I hate the scale, not because I am trying to lose weight but because it only gives you 33 percent of what you need to know about your true physical makeup. The number on the scale can be divided into two other parts, how much muscle and how much fat you have.
This is an extremely simplistic breakdown of the body, I know. It’s the two-component model of body composition which basically says that there is fat weight and non-fat weight. In addition, researchers have proposed that there is up to a six-component model that can be used! I think it’s easier to see things through a comparison and an analogy.
Scale 1 = 20 pounds
Butter weight = 10 pounds
Steak weight = 10 pounds
Scale 2 = 20 pounds
Butter weight = 5 pounds
Steak weight = 15 pounds
Obviously both scales show 20 pounds, but the breakdown of weight is significantly different. The “butter” in this example is fat and the “steak” is muscle. If weight loss is the goal there are one of three things that could happen:
- Lose fat and keep muscle
- Lose muscle and keep fat
- Lose muscle and fat
The first option is the hardest to achieve because you have to find reasons for your body to lose fat. A change in diet, a strength training program and an interval conditioning program are your best bets for losing fat while keeping muscle.
The second option is what most people see, especially when going on a starvation, or worse, a “detox” diet. In an effort to see the scale weight drop as fast and as dramatically as possible, people just stop eating, go on an exercise binge, or both. Since muscle contains both carbs and protein, your body can break down those fuels much easier than fat to give your brain energy. When you gain the weight back, it will almost always be fat.
The third option is usually what happens with a high aerobic exercise emphasis with little to no strength training added to the fitness program. Aerobic exercise will aid in weight loss but I believe muscle loss occurs just as much as fat loss. In fact, NOVA aired an episode where novice runners were put through a marathon training program and all but one participant did not lose any fat weight.
In the end it all comes down to what kind of weight loss you are looking for. Want the fat to go? Start lifting weights, cut the sugar, and get your heart rate up through intervals. Getting on the scale might not be a bad thing then.
