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The difference between fat loss and weight loss

by Bronte Holding

Okay, so we know that to lose weight, we need to be eating in a calorie deficit. And if you didn’t know this…now you do bestie! This simply means we need to consume less energy than we expend over an extended period of time. 

While eating in a deficit will result in weight loss… this shouldn’t necessarily be your only goal. The thing is, there is a difference between simply losing weight, and losing fat specifically. The goal of any dieting phase should be to lose fat while simultaneously maintaining muscle, which requires a little more than just eating in a deficit. 

So, how can you ensure you are maintaining muscle, and losing weight primarily from fat instead? Here’s how gf! 

  1. Adhere to a deficit 
  • First and foremost, you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose any kind of body tissue (both fat and muscle)
  • However, it’s important to make sure your deficit is not too aggressive, both so you can actually sustain it, and so that your body is able to maintain muscle tissue 
  • If you’re losing weight at a faster rate than around 0.5kg per week, then you may also be losing muscle too gf! 
  • You may see a larger drop initially when you first start dieting as a result of less water retention/less food volume, however this rate should slow down as you continue to diet 

  1. Resistance train 
  • A lot of people make the mistake of switching to cardio rather than strength training during a deficit
  • We need to give our muscles a reason to stick around while dieting!
  • If you continue to resistance train, your body will recognise the need for you to maintain your muscle mass 
  • Stick to 3-5 sessions per week, and continue aiming for progressive overload 
  1. Hit a protein target
  • Protein makes up the building blocks of our muscle tissue, so eating enough protein is especially important while dieting 
  • Aim for a minimum intake of around 1.6-2.2 grams per KG of body weight per day (while dieting it’s safer to be on the higher end of this scale!) 
  • This means that if you weigh 70kg, you should be aiming for between 112g-154 grams of protein per day 
  1. Get enough sleep 
  • Sleep is often overlooked, but it can be a key factor for maintaining muscle in a deficit!
  • During a recent study, researchers compared fat loss results in those with restricted sleep and those without
  • Over an 8 week period, both groups lost a similar amount of total weight. However, those with sleep restriction lost more muscle tissue and less fat than those without!
  • Make sure you’re prioritising your sleep and aiming for 7-9 hours per night 

TWS Coach Bronte x 

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