The Difference between Weight Loss vs Fat Loss

Weight loss and Fat loss are often used interchangeably but they are far from being one and the same thing.

Fat Loss is not Weight Loss

They bring completely opposite set of results.

Let me explain.

When we talk about weight loss we are referring to the absolute drop in body-weight. The absolute drop in body weight may be achieved via loss in body fat (adipose tissue) or skeletal muscle tissue or loss in stored water or loss in bone density or a combination of all of them.

Loss of Body fat

Out of these, there is only one that can be considered health is the loss of body fat (adipose tissue). The loss in body fat does not come at the cost of health (unless the total body fat in the body drops below 8%). In fact, the loss in body fat promotes health by reducing the pressure on the organs and the toxins stored within the body-fat cells. The rest come at the cost of health.

Based on the location of storage, body fat can be categorized into three types:

1. Visceral (around the organs) — easy to lose
2. Subcutaneous (underneath the skin) — relatively less easy to lose
3. Intra-Muscular (within the muscles) — hardest to lose

Based on thermogenic properties, body fat can be categorized into two types:

1. Brown Fat — generates heat, abundant in baby and behind the neck region in adults.
2. White Fat — does not generate heat, it is the most common kind of fat prevalent in the human body.

Based on the ease of extraction for lipolysis (fat utilization), body fat can be categorized into two types:

1. Stubborn Fat — Harder to extract because of high Alpha receptors that block the pathway for Beta cells and hinder the extraction process for fat utilization in the body.
2. Non-Stubborn Fat — Easier to extract because of very low to negligible Alpha receptors that do not block the pathway for Beta cells and thereby, facilitating ease of fat-extraction process in the body.

Loss in Water Levels (Water-Retention)

When excessively stored-water (water retention) is reduced in the body, the person feels less bloated and less-puffy. Some people do not like the deflated look, but then that’s individual choice of appearance. But it cannot be denied that a person feels lighter and more relaxed.

However, losing too much water too suddenly can cause changes in the viscosity of blood and hence affect the functioning of the heart. In sports where athlete’s body weight is a critical factor in competition, it is a common practice to drop the bodyweight suddenly right before the weigh-in for the competition and soon after but right before the actual competition, they regain all of it to be able to have an advantage over the competition.

What is to be noted here is that all of the practices involved in causing the sudden drop in body weight comes through loss of water and these changes are closely monitored and managed by a team of experienced doctors and other health professionals. Novices are strictly advised to not to try this by themselves as they risk serious harm to their body and even death.

Muscle Loss

The least desirable and healthy way to lose bodyweight is via the loss of skeletal muscle tissue. Losing muscle is completely detrimental to health for anyone, unless the person is so muscular that his muscles restrict his body mobility to very poor levels. This, however, cannot happen through non-steroidal and natural ways of building muscles.

Losing muscle tissue has multiple drawbacks. The first of which is the reduced ability or reduced fitness. It is accompanied by a simultaneous drop in strength, stamina, power and all the other domains of fitness as discussed above. This reduced muscular capacity means lowered muscular potential, hence the drop in the body’s metabolism. This drop, if not accompanied by an adjustment to the level of food intake, will cause an increase in body fat levels. Hence, losing muscle is a complete NO-NO for most, if not all, cases.

Muscles are lost when the cycle of muscle growth is reversed. This can happen in two ways — either the level of resistance to the muscles is reduced over a significant period or the supply of muscle-supporting nutrients to the muscles is reduced. One of the best ways to prevent muscle loss is to maintain protein intake at a minimum of 1.2 gms per kg of bodyweight. The second-best method is to incorporate the Isometric Contraction training method, which is great for retaining muscle tissue without overly fatiguing them, thereby helping retaining muscle tissue.

Loss in Bone-Density

I find it astonishing as to how little the attention has been drawn to the aspect of bone density improvement by the entire fitness industry as a whole. More articles have been written about every other aspect of physical fitness than the aspect of bone density and skeleton health.

The human skeleton with all of its 206 bones accounts to about 15% of the total body weight. It is the very framework on which the muscles, tissues, ligaments, tendons, organs, etc. take support. Since the muscles attach on the bones, they would fail to function if the bony structures supporting them take a severe blow, get damaged or get broken.

The human skeleton is primarily composed of Calcium along with other minerals. The exterior part of it is primarily calcium while the internal part, which is called the Bone Marrow, is made up of calcium, proteins and various other elements. The bone marrow is the region where red blood cells are produced in the human body.

A bone is as much of a rigid structure as a flexible one. Since it has the web-like composition to its interior structure underneath the surface, it acts as a shock absorber for the human body. A human bone is way stronger than we normally assume it to be. It is as strong as a block of concrete. Despite being incredibly light to concrete in comparison.

The beautiful thing with the Bone is that like a Muscle it is an active region for growth in the body. While, the growth of muscles is well defined by the Davis’ Law, the growth of bones is defined by the Wolff’s Law.

What the Davis’ Law essentially means is that a muscle will grow in direct response to the stress placed on it by an external force or resistance.

Similarly, the Wolff’s Law essentially means that a bone will grow in direct response to the stress placed on it by the external stimuli.

These laws also mean that in the absence of any external resistance or stimuli, both, the bone and the muscle, will atrophy or degenerate as a consequence. This also explains why exercise is touted to promote muscle and bone growth.

One of the best ways to promote muscular growth is via Resistance Training, such as Weight-training or Bodyweight Training/Calisthenics; while the best way to promote bone growth is via Repeated Low-Impact Training, such as Jump-roping.