If you are exercising to achieve a weight loss goal, it can be useful to understand the difference between weight loss and fat loss..
Are Weight Loss and Fat Loss the Same Thing?
Weight loss is simply a reduction in your overall body weight – usually measured by the number on a scale. But your body weight can naturally fluctuate depending on many different factors including how much water you’re retaining, what you have eaten, whether you have been to the bathroom, and many others.
This is why relying on weight as the sole measure of health can be misleading and inaccurate. A better measurement is body composition, which calculates how much of your total body weight is fat tissue.
In fact, when we set a weight loss goal, what we really want to achieve is fat loss because carrying excess fat tissue can have implications for our health.
It’s also important to understand that if we are exercising regularly, we may be building muscle at the same time as we are losing fat. This could even lead to an increase on the scales due to our body composition is improving as we build muscle and reduce fat.
This is why calculating how much fat you are carrying can help you measure your progress much more accurately than simply measuring your overall weight loss.
The more you encourage and support muscle growth during weight loss, the more fat you are likely to burn. Using home exercise equipment with built-in resistance is an excellent way to reduce fat and build muscle through combining cardio and resistance training.
The BeFit Hire range of treadmills, manual and programmable cross-trainers, upright and recumbent exercise bikes and rowing machines can all help you reduce fat and gain muscle, and our friendly BeFit Hire agents would be happy to recommend the ideal piece of equipment based on your individual needs.
As a bonus, as your body fat percentage lowers, you will also improve your overall health and reduce your risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Remember, fat loss through regular, consistent exercise is the most sustainable way to lose weight and improve your health. Don’t be tempted to skip meals, go on a crash diet, or give up your exercise routine. Although these may result in short term weight loss, it’s because you have lost muscle mass and retained water, rather than reducing your body fat.
Slow, steady fat loss through regular exercise and a nutritious eating plan is the best way to achieve your health and fat loss goals. BeFit Hire has been hiring out home exercise equipment for more than 50 years, and we pride ourselves on offering the highest standard of service to every customer. We also offer free delivery to most of metro Adelaide and Melbourne for most hire periods, so please get in touch today.
Photos from Shutter Stock
