Is losing weight the same as losing fats?

This might seem to be a really strange question. However, it is an important question. Many times, the common answer would be “yes”, losing weight is the same as losing fats.

But then, there are other questions that need to be answered. For example, are you trying to lose weight to look good or to lose weight to become healthier?

Losing weight is good if your BMI is greater than 30. This is usually a good indicator that the fat content in your body is too high.

One of the most effective ways to lose fats is to exercise. However, many people have wrong expectations:

• they expect to lose weight fast
• they expect to lose weight consistently in a downward trend

When you exercise, you start to burn fat. You also start to build muscle. Here is an interesting fact: muscles are heavier than fats.

How about this other interesting fact – when you want to lose weight fast, you exercise more intensely, you lose fat fast and you also build muscles faster. You might even gain weight.

So, in a sense, losing weight is not quite the same as losing fats. But muscles don’t build up forever, but as you build muscles, they in turn burn more fats. In fact, even when you are just sitting there doing nothing, the more muscles you have, the more fats you burn. So, in the long run, your weight loss will become permanent, your fitness improves and you look much better than ever.

This is the reason many diet plans do not work over long periods. Failure to build muscles, failure to create a new, more active lifestyle, all leads to the fats coming back again the moment you stop the diet and your calorie intake once again out-paces your burn rate.

Control your fat intake, get a new healthy lifestyle. Join a walking club or something.