Fat Loss vs Weight Loss: Why the Scale Isn't Your Goal

Nikkiey: Real quick, the only ask I could ever have of you guys is to help spread the word so we can help more women lose body fat, build muscle, reach their goals and feel insanely confident. The only way we can do that is if you rate, review and share this podcast. So the single thing I ask you to do is leave a review. It will take you 10 seconds, it will mean the absolute world to me, and it may change the world of someone else.

What is going on, you guys? Welcome back to The WarriorBabe Show, or if this is one of your first episodes, welcome to the show, with your host, Nikkiey Stott, co-founder of WarriorBabe. On this podcast, we talk about mindset, methodologies and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong and feel insanely confident. I'm your host, Nikkiey Stott, and welcome to episode 180.

To be fully transparent with you guys, this is an episode that I recorded way, way back in the early stages of the birth of this podcast. I'm bringing it back for a few reasons. I have taken the last couple of days to recover, to heal and to give myself the space that I've needed, honestly, for so long, after this egg retrieval. But so many other things have come up from this procedure, things that I've just been ignoring. So I've been giving myself space to not only physically heal, but also emotionally heal.

That being said, I did not record any new podcast this week. But I wanted to bring back this specific episode. I think it was episode six. It was the difference between fat loss and weight loss, because I think it's so important for you guys to understand this topic and understand the difference between the two. They are two vastly different worlds and two vastly different ways you can approach this type of result, whether it be fat loss or weight loss. So with that being said, let's dive into the episode.

I'm your host, Nikkiey Stott, and welcome to episode number six, all about fat loss versus weight loss: the difference explained. I am super stoked to speak to this topic. I've alluded to it in previous podcasts, that we were going to deep dive into it, because it warrants an entire podcast to explain. So I'm going to explain the difference between weight loss and fat loss. Then I want you guys to leave this podcast knowing which one is better for you, with the goal of achieving a more fit, toned look, because one of them supports that and the other one does not.

This topic seems to be very confusing for a lot of people. Weight loss versus fat loss. A lot of people only really speak to weight loss. "I want to lose weight." All of the things you see on the internet speak to weight loss. A lot of people seem to think they are the same thing, but they are actually very different. Some people just want to lose weight, but others want to lose fat. So depending on which one you're trying to achieve, you may be going about it all wrong.

So I want to deep dive into this. I want to give you guys clarity. I want to give you takeaways. I want to give you the whole methodology behind which one is going to support your goals and which one does not. I'm going to clear everything up for you today.

Weight loss and fat loss: these two concepts are misunderstood. First of all, let's talk about weight loss. Weight loss refers to the decrease in overall body weight, which can be caused by a variety of factors, such as a reduction in muscle mass, water weight or fat. Anybody can lose weight. Anybody can jump onto the newest crazed fad diet out there that's speaking to weight loss, and you're going to lose weight because those put you into calorie deficits.

But this is the thing: you're going to lose a variety of different things. Like I just said, you're going to lose muscle mass. You're going to lose water weight. You're going to lose fat. Your organ sizes are going to get smaller. This is how I like to explain it: if you're just focusing on weight loss, you're going to become a skinnier, fatter version of yourself.

However, don't get me wrong. This goal is great for people who have 100 pounds or 50 pounds to lose. You've got to lose that weight before you can really start taking it to the next level and achieving that more fit, toned look for yourself. But along the way of losing weight, you're losing a little bit of everything. And that's what I mean.

This is what happened to me. That's how I can speak to it with experience. I was chubby, and then I focused on all of these things. I was very confused and overwhelmed. I had no idea what I was doing at the beginning of my journey, as you heard in podcast number one. And I became a skinnier, fatter version of myself by doing all of this.

Fat loss, on the other hand, specifically refers to a reduction in body fat. All of the weight loss things I just spoke to, all the things you could be following, calorie deficits, X, Y and Z: if you're following a nutrition plan that supports fat loss, and in my experience, my belief and my methodology, I believe in macronutrients, that's what's going to help you with fat loss and a reduction in body fat.

What I mean by that is when you're eating the right nutrients that support this, protein, fats and carbohydrates, and you're paying attention to that overall intake, you're going to decrease body fat. Most importantly, you're going to preserve the lean muscle that you have on your body. And while you're building more of it, you're going to hold on to that muscle and decrease the body fat around that muscle, which is going to lead to a more fit, toned look. Toned is just exposing the muscle that you have on your body.

So broadly speaking, those are the two differences. Weight loss: cool, great. If you have a goal of losing 50 pounds or 100 pounds, you're going to lose a little bit of everything along that journey. Then fat loss could be, once you accomplish that goal, your next goal, that next level for you. Okay, let's focus on macronutrients. Let's focus on fat loss. I want to be a little more fit and toned. And you're going to have that reduction of body fat.

Let me deep dive a little further. It's possible to lose weight and fat at the same time. It's also possible to lose weight without losing fat, or to lose fat without losing weight. For example, if you're following a weight loss program that focuses on reducing calorie intake, the calorie deficit you hear about a lot on the internet, and you're increasing your physical activity, you may experience a decrease in both weight and fat. That's because calorie restriction and increased physical activity can lead to a decrease in body weight and an increase in fat metabolism.

