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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

FAT LOSS vs WEIGHT LOSS


Let's face it, we are obsessed with scale weight!  If the scale goes down, we are happy - day MADE!  If the scale goes up, it ruins our whole day and we end up feeling worthless and depressed.  Am I right??  Unfortunately the scale doesn't tell you how much weight is fat and how much is muscle.
 
Losing weight alone is the wrong goal.  You should focus instead on shedding FAT and gaining muscle!   We already know that muscle takes up less room than fat - therefore, muscle will look soooo much better on you than that fat does.  If you want to get off the diet roller coaster and achieve permanent fat loss, the first thing you need to do is stop using ONLY the scale to measure your progress.
 
 
Weigh, AND measure your BODY FAT percentage.  I use the Accu-Measure - it's a little plastic skinfold caliper that I got for really cheap.  (You can get one for like $5 on Amazon) It comes with instructions and a handy little chart.  I'm sure it's not super accurate, but as long as I do it the same every time - it's consistent. 
 
Once you know your body fat percentage, the next step is to calculate how much of your weight is fat, and how much is muscle. 

EXAMPLE:

You weigh 150 lbs

Your body fat is 25%

Multiply your body fat by your weight to determine fat weight:

(.25 x 150 lbs = 37.5 lbs of fat)

Subtract fat weight from total weight to determine lean mass:

(150 lbs – 37.5 = 112.5 pounds of lean mass)


Do this every week, and TRACK YOUR PROGRESS!  By itself, the scale can be misleading, but with the skinfold testing to measure pounds of fat and muscle your body weight gives you crucial information.  This is how to truly see your progress.  By tracking changes in your weight, body fat, and lean mass, you can tell if you’ve lost, maintained, or gained muscle.  This reveals whether your exercise and diet program is really working or if you’ve hit a plateau and need to make changes.

 
 
Good Luck!  If you would like more personalized coaching, you can sign up for a free Beachbody account and make me your coach. 
 
Also, for more fitness and nutrition tips, go to my facebook page and hit "LIKE".

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