adopt this approach, what they find is their clothes begin to fit differently, fat stores around the body (mainly around the waist area aka muffin top/love handles) start to shrink, and lean muscle definition becomes more prominent in other parts of the body. 

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So change your focus NOW!!

Instead of measuring Kilos and pounds, focus on losing inches and centimetres where it matters!
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Concentrate on changing your body shape by doing these two things… eating the right stuff - Food rich in Fibre, lean protein and drink loads of water, AND also, tweak your fitness programme to include both cardio and strength training, and don’t be scared to throw some HIIT training in there as well!

Most importantly…don’t forget to have fun with it!