Fat Loss vs. Weight Loss: The Difference & Why It Matters

Learn why focusing on fat loss rather than just weight loss is a healthier and more productive goal because it prioritizes improving body composition for overall health.

When it comes to tracking fitness progress, the scale often steals the spotlight. But your weight is just one piece of the puzzle! There are many other ways to measure how far you’ve come on your fitness journey.

As a fitness trainer with decades of experience, I want to set the record straight: weight loss and fat loss are not the same thing. And if you’re aiming for a healthier body, it’s important to understand the difference.

I’ve been training and educating on fitness and nutrition for 35 years. Everyday someone says to me, “Help me lose weight and get in better shape.” But I know what they really mean is, “Help me lose fat and gain muscle.”

If your goal is longevity and many active, mobile years in the future, read on to learn how fat loss vs weight loss can make all the difference!

Weight Loss: What’s Really Going on?

Weight loss is pretty straightforward—it’s simply a reduction in your overall body weight. This weight can come from fat, muscle, or even water.

When people see the number on the scale go down, it feels like progress. But here’s the catch: a scale doesn’t tell the full story. A scale can’t show you where that weight is coming from, so you might be losing muscle along with fat, which is not what you want.

Muscle is crucial for maintaining a high metabolism, especially as we get older. So, if you’re focusing only on dropping pounds, you could be losing muscle mass, which in turn slows your metabolism and makes long-term fat loss harder.

Plus, if you hang your hat on your daily weight, you may lose your mind. Your weight fluctuates daily based on what you eat, if you’re getting good sleep, how much water you drink and many more factors.

Fat Loss: The Better Goal

Fat loss, on the other hand, is about losing fat specifically, which is a healthier and more effective goal.

This is where body composition comes in—your body composition refers to the ratio of fat to muscle in your body. Changing your body composition by reducing fat and building or maintaining muscle mass will not only make you look better, but also feel stronger and healthier.

Losing fat, while maintaining or gaining muscle, is a better indicator of improving your overall health, energy levels, and longevity.

High levels of body fat, especially visceral fat (the type that surrounds your organs), are associated with increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, and other metabolic issues.

A healthier approach to getting in better shape is to focus on your body compostition and less on the actual number on the scale. Remember, you can line up three women next to each other all weighing 140 pounds and their shape and sizes can be completely different based on their body compositions.

So Why Does the Scale Lie?

Ever worked out hard, ate well, and the scale still didn’t budge? It can be frustrating! But here’s the thing: the scale might not move because while you’re losing fat, you might also be building muscle.

Pound for pound, muscle takes up less space than fat so your body is getting leaner and stronger, but the scale might not reflect that right away.

That’s why inches lost and how your clothes fit are often better indicators of fat loss than just tracking your weight in pounds. When you lose inches, it shows that you’re losing fat and reshaping your body.

The Importance of Body Composition

Body composition is a much more reliable gauge of your progress than the scale alone. A healthy body composition means a higher ratio of muscle to fat, and this balance is crucial for maintaining your metabolism, mobility, and overall health as you age.

When it comes to body fat, there are two types to be aware of:

1. Subcutaneous Fat: The fat right under your skin—think of the fat you can pinch. It serves as an energy reserve and isn’t as harmful as other types of fat.
2. Visceral Fat: (aka hard belly fat) This is the fat that surrounds your internal organs, particularly in your abdominal area, and is much more dangerous. Excess visceral fat is associated with a higher risk of diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Especially as we age, maintaining a healthy body composition becomes key to long-term health.

Losing muscle mass, which naturally happens starting in our mid-30s, can slow down our metabolism. But don’t lose hope… you can counteract this by strength training and eating enough protein.

Because yes, women in particular actually need more protein as they age.

Reasons For Weight Gain in Midlife

Gaining weight during midlife is unfortunately very common, and there are lots of valid reasons you may be experiencing this change.

These are just a few of the common reasons for middle aged weight gain:

Hormonal Changes

The hormonal changes women experience, especially during perimenopause and menopause, play a major role in fat gain. With declining estrogen levels, many women experience shifts in fat storage—specifically gaining more belly fat.

It’s not just about appearance; this visceral fat around the midsection can increase your risk of insulin resistance, making it harder to lose fat and maintain your weight.

