Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss: Are You You Losing Fat? (Blog)

[Mehdi]

Use this thread to discuss the next post from StrongLifts.com's blog:

Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss: Are You Sure You’re Losing Fat?

[Caphel]

You Might Not Want to Lose Weight. Big guys who want to lose weight often change their mind once they’ve lowered their body fat. They realize they prefer to stay big as long as their body fat is healthy.

I can certainly vouch for that part of the blog. I started the year at around 221 pounds and roughly 30% body fat. Before I started stronglifts I managed to get down to 187 at around 17-18%, but I did not want to go any lower.

I like being a big guy so sometime in the middle of my first 12 weeks on stronglifts I decided to stop messing around and to get bigger again. Now ideally I would like to drop my body fat down to maybe 15%, but I do not want to do that at the cost of being skinny.

I think ideally I would like to be about 220 at around 15%, so still a way to go but I have decided to pack some muscle on before worrying about my fat again.

[kidsoftheblackhole]

one thing i don't understand.
more muscle means more calories burned. so, as you get stronger and more mascular shouldn't your body fat just go down, even if you eat >maintenance calories?

[Mehdi]

Well turns out that muscle only burns like 6kcal per pound at rest. The old 40-100kcal were overestimations. So unless you add a ton of muscle mass, it won't make a lot of difference.

But strength training prevents muscle loss when dieting, keeps metabolic rate high during dieting, helps you sticking to diet, improves overall shape, etc. So it's still key to fat loss, whether more muscle burns calories or not.

[kidsoftheblackhole]

do you burn much fat while you work out?
what i am getting at: does a bulking phase have to be followed by some fat-loss phase if you don't want to have excess fat?

[TAYLORCANNON]

Buying a set of calipers and a measuring tape are by far the best accessories i've bought.

Once I started measuring my BF and eating six meals a day it has been very easy to drop my Body Fat.

The six meals just make it easier for my calorie count and portion control.

Thanks again for another great article.