Losing weight vs. Losing body fat

beckyhope
beckyhope Posts: 104 Member
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been so frustrated with my weight plateau that I've had for about 2 weeks. But my body fat percentage has gone down. Is it better to lose body fat percentage rather than weight? I'm trying not to be discouraged with the plateau but it is so frustrating when I've been doing so good with my calorie intake and working out so hard and the scale just stays the same.
Any input or suggestions are appreciated! Thanks!

Replies

  • amycal
    amycal Posts: 646 Member
    YES It is much better to lose body fat than "weight" If you were losing weight but your body fat stayed same or went up you would be losing muscle or other lean tissue - which is NOT what you want to lose!

    Do you measure your waist and hips at all? You can burn off fat and get slimmer without the scale dropping.
  • kmeekhof
    kmeekhof Posts: 456 Member
    Losing body fat is GREAT!!!
  • crs10
    crs10 Posts: 6
    Ive actually had the same problem...I started at 207.....got down to 195...and now I can't seem to go any farther. Im working out every day! and Im watching my calories. Im taking in only about 1400 plus doing the workouts so I dont know what's going on. I feel skinnier def I would just really like to see the scale go down. I wish i knew if i was losing body fat though.
  • EDBENAGLIO
    EDBENAGLIO Posts: 424
    i would jack up your cal about 300 cal a day for a few days and change your workouts sounds like your body is used to what you have been doing
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    Absolutely it is better to lose fat vs weight.

    In school years upon years ago I remember distinctly 2 photographs. Each had a 330lb man in them. One was a fantastic looking basketball player, the other, a portly overweight man.

    This has always been an incredible reminder to me that weight isn't everything, and should never be everything.

    I'd love to know how you can tell if your body fat has gone down! My scale supposedly tells me what my body fat % is, but day to day it changes from say 37 to 45 or even 29 once. I never know what it's doing.

    Measurements with a soft tape measure every 2-4 weeks are an excellent way to track your progress.
  • rachel5576
    rachel5576 Posts: 429 Member
    Yes you want to lose body fat not weight. I decided today i am putting my scale away and not looking at it for a month. I really don't care what i weigh just want to get rid of the fat!! In the last week i can see a huge difference in the way i look but the scale does not reflect this so im saying bu bye to the scale. well... I might weigh one more time but then its gone because it can totally make or break my day and i know it really shouldn't matter. Its how i look and feel that should really drive me.


    Good luck Becky!
  • TLC1975
    TLC1975 Posts: 146 Member
    Losing Fat is far more important than overall weight as far as measuring your progress. A lot of times, you gain muscle mass while losing fat, and this can cause your weight loss to appear plateaued. Also water weight fluctuates quit frequently depending on carb intake, and ur menstrual cycles..causing inaccurate numbers on the scale. Measurement changes and fat % loss are really the guides you should concern urself about..not the scale..
    If you want ,try changing up your diet and your workout routine. Just like anything else your body will get use to the foods your eating and the effort in your workouts...The body plateaues in that respect, the best thing to do is to keep changing things up, keeping your body guessing.
    Don't fret..u've awesome..keep it up!
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    I believe that at a certain point in someone's progress they have to switch from monitoring their weight and start monitoring things like body fat percentage and body size measurements. If you're really close to your goal weight then this might be the case for you.

    If it's a true plateau then it might be caused by too few calories which tricks the body into retain body fat. If your body fat percentage is going down then I don't think that's the case with you. I'm *not* an expert so please take this as food for thought and *not* expert advice!
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
    Get out that measuring tape girl!
  • TLC1975
    TLC1975 Posts: 146 Member
    Ive actually had the same problem...I started at 207.....got down to 195...and now I can't seem to go any farther. Im working out every day! and Im watching my calories. Im taking in only about 1400 plus doing the workouts so I dont know what's going on. I feel skinnier def I would just really like to see the scale go down. I wish i knew if i was losing body fat though.


    If I read this correct.....and If you're only taking in 1400 calories a day and working out, you are most likely having a net calorie count under 1200, this will cause your body to go into starvation mode. You should definitely increase ur calorie intake so that your net does not go below 1200 a day.. Good luck
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    Also a lot of people talk about "gained muscle" contributing to weight gain and that's true; adding muscle does add weight and that's a good thing.

    People really should say "gained lean tissue" because when you're exercising a lot you not only gain muscle (which is a lean tissue) but your organs and bones become denser and stronger and this also contributes to total body weight.

    The point is that you might not notice any larger muscles on your body but your skeleton and organs might weight a little more now too.
  • beckyhope
    beckyhope Posts: 104 Member
    Thanks everyone! I will defintiely not let myself get down with the numbers on my scale. Sounds like body fat loss is much more important!
    @Sarah44254 My scale tells me my body fat. Mine seems pretty accurate because it's basically the same every morning, but if I check my body fat at different times of the day it fluctuates between 1-3%.
    @Rachel5576 I have thought about just putting the scale away for about a month so it doesn't bring me down. But I haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet.
    I will start keeping track of my measurements along with the weight.

    Thanks you guys! I already feel better! The encouragement is greatly appreciated!
  • kelligonzales
    kelligonzales Posts: 391
    this is how i look at if you were 250 and size 4 would care how much you weighed or that you were a size four? or you could be 170 and size 12 which you would rather. You like your gaining muscule your will be a more stream line you. :wink:
  • johnk27
    johnk27 Posts: 1 Member
    Muscle weights more than fat. If you are working out and watching your calorie intake you are losing fat and gaining muscle. Get yourself a fat% scale. You can pick up a great one on Amazon for 49 bucks.

    Keep up the good work
  • gailosborne
    gailosborne Posts: 435
    I believe that at a certain point in someone's progress they have to switch from monitoring their weight and start monitoring things like body fat percentage and body size measurements. If you're really close to your goal weight then this might be the case for you.



    I totally agree - this has been the case for me!
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