Losing weight is THE most common fitness and health goal. Even though people lament the process, it can be easy: amputate an arm or leg and you will drop 7-15 pounds instantly. Not what you had in mind?
More than the numbers
Many people who want and try to lose weight simply go by the number on the scale. That is not that much different from the former “appendage drop” option if you are not paying attention to how and what kind of weight you are losing. Eating at a calorie deficit (that is, consuming fewer calories than you use during the day) is a piece of the equation. But crash diets tend to lead to ballooning weight gain when we get off that unsustainable wagon. You may have heard about the guy who lost weight eating only Twinkies. But no one talked about his blood work or his muscle loss.
Power in the Protein
It is imperative that you take a closer look at what you are eating, not just how much. Making sure you are consuming the appropriate amount of protein per pound of body weight (while strength training) is necessary for maintaining muscle mass while also losing fat (which is most people’s goal). Consider how much you would care if you weighed 300 pounds, but looked like Jean Claude Van Damme or Brooke Shields.
Exercise is an important factor in weight loss, however, it is more complicated than just hitting the gym hard. It does not automatically help you lose weight (in part because it tends to make you hungrier). Rather it helps you maintain your path to success, and it does a nice job of firming up your body.
Keep in mind, adding muscle mass will make that number on the scale a tad bit meaningless, as muscle weighs more than fat. This is the reason why traditional scales do not help us understand what is happening with our bodies. Using something like an InBody or Styku 3D body scanner, which gives you readings on your skeletal muscle mass, bone, organ, and fat weight, can be much more informative and useful during your fitness and weight loss journey.
I, myself, found that after four months of consistent training I had lost nine pounds of fat and gained eight pounds of muscle, which made the number on the scale look a whole lot better. How about you? Ready to get started?
