Every year, millions of people try new diets in the hopes of losing weight, but while they might shed a few pounds, they won’t necessarily be losing fat. There’s a distinct difference between losing weight and losing fat. Certain areas of the body tend to hold onto fatty tissue that exercise and diet often can’t address.
Losing fat cells can be approached in two main ways – shrinking them or reducing their number.
How Fat Cells Expand
There are many reasons why you might gain weight, some of which may surprise you. People often eat due to stress, boredom, or anxiety. Eating when tired or depressed is also common. Unhealthy eating habits, ignorance about proper nutrition, eating too quickly, and not realizing how much is being consumed can all contribute to weight gain.
Additionally, many people are unaware of their potential addiction to carbohydrates—foods like bread, pasta, rice, snack foods, sweets, and soda. Carbohydrates can be addictive and part of a vicious cycle. They increase blood sugar levels, leading to a sugar crash that makes you crave more carbs, perpetuating the cycle.
Unhealthy Fat Deposits
Not all fat deposits are created equal. Subcutaneous fat, which lies just under the skin, can usually be managed with diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Visceral fat, however, is stored around internal organs in the abdominal region and is harder to detect. This type of fat can increase the waistline and may accumulate due to an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, or hormone imbalances. It can affect energy, memory, mood, and may lead to depression, impacting lifestyle and social interactions.
DNA & Hereditary Fat
Some people seem to retain fat no matter how healthy their diets are or how much they exercise. Others can eat all the carbs they want without gaining weight. A 2006 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences identified specific genes that contribute to fat production and retention. Inherited genes can affect fat retention significantly, especially if you don’t lose weight when reducing calories and increasing physical activity, have overweight parents or close relatives, or have been overweight for much of your life.
Fat Loss vs. Weight Loss
When people aim to lose weight, they usually mean they want to lose fat. However, it’s possible to lose weight without losing fat. Weight loss lowers overall body weight, while fat loss reduces the amount of fat your body carries. For instance, dehydration can cause weight loss, a technique often used by boxers to make weight for a match, but this weight returns once rehydrated. Conversely, exercising can increase muscle mass, which weighs more than fat, potentially leading to weight gain despite fat loss.
Shrink Fat Cells
Weight gain can result from medication, medical conditions, or diseases like hormone imbalances, side effects of prescription drugs, thyroid malfunctions, liver or kidney disease, mental illness (such as bipolar disorder), Cushing syndrome, postpartum depression, etc.
A medical weight loss program addresses weight loss throughout the entire body by shrinking fat cells and improving overall health. Benefits can include overall fat reduction, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, decreased heart disease risk, lower blood pressure, improved sleep apnea symptoms, increased energy, improved self-image, and a non-invasive approach.
Consulting a medical weight loss doctor is essential to determine contributing factors to weight gain. An experienced physician can ensure that underlying problems aren’t causing weight gain and create an individualized program using healthy, natural, and non-surgical methods to reach weight loss goals and manage weight long-term.
Reduce Fat Cells
CoolSculpting is a treatment that reduces fat cells from the body for a sustained, long-lasting solution. It’s ideal for those within 30 pounds of their ideal weight who haven’t been able to eliminate fat through diet and exercise. CoolSculpting is non-invasive, allows resuming regular activities immediately, targets hard-to-lose fat areas, fits into busy schedules, and involves no surgery, anesthesia, scars, or risk of infection. It also boosts self-confidence and sculpts the body.
CoolSculpting uses cryotherapy to freeze and reduce fat cells, which are then naturally eliminated from the body. Results begin to appear about three weeks after treatment, with the most noticeable effects visible over 2-4 months. CoolSculpting is a safe, FDA-approved method that produces natural-looking results.
Are You Ready to Lose Fat?
Accumulating unwanted body fat has many causes, but you don’t have to live with it. Medical weight loss works by shrinking fat cells combined with a comprehensive weight management program, offering a natural, long-term solution that supports a healthy lifestyle. CoolSculpting provides a safe solution for targeting resistant fat that can’t be removed by traditional methods.
The best method for addressing fat loss depends on your health, whether you want to lose fat or weight, and your fat reduction goals. Both methods are safe, and effective, and can significantly improve your life.
What are the stages of losing weight?
Weight loss generally occurs in two stages: an initial rapid weight loss phase followed by a slower, prolonged period of weight loss. Occasionally, weight loss may plateau, making it challenging to prevent weight regain.
Stage 1: Rapid Weight Loss
The first stage of weight loss is characterized by significant weight loss and noticeable changes in appearance and how clothes fit. This typically occurs within the first few weeks.
Initially, the weight loss is primarily due to water loss. For instance, following a low-carb diet leads to reduced water storage in the body, resulting in a net water loss. Subsequent weight loss depends on the specific diet plan being followed.
Weight loss tends to be more rapid in individuals following a low-carb diet compared to those on a low-fat diet because low-carb diets deplete the body’s carb stores and water faster.
However, long-term research is mixed on whether low-carb or keto diets offer a significant advantage over low-fat diets for overall weight loss.
Factors such as age, starting weight, and physical activity level also influence the rate of weight loss. For example, men and older adults may lose weight more quickly than women and younger adults. Additionally, a higher starting weight and more frequent exercise can lead to faster weight loss.
Stage 2: Slow Weight Loss
The second stage, typically occurring after the initial weeks, involves a slower rate of weight loss, primarily due to fat loss.
During this stage, you might experience a weight loss plateau, where little to no weight is lost. Plateaus can occur due to metabolic adaptations that lower metabolism and reduce the calories burned during exercise. More commonly, plateaus result from overly restrictive diets that are difficult to maintain, causing deviations.
To avoid plateaus, it’s crucial to follow a dietary pattern that fits your lifestyle and preferences for long-term adherence. Adjusting your diet and lifestyle over time is often necessary to reach your weight loss goals.
FAQs: Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss
Weight loss refers to a decrease in overall body weight, which can come from losing fat, muscle, or water. Fat loss specifically targets the reduction of body fat, aiming to lower the amount of fat your body carries while preserving muscle mass.
Fat loss is typically preferred because it improves body composition, enhances overall health, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases associated with high body fat, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Preserving muscle mass while losing fat also maintains metabolic rate and physical strength.
To determine if you’re losing fat rather than just weight, you can monitor changes in body composition through methods like body fat percentage measurements, skinfold calipers, or bioelectrical impedance analysis. Additionally, noticing improvements in how your clothes fit, increased muscle definition, and consistent energy levels can indicate fat loss.
Effective strategies for promoting fat loss include:
- Strength Training: Builds and preserves muscle mass.
- Cardio Exercise: Increases calorie expenditure.
- Balanced Diet: Focus on whole foods, adequate protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.
- Caloric Deficit: Ensure you’re consuming fewer calories than you burn.
- Adequate Sleep: Supports overall metabolism and recovery.
- Hydration: Essential for metabolic processes and overall health.
Yes, consulting a healthcare professional is advisable for both weight loss and fat loss. They can provide personalized guidance, assess your health status, identify any underlying conditions, and create a safe and effective plan tailored to your goals. A healthcare professional can also help monitor your progress and make necessary adjustments to ensure sustainable results.