Misconceptions & confusion that are most likely holding you back…
Like these: “I am not losing weight on the scale but am losing inches. Is this working?“ & “Muscle weighs more than fat”
Which isn’t actually true.
A lb of muscle weighs the same as a lb of fat. Just like a lb of chicken breasts weighs the same as a lb of ribeye…YES, one is fattier than the other, but a lb is a lb.
The more accurate way of saying this & probably what most people mean when they say this is “Muscle is more dense than fat.”
When you’re losing inches but not weight, this means that your body is going through what’s called recomposition or you’re losing body fat, which takes up a significant amount of space, & you’re left with a greater proportion of muscle, which takes up less space (i.e., more density)
This is actually a great sign due to the positive changes your metabolism & overall health are undergoing as you continue to build muscle!
Muscle is the organ of longevity & metabolically taxing. This means that the more muscle you have on your body, the leaner you will be. The less muscle you have, the less efficient your body is at using the calories you consume on a daily basis & the greater decline you will have in your overall health.
The scale can be a useful tool to show long-term trends but it doesn’t give you the entire picture. Additionally, fluctuations in your scale weight can happen for SO many different reasons that have absolutely NOTHING to do with body fat gain or loss.
With that, here are 7 fat loss misconceptions that are most likely keeping you stuck!
Hope these deets help!
You Can Spot Reduce Fat
Doing 200 ab crunches to reduce belly fat is commendable for effort, but you are naïve if you think you can dictate your body where to lose weight.
When you get into a caloric deficit, you will naturally begin to lose weight. This weight loss is global, it’s not isolated to 1 specific area of the body.
You train muscles to make them bigger, your body will decide how much body fat will cover those muscles. What you can do is, eat whole, nutrient dense foods the majority of the time & exercise regularly.
These 2 combined actions will give you the best opportunity to lose fat, & over a period of time, give you an opportunity to lose that extra stubborn body fat!
Weight Loss vs Fat Loss
This vitally important difference is often overlooked. Fat loss means exactly what it says — the reduction of body fat.
Whereas, weight loss can be a combo of a loss of both fat & muscle. Realizing the difference is crucial!
You really don’t want to be losing any muscle. Muscle burns cals, & gives your body that much desired shape. This shape is truly accentuated when you only lose body fat. Your body composition will improve & the appearance of your body will look leaner & fitter.
When you lose both muscle & fat, then a case of “skinny fat” occurs. Essentially, you just become a smaller version of your overweight self, you don’t have any real shape because you don’t have any muscle.
You think you are doing great because you see the scale moving down, but not realizing that any muscle you have on your frame is being used as fuel & gonezo.
Under Fueling & Protein Problem
Under eating + over exercising = bone loss, muscle loss, & a hot mess for women, hormonally & metabolically. Osteoporosis may seem like an older person’s problem, but what we do before we hit 50 sets us up for our later years.
Under eating is part of the problem. Many women I work with, especially those over 25, are not eating enough protein.
Restrictive, chronic low calorie diets & excessive fasting, concern me. Skipping breakfast & eating only once a day mean many women are missing out on vital protein (& fat) if meal quantities aren’t large enough.
We underestimate the protein we need, especially if we’re active. Repair & regrowth of muscle mass & recovery build a healthy, lean physique. We need protein for “tone”, & if we’re not careful when we lose weight, we’re actually losing muscle instead of fat.
Life compounds on itself. Building strength, protecting our bones, good digestion, & learning to eat right for our bodies before 40 & beyond is crucial.
For most, .8-1.2g of protein/lb of body weight or goal weight if you have more to lose (or even 1.5g/lb for some more petite, leaner, active women) is appropriate. Choose what’s right for you.
Cheat Meal Problems
First off, food shouldn’t be viewed as something you earn or burn. The very life force that fuels you should not be something you feel the need to have to CHEAT on. If it is, you’re doin something wrong.
Cheat meals should be kept to a minimum in general. Also, avoid letting a cheat meal snowball into a cheat day or week or fuck it attitude completely. This scenario quickly undoes any of the good work you have done.
A cheat meal that is high in cals, carbs, and fat, can be a problem. Fat & carbs are converted into body fat with very little energy used in the process. Protein has a higher energy expenditure level during the digestion process.
