Some little secrets about weight and body fat

For those who are trying to lose weight, the number on the scale is their biggest concern. Any slight change in the number on the scale can affect a person's emotions. When they see the weight has decreased, they might cheer and shout, "I've lost weight!" However, the truth is not that simple. Losing weight does not mean losing fat. A decrease in weight does not equal a decrease in fat.

Why is that so? Let's talk about the difference between weight and body fat.

Weight refers to the overall mass of the human body, including muscle, fat, water, and bone. Body fat, on the other hand, refers to the fat in the body. Under normal circumstances, men have 15% to 18% body fat, while women have 25% to 28%. If you lose weight, it could be because you've lost water or muscle mass, or it could be because you've reduced your body fat. A decrease in weight due to fat loss or water loss does not mean you've become slimmer—it means your physical fitness is declining. Therefore, we advise all those trying to lose weight not to rely solely on weight loss as their goal.

Why might you lose weight but not look slimmer?

There are three main reasons why some people might lose weight but still not look slimmer:

1. You didn't lose fat

As mentioned earlier, if you lose muscle and water instead of fat, your weight will decrease, but from the outside, you will still appear fat.

2. You didn't lose enough

The difference between losing 5 pounds and 20 pounds for someone who weighs 150 pounds is obvious. Research shows that weight loss is most noticeable on the face. A person who is 160 cm tall needs to lose 7 pounds for the change to be visible on their face.

3. The parts that should be slimmer weren't

Some people may appear fat due to localized obesity. If you don't slim down the parts of your body that are disproportionately large, people won't notice you've lost weight.

Why might you look slimmer but not lose weight?

Skeletal and muscle mass are part of the body's lean body weight. A healthy weight loss goal should be to increase lean body mass while reducing fat content. When you exercise (a combination of cardio and strength training), your fat decreases, and your muscles become more toned. From the outside, your body size will reduce, but your weight may not decrease, or it might even increase. This is a positive trend in weight loss, and there's no need for concern.

[Giveaway: Quick, see how you should be losing weight?]

Want to lose weight healthily in 2016? Wondering what the right weight loss method for you is?