At Dr. Simonds Weight Loss clinic, we’re proud to offer a comprehensive weight management program for those looking to lose weight in a healthy way. Our physician-supervised weight loss program has helped countless people not only shed pounds, but keep them off after their initial weight loss.
One thing we regularly run into is a misunderstanding among patients of how weight loss and fat loss relate to one another. Contrary to popular belief, these are not the same thing – and which you desire might make a big difference in the kinds of actions you take. Let’s look into this.
Fat Loss Versus Weight Loss
As the term indicates, weight loss is about lowering the total amount that you weigh when you step on the scale. But what many fail to recognize is that body weight is determined by more factors than just the amount of fat it’s carrying. Other factors include muscle mass, bones, organs and others.
With this in mind, “fat loss” is a more specific term that falls under the weight loss umbrella in most cases. Each person has a finite number of fat cells at birth, and these either expand or contract based on factors like your exercise, diet and genetics. It’s possible to have a fat problem and not a weight problem, but it’s far less likely to have a weight problem and not a fat problem.
Case Study
As a simple example here, think about an athlete who has a big event coming up, such as a boxing match or a triathlon. This athlete might have pockets of fat they’re carrying – these don’t make them overweight necessarily, but they might be blocking further muscle from developing in an area where they need it to boost their performance. This athlete doesn’t actually need to lose weight; they need to lose fat. This process might actually result in a weight gain in some cases, but it would still be healthy for them.
Applying to Your Health
In many cases, people have a great diet and perform regular exercise, but still can’t get rid of cumbersome fat pockets. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to lose weight, as we’ve noted – you might only need to try converting this fat. This is where we can help.
For more on the different strategies we’ll advise for both weight loss and specified fat loss, speak to the pros at Dr. Simonds Weight Loss.