Drinking alcohol with a high fat cheat meal is throwing fuel on the fire. Alcohol blunts fat burning, which will accelerate the body’s tendency to store fat. It also makes you sluggish, disrupts sleep, & can take away your zest for working out!
Guessing Caloric Intake & Expenditure
This is for my “I don’t need to track my food but things aren’t working” crew. My reply when I hear this, “Okay, what are your maintenance calories & how many are you consuming right now?”
Normally, I don’t get a definitive answer. Specific macros & diets don’t make you fat in & of themselves, it’s when you intake more calories than you expend over a consistent period of time that will make you fat.
You need to figure out your total daily energy requirement (TDEE), which is basically the calories you need based off how active you are on any given day.
It can fluctuate daily, but when you figure it out, you will know how many you need. Avoid guessing. The people who continue to guess, are normally the people with high levels of body fat, struggling with every diet known to man.
Develop healthy habits & educate yourselves. There are tons of tools to help you like counting macros. Make a mental & physical lifestyle change.
Cardio Is Better For Fat Loss
The problem with cardio only options is that they don’t optimally build muscle. So, when your body burns fuel, it’s not only burning fat, it will also use any muscle tissue you have for fuel.
When you only do cardio, there is a strong possibility that you will become either skinny or skinny fat because you aren’t building any muscle.
Muscle is metabolically active, meaning it burns cals throughout the day to maintain itself. That’s why it’s hard to put a definitive number of how many cals you can burn with a resistance training workout.
The burning continues long after the workout, something you just don’t get from many of the cardio options.
Ideally, you build your exercise program around lifting weights & sprinkle in cardio for cardiovascular benefits, stress management, & to be intentionally used as a lever or fat loss.
Carbs & Fat Make You Fat
Regardless of the macro or diet, if you burn more calories than you intake, you shouldn’t put on fat, it’s that simple.
Body composition may look different depending on your diet, health status, inflammation, hydration, etc.
Having said that, you should keep processed carbs to minimum. Processed carbs are calorie dense & easy to overeat with very little nutritional value. The majority of your carbs, if you choose to consume, should come from unprocessed, low to no sugar options.
Food should be protein & healthy fat focused. You need protein & strength training in your life.
Figure out your total daily energy requirement (total number of cals you will burn based off activity) & maintain around this number the majority of the year for optimal health & fitness. The diet is up to you. I like the TDEEcalculator.net
How I’ve been able to maintain my 55lb weight loss
I maintain the same habits & commitments to myself as when I was losing weight because I want to be the healthiest, happiest, & strongest version of me I can be. You must make a lifestyle change.
I don’t let the scale determine my success or worth. I know the scale will fluctuate naturally with sleep, stress, food intake, hydration, workouts, etc. I do not cut food & punish myself when it goes up. I stay consistent & take it simply as data to help me.
I prioritize health & how I feel with food, workouts, & movement. My mindset determines my reality. I know I cannot hate myself thin, happy, strong, successful, & fulfilled. The inside determines the outside physically & mentally. Movement & lifting are always priorities no matter what age or season I’m in.
I eat simple, easy, basic af food that serves me best physically & mentally. I stick to meat, eggs, animal fats, seafood, & dairy in moderation. My gut/carnivore story is in the link in my IG bio for more info on specific diet needs & gut healing solutions. You can find that blog HERE.
I am patient & consistent af. I know body change & health take time. I leave room for flexibility. I do not cheat, earn, or burn my food. It is fuel, not a treat.
Thank you for allowing me to add value to your lives!
Coaching FAQ’s, guides, recipe book, discount links & resources HERE!
oxox Coach K
Hailing from Fishers, Indiana, Katie is an aficionado of health, mindset, human connection, & entrepreneurship. Motivational writer, speaker, doer of many things, she grew up on her family’s beef cattle & crop farm where agriculture was her first love. She is a Purdue University graduate well known for her storytelling of life lessons & personal transformation through her own relationships, financial struggles, Crohn’s Disease, disordered eating, body transformation, & adapting to a carnivore diet lifestyle.
Katie also has over 17 years experience as a Registered Radiologic Technologist, Nutritionist, Brand Growth & Sales Consultant. She works with people of all walks of life as a nutritionist & life coach to help them authentically optimize their lives to find health, wealth, & happy!
You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com