Bodyfat versus body weight. How much fat you have in your body versus the total amount of mass. The latter doesn’t tell the whole story. You got water weight, bloating from eating too much pizza and ice cream, TOM (time of month for those ladies), and other factors that can increase body weight. On the other hand, body fat is constant. The amount of muscle and fat doesn’t change rapidly, takes months and years to see drastic results. Let’s look at the differences between the two in-depth.
Weight fluctuates all the time. Ever weighed in the morning and evening? The difference can be from 5-6 pounds. Did you gain 5-lbs of body fat? I sure hope not. Also, people can lose weight when they get sick because of muscle and water loss. On the other hand, body fat is constant. In order to lose 1 pound of fat, you must burn 3,500 calories. The longlasting results are due to fat loss, not weight loss. So next time you lose 5 pounds, don’t celebrate too soon because it is easy to gain that within a day. That’s why we have to keep working at it, right?
Always look at the whole picture, not just the number on the scale.
Secondly, is how each one is measured. Measuring weight is simple; get on the scale and look at the number. On the other hand, body fat is difficult to get an accurate reading. We use a hand-held body fat calculator, but it’s not accurate. The error can be as high as 7% on these devices. Also, you can measure body fat by using skin calipers, where you pinch the skin in certain areas of the body and you can figure out the body fat. This is more accurate than body fat calculators.
Lastly, is the meaning behind each number. Let’s say you are a female in your 20s that is 5 foot 4 and 120 pounds. Some people will say that is healthy. However, if the body fat is 35%, then that is not healthy. The body weight will state that the individual is healthy. However, body fat is going to label her as obese. I have seen females that are smaller in size when they are heavier in weight, so I always remind clients this. Always look at the whole picture, not just the number on the scale.
Hope you enjoyed this week’s blog. Stay tuned