However, listen up, because this is you. If you're listening to this podcast, I know I'm attracting people who want to be more fit and toned. So if you are participating, and the majority of you probably are, or looking to participate in a strength training program that helps you build muscle, you will experience an increase in muscle mass if you're doing it the right way. Listen loud and clear: that could offset any weight loss and result in no change in weight.

I need you guys to understand this, especially if you're embarking on this journey, if you're getting into strength training, or if you're somewhere along your strength training journey and you're so attached to the scale. If you are participating in a strength training program, if you are trying to build muscle, and if you are doing it the right way, you are increasing muscle mass. This could offset any weight loss, and this could result in no weight change.

What I mean by offsetting weight loss is that you're probably stepping on the scale thinking, why am I not losing any weight? Or you're seeing success stories of people with massive differences in their body composition, yet they've only lost three pounds. This is what's happening. This is because muscle is denser and heavier than fat. So an increase in muscle mass can cause an increase in overall body weight.

For example, I weighed 140 pounds when I first started my journey. I was skinny fat, as I mentioned. Now, eight years later, with the muscle mass I've built and put onto my body, I weigh 150 pounds. I am 10 pounds heavier, yet I look completely different. And this is because muscle is denser and heavier than fat. So an increase in muscle mass, to that example, can cause an increase in overall body weight, even if body fat is decreasing.

Are light bulbs going off? I really want you to understand this, because I'm going to dive into it in a second. If you are only focused on the scale, and whatever number it says is affecting every single emotion you have towards your journey, you are missing out on the big picture. If you want to build muscle, it could offset any weight loss. So you may not see as much weight loss as you want when you're stepping on the scale. That is because muscle is denser and heavier, so it could increase your overall body weight, aka the number you see on the scale, even though you are decreasing body fat.

So when it comes to building muscle and changing the way your body looks, it is important to focus on improving body composition. This is the big thing I want to speak to, because a lot of you coming here want to build muscle, aka be more toned and change the way your body looks. So it's important to focus on improving your body composition rather than just weight loss. Body composition refers to the relative proportion of fat, muscle and bone in your body.

Let me say that again so it sinks in. Improving your body composition, changing the way your body looks, refers to the relative proportion of fat, muscle and bone in your body. By increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat, you improve your body composition. You change the way your body looks. You're building muscle, and you're achieving a leaner, more toned appearance.

By improving your body composition rather than just focusing on weight loss, by focusing on the relative proportion of fat, muscle and bone in the body, you achieve a leaner, more toned appearance. Like I said when I first opened up this podcast: weight loss, skinnier, fatter version of yourself. Fat loss, you're preserving the lean muscle you have on your body.

Remember what I said? Body composition is the relative proportion of fat, muscle and bone in your body. The number on the scale includes the muscle you have on your body, but when you're focusing just on weight loss, you're losing muscle too. Body composition is going to help you achieve the leaner, more toned appearance, because the way you're eating, macronutrients, protein, is going to preserve the muscle you have on your body. It's going to hold on to it. You may lose a little bit, but you're not going to lose as much as you would with weight loss. And then you're decreasing the body fat around it, which means you're going to have that fit body. I'm painting this picture for you guys. I hope I am.

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While weight loss can be a useful indicator of progress, it is literally just a tool. That's it. Weight loss meaning the number on the scale that you see. It can be a useful indicator of progress, but it's not always the best measurement of success when it comes to building muscle and improving your body composition. Like I said, if you are just focused on the number on the scale, you are missing out on the big picture if your ultimate goal is to build muscle and improve your body composition. Again, this is because muscle is denser and heavier than fat, so an increase in muscle mass can cause an increase in overall body weight, even if your body fat is decreasing. I just want to keep drilling this into your head.

So I hope light bulbs are going off. The scale does not matter. Listen to this, play this back, because you could be three weeks after listening to this podcast, or four months after, and you're down the rabbit hole of why isn't the scale moving as fast as I want it to? Yet your goal is to build muscle. Well, guess what? It's going to offset the weight loss you want to see. It could result in no weight loss, yet you're still decreasing body fat. You're still seeing a change in your body composition. You may, in a five-month span, have drastic changes in your body composition yet have only lost three pounds. I just want to keep drilling this in.

Another way to explain it is how it's possible that you could weigh the same as, or even more than, somebody else. For example, I weigh 150 pounds. Maybe you weigh the same, yet I'm going to look more fit and more toned than you because I have more muscle on my body. We're the same weight, we have similar height, we have a similar frame, but I have a difference in body composition compared to you.

And it's relative to somebody else you know. You could be 150 pounds and a little more fit than somebody else. That's how you can literally be the same weight, similar height and frame, yet look completely different because of the difference in your body composition. This is the difference in your personal relative proportion of fat, muscle and bone compared to the person you're standing next to or thinking of.

