HEALTH AND FITNESS
Fat Loss or Weight Loss?
T
he world of dieting is all so confusing. I do this for a living and I often find myself astounded by crazy claims and misconceptions about something that is ultimately quite straight forward. One of the biggest thorns in my side is the term Weight Loss. I am sure you have all heard the claims that Terry from down the road lost half a stone in one week or Sandra from accounts lost 16lbs in a month whilst you are there trying to feel content with your 1lb scale nudge after a week of tracking your calories and getting adequate exercise. Please allow me to put you at ease and let you know what s actually happening with those supposed super dieters. Weight loss is not fat loss and although losing actual body weight is a perfect start if you have a substantial amount to lose for health reasons etc, it s not all going to be actual body fat. Those crazy weight loss numbers you read about will include some body fat but will also include things like water weight and glycogen storage. Body weight can actually fluctuate 5 to 7lbs in one day depending on what you have eaten because of these factors. So in reality they would have lost some body fat which is amazing. But not 16lbs worth in a matter of weeks. So what s the big issue if they are still losing body fat? The issue is sustainability. Sustainability is the main
driving force behind any health or body transformation and to have that we need lots of consistency and motivation. When you step on the scales and see a big weight loss you feel motivated to keep pushing but after a while the drops dwindle and with it your motivation to carry on. Before you know it you plato and more often than not stop completely. Does this sound familiar? So what should you do? Leave the scales, or at least take the readings with a pinch of salt. Right now you need to rummage through your sewing tin or pop off to the local haberdashery and get yourself a tailor s tape measure, a pen and some paper. I am going to show you the simple four point measuring system that takes just a few minutes and can be done every three to four weeks. People generally store body fat on the stomach, hips, arms and legs. It can be stored on the chest too but we are keeping this unisex, feel free to throw in a chest measurement though if you like. These are the problem areas that people generally want to improve on. So why do we not face them directly and really see what s happening? Each measuring session you will take a measurement directly around your belly button, the fattest part of your hips, chunkiest section of your upper leg and biggest part of your upper arm. Make
sure you keep the limbs on the same side each time and don t pull the tape too tight. You are only lying to yourself. Write all these measurements down and watch them drop as you consistently follow the all important calorie deficit and a routine that allows for more physical activity. I ve seen changes of 0.5 to 3 inches in a matter of weeks depending on how much body fat is in that particular area. It s so much more exciting and motivating than standing on a scale. Just remember that body fat will come off from multiple places but not always the part you want straight away. You may find drastic changes on your legs but nothing on your belly button just yet. That s completely normal, just give your body time to get to that area and it will happen. Would you care how much you weighed if you had body confidence and felt amazing? No. So don t think about weight loss. Think about fat loss and finally use the tools that will help you to get the results that you want.
