My Fat Loss Journey (Part 8): Weight Loss Versus Fat Loss

Today I realized that my goal isn't to lose weight as quickly as possible. It's to lose fat and keep muscle as quickly as possible. In short, I shouldn't be too concerned if I'm not losing weight per se. Or if I'm not seeing a dramatic change in the scales. The goal is not to lose weight but to lose a percentage of your body fat while maintaining muscle. This means that, at the end of the day, you can accomplish this goal without actually reducing your overall weight by all that much. And that is exactly what I've been discovering to be true during my own fat loss journey. The goal is to improve your overall body composition while actually enjoying the process. So the key question is not, "What is my weight?" but "What is my weight composed of?" 

When I began this process, I was at about 25 percent body fat or maybe even a bit higher than that. Today it's more like 21-22 percent. My goal is to get to 15 percent (or even a bit lower). The overall process is pretty simple. You break down stored fat through a calorie deficit, and you build muscle through a workable weight training program and matching that with some form of cardio (walking is perhaps the best form of cardio for beginners). But the bottom line is that it's never too late to start getting into better shape.

Taken today. 

If your approach is casual and non-committal, then you are likely not going to be able to sustain progress over the long term. But if you can instead follow a specific plan with consistency, it will become clear to you very quickly that you can burn fat and build muscle at the same time. 

I'll see you guys in my next blog post.