Updated by John Tanko 18/09/2024
Weight loss refers to a decrease in your overall body weight from muscle, water, and fat losses. Fat loss refers to weight loss from fat, and it’s a more specific and healthy goal than general weight loss.
image credit to vecteezy
Ways to tell whether you’re losing fat
It’s common practice to track your weight loss progress using a scale. While this can be helpful, most scales don’t differentiate between fat loss and muscle loss.
For that reason, tracking only your weight isn’t a reliable way to determine whether you’re losing fat or muscle and in what amounts.
Conversely, a body fat scale can provide a more accurate picture of your body composition by measuring the percentage of fat and muscle you have.
You can also use skinfold callipers to estimate your body fat percentage, but this takes practice Trusted Source to ensure accuracy.
Many weight loss programs claim to help you lose weight quickly and easily. However, it’s important to realize that a significant amount of this weight may include water and muscle loss Trusted Source.
Losing muscle can be detrimental, as muscle is a crucial component of your overall health.
Maintaining a healthy percentage of muscle has several benefits, such as regulating healthy blood sugar levels, maintaining healthy fat levels — like triglycerides and cholesterol — in the blood, and controlling inflammation.
Indeed, studies Trusted Source have linked a higher fat-to-muscle ratio to chronic diseases like metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and diabetes.
Maintaining muscle mass may also reduce the risk of age-related muscle loss, which can result Trusted Source in frailty and potentially disability.
Further, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. This is the main reason Trusted Source why men generally have higher calorie needs than women.
Consequently, losing weight in the form of muscle can decrease Trusted Source the number of calories you burn at rest, making it easier to regain any weight you lose.
There are a few simple ways to ensure you’ll lose weight in the form of fat and either maintain or gain muscle mass.
These include eating plenty of protein, exercising regularly, and following a nutrient-dense diet that puts you in a slight calorie deficit.
Eat plenty of protein
Protein is an important nutrient for a variety of bodily functions.
It’s necessary to make enzymes that help with digestion and energy production, regulate fluid balance, and support immune health, among other functions.
Protein is also important for maintaining the muscle you have and supporting new muscle growth, especially when losing weight.
In one 4-week study Trusted Source, young men were randomized to consume a low-calorie diet containing either 0.55 or 1.1 grams (g) of protein per pound of body weight — roughly 1.2 or 2.4 g per kilogram of body weight — combined with an intense exercise training program.
While both groups lost significant weight, the men who consumed the higher protein diet lost 2.9 lb (1.3 kg) more fat mass and gained 2.4 lb (1.1 kg) more muscle than the men who consumed the lower protein diet.
Importantly, the study found that high intensity resistance exercise followed by a high protein recovery snack made the most difference. Also, the study limited the men’s fat intake to create a calorie deficit and maintained their carb intake for adequate exercise fuel.
And while eating plenty of protein with a reduced-calorie diet without weight training may not help you gain muscle; it may help you maintain muscle while increasing fat loss.
A review Trusted Source of 20 studies involving men and women ages 50 years and older found that a high protein diet containing at least 0.68 g of protein per pound (1 gram per kilogram) led to more muscle mass retention and fat loss than a lower protein diet.
While protein needs differ depending on your age, health, sex, and physical activity level, consuming around 0.8 g of protein per kilogram Trusted Source of body weight per day can support muscle mass retention and fat loss with dieting.
For reference, the recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.36 grams per pound (0.8 grams per kilogram) of body weight per day.
Exercise
Exercise is the most effective way to encourage fat loss rather than muscle loss.
A review Trusted Source of six studies found that older adults with obesity who engaged in cardio and weight training at least 3 times per week while following a calorie-restricted diet retained 93% more of their muscle than those who did not exercise.
Certainly, exercise alone is an effective strategy to maintain muscle mass with dieting, but combining exercise with a higher protein intake may help optimize Trusted Source your results.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Trusted Source recommend adults get at least 150 to 300 minutes per week of cardio and muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups.
Follow a reduced-calorie diet
To lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. You can create a calorie deficit by eating fewer calories or exercising but preferably doing both.
However, cutting your calories too much can lead to a greater loss of muscle rather than fat.
Instead, aim Trusted Source to moderately reduce the number of calories you consume by 500 to 600 calories per day to minimize muscle loss while still facilitating fat loss.
You can reduce Trusted Source the number of calories you consume by eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein foods, and healthy fats, and fewer sugar-sweetened products and beverages, processed meats, and fried foods. start now and achieve result over time.