While people often use the terms "fat loss" and "weight loss" interchangeably, the two are not exactly the same. When you lose weight, you may lose more than just fat—you might also lose muscle and water. Fat loss can also lead to a drop on the scale, but you won’t know precisely how much is attributed to that unless you measure your body fat percentage. Here’s everything you need to know so you can make weight management choices that benefit you best.

What Is Weight Loss?

The body is composed of approximately 60% water. This is why if you see a slightly lower number on the scale one week, you can’t be certain that it’s all due to fat loss. Weight loss refers specifically to the change in your body mass. That value can alter dramatically through a combination of muscle, water, and fat loss. It’s also why some people see a reduction in their weight if they are bloated. Losing water weight simply means they’ve lost some of the weight caused by fluid buildup. 

What’s more, when your weight loss includes muscle loss, you’re losing the valuable lean tissue responsible for boosting your metabolism. You need to support it to see true, lasting results since your metabolism is what spurs your body to burn fat continuously—even when you’re at rest. If you’re trying to lose weight without eating enough protein or strength training, you’ll simply lose muscle. 

How Is Fat Loss Related?

You can certainly lose fat during your weight loss journey. In fact, that’s a key part of the equation if you want to keep the weight off. However, you can step on the sale and see a reduction, but unless you have a specialty scale, it won’t inform you how much of that was fat. You’ll just see your new body weight total. Professionals use a number of methods to analyze body fat percentage, including skinfold calipers, smart scales, and a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. 

Burning fat naturally builds muscle if you focus on sustainability. That involves exercising regularly, going into a daily calorie deficit, and aiming for slow and steady progress. This is a more practical weight management approach that will help you retain the fat that you lose, with less likelihood of gaining it back. 
 
 

If you need some help meeting your weight management goals, turn to the professionals at Nebraska Weight Management Institute. Proudly serving patients throughout Lincoln, NE, they’ll work closely with you every step of the way and create a weight loss program that best meets your specific and unique needs. Visit the website for more information, or call (402) 483-4770 to schedule an appointment.