Weight Loss Basics: weight v. fat loss, calorie deficits, tracking, the scale & things to prioritize
A weight loss post… at Cochell Fitness? You might be thinking this is a mistake- but it’s not!
I strive to share helpful & reliable information & resources on all kinds of health/fitness topics. Since there is SO MUCH misinformation (& supplement-pushing fit-fluencers) floating around out there regarding weight loss, I figured it was about time I dedicated a full blog post to the topic.
In this post we’ll touch on A LOT:
Difference between weight loss & fat loss
Calorie deficits & nutrition approaches
Tracking actions & progress
Understanding the scale
Things to prioritize, actions to take
(1) weight v. fat loss
To start out strong & sassy:
When we talk about “weight loss” it’s important to note that the goal is NOT to lose muscle mass or bone density…although it’s almost a sure thing we will lose some muscle along the way.
When we say “weight loss” we typically mean we want to lose fat. This is an important distinction for many reasons. Without understanding this distinction between “weight loss” and “fat loss”, monitoring progress with the scale can become tricky & stressful [more on this later].
You might continue to use the phrase “weight loss” when you really mean “fat loss” & in my opinion that’s fine as long as YOU understand the difference & what you mean.
For the sake of this blog post, you will see me reference this as "weight/fat loss” just as a little reminder as to what we are actually talking about. Okay, now that that’s out of the way—
While I don’t directly talk about weight loss a lot, I do work with clients who have weight/fat loss goals! We just take a slightly different approach than the usual weight loss journey.
Instead of making the scale the star of the show, we focus on building strength, taking body measurements & monitoring how we feel while working towards a healthy body composition
[among so many other nuanced things].
Anyways- back to the post!
Pursuing weight/fat loss can be daunting, confusing & leave you feeling like 🔪🔪🔪
Those feelings are VALID.
They make SENSE.
They are NORMAL to feel.
So it’s okay if you’re feeling those things now or have before (or do in the future).
There’s nothing wrong with you for getting frustrated or feeling lost during this process.
Good news is you are not broken. Weight/fat loss can be complicated but there are certain things we know to be true & can prioritize to help you keep moving forward towards those goals.
(2a) calorie deficits
In order to lose weight, we need to be in a calorie deficit.
A calorie deficit means we are consuming less calories (energy) than we are burning.
The most effective way to create a calorie deficit is to monitor & adjust total calorie intake in some way & to ensure we are consuming less than we are expending.
While exercising & daily movement can burn energy to support a calorie deficit, the amount of energy burned during your workouts is likely less than you think.
Most of our energy use comes from simply existing in life; your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The rest of our energy use comes from Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) and Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) - in that order.
Check out the graphic below for a brief break down of each category:
A very common misconception is that adding in another hour-long, moderate intensity workout or fitness class to your week will make a HUGE difference in how many calories you burn. Looking at the graphic above, you can see that’s not the case!
Actually, formal exercise & workouts (EAT) rank in 3rd place for energy needs.
What does that tell us?
It reinforces that creating a calorie deficit through nutritional changes is more effective than doing so by increasing workout frequency/duration/intensity
AND if you want to incorporate activity in a way that supports a calorie deficit, ideal ways to do that are by building muscle mass with resistance training (which increases BMR) and/or increasing daily activity (NEAT)
(2b) nutrition approaches
the deficit matters, not the diet.
This is NOT me saying the quality of your food doesn’t matter. Quality of food DOES matter. Especially when pursuing body recomposition goals. Instead my point is that there is not special diet that causes weight/fat loss.
Any diet that causes weight/fat loss only does so because it puts you in a calorie deficit.
Low-carb diet? Calorie deficit (and water weight).
Low-fat diet? Calorie deficit.
Whole 30? Calorie deficit.
Intermittent fasting? Calorie deficit.
Keto? Calorie deficit.
Carnivore diet? Calorie deficit (…and dumb🫢).
Replacing all of your meals with an MLM shake & only using their “fat burning” supplements?
Calorie deficit.
You won’t lose weight/fat because you eliminate specific foods or food groups OR because you eat a specific food/supplement. You will only lose weight/fat because you are consuming less energy than your body is using.
At this point you know a calorie deficit is what matters. But how do you know what yours is?
My favorite free resource for determining your calorie deficit is this Precision Nutrition calculator . This calculator is free & takes into account numerous aspects (current & desired body composition, physical activity levels including NEAT & EAT, dieting history, eating preference, timeline, etc.) to give you an idea of how to approach nutrition for change.
psssst… that calculator can also give you great insight
if you are wanting to build muscle, eat at maintenance, etc.
It’s not just for determining a calorie deficit!
It’s no surprise that if you’re able to incorporate habits & foods that you enjoy into this process you’ll be more successful in the long run. Which means we don’t need to excessively restrict your favorite dessert, snack or drink in order to reach your weight/fat loss goal (although, it might mean consuming those things looks a little different).
For most people, a sustainable way of eating does not involve highly restricting favorite foods or any one type of food.
