While stepping on a scale is a way to track your weight loss progress, it’s only one way to do so. Weight fluctuates due to how much water you drink, stress and anxiety, hormones, medications, and the time of the day. Weight loss focuses on losing fat and seeing the number on the scale decrease, while body recomposition is the body’s ratio of fat to muscles. It may be why the number on the scale isn’t changing or even increasing. Remember: muscles weighs more than fat!
Body composition is difficult to measure as it’s not directly related to the number on the scale and it’s based on body fat percentage. Men and women need different percentages of body fat and women need more than men. The categories of body composition are essential fat, athletes, fitness, acceptable, and overweight.
It’s measured with Bioelectrical scales, skinfold fat calipers, DEXA scans, Bod Pods, and hydrostatic (underwater). These methods are expensive and they can be inaccurate, so the best way to tell if you’re building muscles and losing fat is to look in the mirror and to pay attention to the way your clothes are fitting you. You may notice that certain areas of your body are starting to show more definition. Another way to tell if you’re losing fat and gaining muscle is to take regular progress photos.
Regardless of if you’re trying to lose weight or gain muscle, healthy eating and exercise are essential. Pay attention to your marcos and break down your calories into the percentage of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats you need to achieve your goals. In regards to exercise, for weight loss, intense physical exercise is recommended and for body decomposition, focus on strength training.
As you move closer to your weight loss or body recomposition goals, you’ll notice that it’s harder to reach your goals than it was in the beginning of your journey. Don’t worry as that’s normal, and when that happens try and change things up with strength training, try a new workout, and incorporate more high-intensity interval trainings.