It's because I have more dense muscle than you. Or if you're thinking of somebody else who weighs the same as you but looks different, it's because you have more dense muscle than fat compared to them. Somebody could be 150 pounds and full of muscle. Somebody could be 150 pounds and overweight or skinny fat. Or different frames or different heights. Somebody at 5'6" and 150 pounds and somebody at 5'2" and 150 pounds are going to be drastically different.

What I want to continue to drill in here is that the scale is not the only device that will tell you the whole story of your progress. How many of you are still hung up on the scale? Yet you're seeing the way your body looks and changes over time. You're taking pictures. But you're still getting discouraged if, week by week, you're not seeing the trends you want. You're like, oh, frick it, this isn't working, and you revert to everything else.

The scale isn't telling you the big picture. The scale is not the only device that's going to tell you the whole story of your progress. I think I've nailed that into your brain. It is so important to track progress using a variety of different methods. This is what we do in WarriorBabe. There is not one single person who is stuck to just the scale. They know there's a variety of methods out there that paint a way bigger picture than the scale.

When I say a variety of methods, I mean taking measurements. For example, measurements of your biceps. Let's say you took a measurement of your bicep, and in six months you took it again and you've gained two inches on your bicep, yet you step on the scale and you're the same weight. Well, there you go. You've gained muscle. That's why it's offsetting any weight loss on the scale, because muscle is denser and heavier than fat.

Another thing, which is huge, is photos. Side-by-side photos. Like I've already said, if you have a before picture and an after picture six months apart, and the scale is only telling you you've lost three pounds, but there's a drastic difference between before and after, that's going to make you feel better than seeing just three pounds in six months or five months.

And then how your clothes fit. Your clothes fitting is huge. You could see a three-pound difference, yet your clothes may not fit at all anymore. These are such important methods that you need to start incorporating into your journey if you're trying to build muscle and change your body composition, because that scale is not going to support you. I'm just telling you that now. Maybe you know that, and this is just driving it home and helping you put better ways to track this into your strategy.

By using a combination of these methods, you get a way more accurate picture of your progress and make sure you're on track with achieving your goals. Because somebody who has lost three pounds in six months and is just focusing on the scale could think, oh my God, I'm not seeing the progress I want to see, so I'm going to slash my calories even more. And this is just a spiral effect. It's really hard to accomplish your goals from that kind of position.

So you definitely want to make sure you're using a combination of these methods: measurements, photos, seeing how your clothes fit. All of those are so important outside of just focusing on the number on the scale. Weight loss can be a useful indicator of progress. Fat loss, in terms of body fat and stuff like that, is another great method to focus on. But when I say weight loss and the scale can be a useful indicator of progress, it's not the full story. I just want to keep driving that in.

All right. So those are the main differences between weight loss and fat loss. They're drastically different. You see that now. I've explained it, I've driven it home. They're completely different concepts.

It's also important to remember that weight loss and fat loss goals should be individualized based on your specific needs and circumstances. Like I already said, let's say you need to lose 50 pounds. Awesome. Great. Lose those 50 pounds. That next-level goal for you could be fat loss. What works for one person may not work for another, and it's important to find a healthy, sustainable approach that works for you. And as I've mentioned in previous podcasts, working with a professional to develop a personalized plan that takes into account your unique needs and goals is something I would highly recommend.

This is where I would recommend you check out warriorbabe.com, specifically our VIP program. We have 30-plus expert coaches who work one-on-one with women just like you to achieve what we're speaking about today: fat loss, a more toned look. We specialize in all of those things. So definitely check that out. The link is in the description below.

In conclusion, fluctuations in weight are normal. They don't always indicate changes in your body composition. If you're just focusing on the number on the scale and you want body composition results, the number on the scale is not going to show that. Like I said, you could become a skinnier, fatter version of yourself if you're just focusing on that. Weight fluctuations are not always going to indicate changes in your body composition, which, as we spoke about, is the relative proportion of your muscle, the fat in your body, the bone in your body, all of that jazz.

By doing this, you're going to improve your body composition. You're going to achieve a leaner and more toned appearance. So remember that. I hope it's drilled into your brain and you understand the difference between these two things. Now you know which one to focus on: weight loss if you have 50-plus pounds to lose, fat loss if you want to take it to the next level and achieve that more toned look. So next time you step on the scale and you don't see the numbers going down, don't give up. Keep at it. Soon you'll start to see changes in your body that are more significant than any change in weight could ever be.

All right, my friends. I hope this podcast helped you. If it did, screenshot it and share it to social media, Instagram preferably. Tag Nikkiey Stott. Tag WarriorBabe. I would love to see how impactful this podcast is for you and how it's helping you, especially if some things just blew your mind today, light bulbs are flying and you're having aha moments. Share that with me. I love seeing that feedback from you guys. And apply this right now. You have this new mental frame around this and around your journey, so apply it. That's all I ask. Take action. Apply it. I'll see you guys next time.

Hey guys, real quick. If you're interested in taking your body to the next level, losing body fat, building more muscle and feeling more confident, do it alongside one of our 30-plus professional coaches. Work one-on-one with her to eliminate all of the guesswork you may have, and all you need to do is the work she tells you to do to reach your goals. To learn more, click the link below this podcast and apply to our VIP program right now.