Instead, a sustainable way of eating for most people looks like:
Eating mostly lean protein sources & finding “staple meals” that uses them
Prioritizing vegetables in most meals & finding ways you enjoy cooking/eating them
Consuming fruit multiple times/day & not solely as a “dessert placeholder”
Drinking water (half your bodyweight in ounces/day) to stay hydrated
Enjoying meals out, snacks, secret family recipes, cocktails with friends & ballpark hot dogs in moderation & merging these things in with the points above instead of going “all or nothing”
If you want to dive deeper into sustainable nutrition habits, here’s my shameless plug for Macros 101, my nutrition guide that covers each macronutrient, energy balance, supplements, nutrition labels, food selection and more.
(3) tracking actions & progress
It’s hard to know what is or is not working if we’re not being mindful of change.
So let’s say you’re working towards weight/fat loss & have been eating in a calorie deficit… except the scale hasn’t changed more than 1 pound in a month.
👉🏼 You might be ready to throw in the towel because the calorie deficit isn’t working… unless you’ve been tracking your nutrition & see you actually have NOT been in a calorie deficit consistently for the last month.
OR
👉🏼 You might immediately think that your hard work is all for nothing… that is if you aren’t also tracking your body measurements to see inches have been going down consistently.
Tracking our actions & different types of progress gives us a clear view of what is (or isn’t) happening & can help us determine WHY. So, track your nutrition. Track your workouts. Track your daily movement. Whatever actions you’re taking in order to aid in losing weight/fat, track them & reflect on them often.
I always recommend tracking multiple factors (including the scale) to monitor weight/fat loss.
Here are some things I encourage my weight/fat loss clients to track & be mindful of outside of the scale:
How clothes fit/feel
Confidence levels in the gym, at work, in yourself, etc.
Energy levels, sleep quality/quantity
Soreness levels
Mood, anxiety/stress, clear headedness
Digestion changes
Progress pictures
Body measurements (at multiple sites)
Aside from that, there are TONS of fun things you could track surrounding movement.
If a lift feels smoother, you’re able to lift heavier weights or you’re doing more volume at the same intensity…
If you’re less out of breath in workouts, walking up stairs or just in general…
If you feel more like yourself when you exercise routinely than when you don’t…
THAT’S PROGRESS!
It’s about so much more than what the scale says. It’s about how we feel, how we act, how we move, how we engage in our lives & with others.
Tracking a variety of factors it can help you feel more grounded throughout the process.. especially when the scale gets tricky.
(4) Understanding the scale
Weight/fat loss is not linear.
When it comes to using the scale to track progress, the most important things to remember are to look at TRENDS & try to stay PATIENT.
An “increase” on the scale may always happen after eating out or consuming more salt. A drop on the scale might consistently happen when you stay hydrated throughout the week. Your body will have it’s own unique trends; some you might pick out easily & others may stay hidden.
Regardless, looking for trends on the scale can help you figure out if you’re moving in the direction you want to move in.
Take this 1:1 client of my as an example: She's been pursuing weight loss since we started together in June of 2022. In her first month she saw her weight increase & understandably was not enthused by that.
However, she held tight, trusted the process & kept at it. Soon we had more data to reflect on & saw clear trends emerging; she was losing weight/fat with a sustainable approach & at a sustainable rate!
Her weight/fat loss journey exemplifies what “weight loss is not linear” means:
There will always be days when the scale jumps up
There will be times when changes are small & times when they are BIG
If we can stay focused on the bigger picture while looking for trends, we can find success.
(5) Things to prioritize:
Let’s put a nice neat bow on this post with a break down of things to prioritize/actions to take to support your weight/fat loss efforts:
Find a tracking method that works for you & helps you monitor your nutrition clearly
The Hand Method
MyFitnessPal, MyMacros+, another app
Food log with pen & paper or phone note
Take time to reflect daily/weekly & be honest with yourself about what you see
Take a balanced approach to nutrition
Prioritize lean proteins, vegetables & fruits, whole-grains and healthy fats
Monitor/minimize alcohol intake
Include foods/meals/snacks/sweets you enjoy
Opt for zero-calorie drinks (water, diet sodas, etc.)
Incorporate movement you enjoy & will be consistent with
Engage in resistance training 2+ times/week, focusing on hypertrophy/building and maintaining muscle mass
Get up & get moving throughout your day
Sleep well & enough (7-9 hours each night)
Practice good sleep hygiene (make your room dark, cool & quiet)
Manage stress & talk to a licensed mental health professional (especially if you notice your eating behaviors are impacted by your emotions)
Find a supportive community, coach, buddy, etc. to help you along the way
Track more than just your weight / focus on other things besides the scale
Take weekly or monthly body measurements
Pay attention to how clothes are fitting you
Considering tracking changes to sleep, moods, digestion, etc.
Alright friend, that was a lot.
How’re we doin?
Pursuing weight/fat loss can bring on all kinds of emotions & getting started or staying the track can feel overwhelming to say the least. But you can do this - you have done so many hard & complicated things before!
Remember just like every other health & fitness goal, weight/fat loss takes time. Lots of it. And there’s nothing “wrong” with however long it takes you to get to where you want to be.
So buckle up, take a deep breath, & drop any questions you have in the comments below!
Hey, I’m Kirsi!
Certified Personal Trainer & online fitness coach
I help women build strength & move better with simple programming & comprehensive coaching.
Interested in 1:1 coaching? Fill out your application here.
Dive deeper into your nutrition; Buy Macros 101 here.
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