Focus on Just Weight Loss Is Not Good
July 17, 2022
Stop Aiming to Just Lose Weight.
I disagree with people having the sole focus on losing weight. Their focus all comes from a weight loss-only mindset. The focus, however, should be on fat loss and not weight loss.
Why?
There is a big difference between just losing weight and losing fat. When the number on the scale is the only thing we focus on, wanting the weight to go down, there is a strong probability that you are losing fat and muscle.
Put it this way, would you rather lose 10kg of fat, or would you want to lose 6kg of fat and 4kg of muscle? The answer is a no-brainer; the last thing any of us should be aiming for is losing muscle. Muscle is what will keep us healthy and active in the years after we reach 60.
The goal for optimal health is to lose fat without losing muscle. Even better, it would be to lose fat and gain muscle; this would be the ultra optimal.
And it can be done. With exercise. In particular, resistance training.
When dieting without exercising, research has shown that around 25 percent of weight loss comes from fat-free mass. If we put this in real terms, it means that if someone lost 10kg in total weight, only 7.5kg would be fat, and the other 2.5kg would likely be muscle loss.
Not ideal.
What about diet and exercise?
When aerobic exercise is included with diet, only around 11 percent of the weight loss is from fat-free mass.
A significant improvement.
Can it still be better, though?
Here’s the really important takeaway from the research.
Diets that include resistance training exercises don’t really show any decrease in fat-free mass. Meaning we can get the ultra-optimal results mentioned earlier. We are losing body fat while maintaining muscle mass.
This makes it pretty simple; resistance training should be part of your program when trying to improve your body composition. The number change on the scale may not be as significant as you aren’t losing your precious muscle. However, the actual benefit is far greater due to the ability to keep muscle.
In this scenario, the number on the scale will not be as low; however, the benefits will be far greater. Muscle Mass is crucial to good health and long-term health. If you aren’t trying to maintain or build muscle, you aren’t really doing the best thing for your long-term health.
The important points you can take from this.
- Dieting without exercise puts your muscle at risk. And as mentioned, this is not good. Losing muscle will cause flow-on effects that will decrease your health and increase the likelihood of future fat gain. Your metabolism will decrease, and the lost muscle will cause the brain to encourage you to overeat to regain it back. This is super hard to do, and the overheating caused by the muscle loss will result in gaining fat.
- Resistance Training is the best way to prevent muscle loss. Especially when dieting. While any exercise can help reduce muscle loss, strength training is the most powerful stimulus for muscle growth. DO YOUR STRENGTH/RESISTANCE TRAINING!!
- Make sure you are getting adequate Protein. Diets low in protein will result in the potential for even more muscle loss. Behind strength training, adequate protein is the next best stimulator for muscle growth or retention. Your protein intake should be 1.5-2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight. (A 100kg person should aim to get 150-200 grams of protein in their diet daily.)
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Focus on Just Weight Loss Is Not Good
July 17, 2022
Stop Aiming to Just Lose Weight.
I disagree with people having the sole focus on losing weight. Their focus all comes from a weight loss-only mindset. The focus, however, should be on fat loss and not weight loss.
Why?
There is a big difference between just losing weight and losing fat. When the number on the scale is the only thing we focus on, wanting the weight to go down, there is a strong probability that you are losing fat and muscle.
Put it this way, would you rather lose 10kg of fat, or would you want to lose 6kg of fat and 4kg of muscle? The answer is a no-brainer; the last thing any of us should be aiming for is losing muscle. Muscle is what will keep us healthy and active in the years after we reach 60.
The goal for optimal health is to lose fat without losing muscle. Even better, it would be to lose fat and gain muscle; this would be the ultra optimal.
And it can be done. With exercise. In particular, resistance training.
When dieting without exercising, research has shown that around 25 percent of weight loss comes from fat-free mass. If we put this in real terms, it means that if someone lost 10kg in total weight, only 7.5kg would be fat, and the other 2.5kg would likely be muscle loss.
Not ideal.
What about diet and exercise?
When aerobic exercise is included with diet, only around 11 percent of the weight loss is from fat-free mass.
A significant improvement.
Can it still be better, though?
Here’s the really important takeaway from the research.
Diets that include resistance training exercises don’t really show any decrease in fat-free mass. Meaning we can get the ultra-optimal results mentioned earlier. We are losing body fat while maintaining muscle mass.
This makes it pretty simple; resistance training should be part of your program when trying to improve your body composition. The number change on the scale may not be as significant as you aren’t losing your precious muscle. However, the actual benefit is far greater due to the ability to keep muscle.
In this scenario, the number on the scale will not be as low; however, the benefits will be far greater. Muscle Mass is crucial to good health and long-term health. If you aren’t trying to maintain or build muscle, you aren’t really doing the best thing for your long-term health.
The important points you can take from this.
- Dieting without exercise puts your muscle at risk. And as mentioned, this is not good. Losing muscle will cause flow-on effects that will decrease your health and increase the likelihood of future fat gain. Your metabolism will decrease, and the lost muscle will cause the brain to encourage you to overeat to regain it back. This is super hard to do, and the overheating caused by the muscle loss will result in gaining fat.
- Resistance Training is the best way to prevent muscle loss. Especially when dieting. While any exercise can help reduce muscle loss, strength training is the most powerful stimulus for muscle growth. DO YOUR STRENGTH/RESISTANCE TRAINING!!
- Make sure you are getting adequate Protein. Diets low in protein will result in the potential for even more muscle loss. Behind strength training, adequate protein is the next best stimulator for muscle growth or retention. Your protein intake should be 1.5-2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight. (A 100kg person should aim to get 150-200 grams of protein in their diet daily.)