Metabolic Changes

With age comes muscle loss as early as mid 30s if you are not actively trying to maintain it. This will decrease your overall metabolic rate which can lead to fat mass gain.

Learn more about your metabolic body type to better understand which exercise and weight loss tactics will work best for you.

Lifestyle Changes

Menopause often coincides with other life changes such as increased stress, decreased activity levels, and changes in dietary habits. No longer are you chasing kids or running up and down the stairs.

You may unintentionally be doing more sitting and less moving overall, without even realizing it!

Insulin Resistance

As estrogen levels decrease another issue is blood sugar. Regulating blood sugar levels can become problematic for some women and can prompt weight gain.

Glucose and insulin are regulated in the muscle. Less muscle, more issues. This is more common in women who are already overweight and then gain more weight.

Therefore, focusing on fat loss and muscle retention is more important than ever during this phase of life.

Strength training, getting enough protein, and finding the right balance of cardio and resistance exercises are all key strategies for managing body composition and staying healthy through menopause and beyond.

Common Mistakes When Trying to Lose Fat

There are so many common mistakes when trying to lose fat, largely due to misinformation and confusion.

Here are a few of the most common mistakes I’ve seen through my experience as a fitness trainer:

Over-reliance on Cardio: Yes, cardio burns calories, but too much without strength training can lead to muscle loss. If you lose muscle, you’re slowing down your metabolism. Strength training may be the number one key to aging well.

Not Eating Enough Protein: Protein is essential for muscle repair and maintenance. Aim for at least 0.5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to help preserve muscle while losing fat.

Too Few Calories: Drastically cutting calories can slow down your metabolism and cause muscle loss along with rapid weight loss. Instead, aim for a slight calorie deficit combined with strength training to focus on fat loss rather than just weight loss.

How to Achieve Fat Loss While Maintaining Muscle

Follow these simple tips to achieve your fat loss goals while maintaining and building muscle at the same time.

1. Create a Calorie Deficit: To lose fat, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Yes calories in vs calories out is a real thing. But don’t go too extreme—just a moderate deficit will do the trick. Plus you don’t want to feel deprived. So just skip one snack, or change up one or two things. There are some great tips in my guide to losing weight without dieting to get you started!
2. Prioritize Protein: Ensure you’re eating enough protein to support muscle maintenance and repair. This helps you maintain muscle mass while losing fat.
3. Strength Train Regularly: Muscle is your metabolism’s best friend. My strength training moves for women over 50 not only help you build lean muscle but also keep your metabolism revved up.
4. Track More Than the Scale: Don’t just rely on the number you see on the scale. Use body measurements, a fitness tracker, pay attention to how your clothes fit, and even consider body composition tests to get a better idea of your progress.

Can Hormone Replacement Therapy Help

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can be a game changer for women struggling with fat gain and muscle loss, especially during perimenopause and menopause.

HRT helps by restoring some of that lost estrogen, which plays a key role in regulating fat distribution and supporting muscle maintenance. Remember this is only really helpful for fat loss and muscle gain when combined with strength training and proper nutrition. Estrogen alone will not change your body composition.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) also offers protective benefits for your heart and other vital organs as you age.

This is because estrogen plays a crucial role in keeping your cardiovascular system healthy by helping to regulate cholesterol levels and maintaining the elasticity of your arteries. When estrogen levels drop during menopause, the risk of heart disease increases. HRT can help reduce this risk by restoring some of estrogen’s protective properties.

Additionally, HRT has been shown to support brain function, bone density, and even reduce the risk of conditions like osteoporosis, which becomes more prevalent with age.

To learn more about the full spectrum of HRT’s benefits, check out The New Menopause by Dr. Mary Claire Haver and Estrogen Matters by Dr. Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavris.

These books provide a comprehensive look at how HRT can positively impact your health beyond just fat loss and muscle gain.

Why It All Matters

The bottom line is that losing fat and maintaining or building muscle should be your ultimate goal, not just seeing a smaller number on the scale.

Fat loss, rather than just weight loss, leads to a healthier body composition, improved metabolism, and a lower risk of chronic diseases. It literally can reshape your body.

And, let’s be real—it just feels better to be strong and healthy!

So, let’s shift the focus away from the scale and start paying more attention to how you feel, how you move, and how you’re reshaping your body for long-term health. You’ve got this!