Weight Loss Vs. Fat Loss: How To Tell The Difference - Healthline

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Evidence BasedWhat’s the Difference Between Weight Loss and Fat Loss?

Medically reviewed by Micky Lal, MA, CSCS,RYT — Written by Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RD — Updated on December 19, 2024

Ways to tell the difference
Focus on fat loss
How to lose fat and gain muscle
Takeaway

Weight loss is a decrease in your body weight from muscle, water, and fat loss. Fat loss refers to weight loss from fat only, and it’s a more specific and healthy goal than general weight loss.

woman in workout outfit with a fitness watch — Guille Faingold/Stocksy United

Knowing whether you’re losing weight from fat or muscle can be difficult.

Keep reading to learn more about why fat loss is more important than weight loss, how you can tell the difference between the two, and tips for losing fat and maintaining muscle.

Ways to tell whether you’re losing fat

On a weight loss journey, you may track your weight loss progress using a scale. While this can be helpful, most scales don’t differentiate between fat loss and muscle loss.

A body fat scale can provide a more accurate picture of your body composition by measuring your fat and muscle percentage.

You can also use skinfold calipers to estimate your body fat percentage, but this takes practice to ensure accuracy.

Focus on fat loss, not weight loss

Many weight loss programs claim to help you lose weight quickly and easily. However, it is important to note that a significant amount of this weight may include water and muscle loss.

Losing muscle can be detrimental to your overall health and your ability to navigate everyday tasks.

Maintaining a healthy percentage of muscle has several benefits, such as:

regulating healthy blood sugar levels
maintaining healthy fat levels, like triglycerides and cholesterol, in the blood
controlling inflammation

Studies have linked a higher fat-to-muscle ratio (more fat than muscle) to chronic diseases, such as:

metabolic syndrome
heart disease
diabetes

Maintaining muscle mass may also reduce the risk of age-related muscle loss, which can result in frailty and potentially disability.

Further, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. Women may need a different amount of calories than men depending on factors such as body composition.

Losing weight in the form of muscle can decrease the number of calories you burn at rest, making it easier to regain any weight you lose in the form of fat.

How to lose fat and maintain or gain muscle

There are a few things you can do to try to lose weight in the form of fat and either maintain or gain muscle mass.

Eat plenty of protein

Protein is an important nutrient for a variety of bodily functions.

It’s necessary to make enzymes that help with:

digestion and energy production
regulating fluid balance
supporting immune health

Protein is also important for maintaining the muscle you have and supporting new muscle growth, especially when losing weight.

A high protein diet is associated with promoting fat loss while preserving fat-free mass. Further, studies 6 to 12 months in length found that a high protein diet may also prevent weight regain after weight loss.

Protein can also make you feel more full, which may reduce your overall food intake.

While protein needs differ depending on your age, health, sex, and physical activity level, consuming around 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day can support muscle mass retention and fat loss with dieting.

According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the average adult should consume:

34–56 g per day for the average male
34–46 g per day for the average female

It is important to talk with your doctor before significantly altering your protein intake or making other large dietary changes.

Exercise

Exercise is the most effective way to encourage fat loss rather than muscle loss.

A review of 6 studies found that older adults with obesity who engaged in cardio and weight training at least three times per week while following a calorie-restricted diet retained 93% more of their muscle than those who did not exercise.

Exercise alone is an effective strategy to maintain muscle mass with dieting, but combining exercise with a higher protein intake may help optimize your results.

The CDC recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and at least 2 days of muscle-strengthening exercise each week.

Follow a reduced-calorie diet

To lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. You can create a calorie deficit by eating fewer calories or exercising, but preferably doing both.

However, cutting your calories too much may lead to a greater loss of muscle rather than fat. Aim to moderately reduce the number of calories you consume.

You can reduce the number of calories you consume by eating more whole foods, such as:

fruits
vegetables
whole grains
lean protein
healthy fats

You can also cut back on ultra processed foods, such as:

sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda
processed meats
fried foods

It is important to talk with your doctor before starting a calorie deficit. Cutting your calories too much may not only lead to greater loss of muscle mass but also harm your physical and mental health.

The takeaway

Losing weight in the form of fat rather than muscle should be the priority. A body fat scale or skinfold caliper is more useful for monitoring fat loss than tracking your body weight alone.

Other simple ways to assess fat loss include measuring inches or centimeters lost from your waist and hips and noting any changes in how your clothes fit around your waist.

You can prioritize fat loss by eating plenty of protein, exercising, and moderately restricting your calories.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Beam JR, et al. (2010). Validity of 2 skinfold calipers in estimating percent body fat of college-aged men and women.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20040894/
Bosy Westphal, et al. (2014). Measuring the impact of weight cycling on body composition: A methodological challenge.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25010545/
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Champagne CM, et al. (2011). Dietary intakes associated with successful weight loss and maintenance during the Weight Loss Maintenance Trial.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3225890/
Chen YY, et al. (2019). Fat-to-muscle ratio is a useful index for cardiometabolic risks: A population-based observational study.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6456204/
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Jhee JH, et al. (2020). High muscle-to-fat ratio is associated with lower risk of chronic kidney disease development.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32020762/
Kim JE, et al. (2016). Effects of dietary protein intake on body composition changes after weight loss in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4892287/
Longland TM, et al. (2016). Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: A randomized trial.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26817506/
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Sardeli AV, et al. (2016). Resistance training prevents muscle loss induced by caloric restriction in obese elderly individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5946208/

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Evidence Based

This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by experts.

Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strive to be objective, unbiased, honest and to present both sides of the argument.

This article contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses (1, 2, 3) are clickable links to peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Medically reviewed by Micky Lal, MA, CSCS,RYT — Written by Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RD — Updated on December 19, 2024

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