You’re Losing Weight… but What Are You Losing?
Fat Loss vs Weight Loss: Why the Scale Doesn’t Tell You the Whole Story
Everyone talks about the scale but no one explains what it’s actually measuring.
We get it. When you're on a weight loss journey—especially if you're using medication—watching the number on the scale becomes a daily ritual. And when that number doesn’t move (or moves the “wrong” way) it feels like failure. What many people don’t realize: weight loss and fat loss are not the same thing.
If you're not tracking your progress the right way, the scale will lie to you every time.What Your Body Is Actually Doing When You Lose Fat
Losing fat is a slow, complex, and deeply regulated metabolic process.
What has to happen for true fat loss:
Your body needs to be in a slight caloric deficit, consistently—without feeling starved or unsafe.
Your insulin levels need to be low enough that fat cells are “unlocked” and available for breakdown.
Your mitochondria (your cells' energy producers) convert stored fat (triglycerides) into usable energy.
You then exhale the byproducts of that fat as carbon dioxide, and eliminate some through water (sweat, urine).
This entire process takes time and it’s sensitive. If you’re over-restricting, under-recovering, or chronically inflamed, your body won’t drop fat. It’ll cling to it to survive.
What the Scale Is Actually Measuring (and Why It Can Mislead You)
When you step on a scale, you're not just measuring fat. You're measuring:
Water (which can shift 3–7 lbs in 24 hours)
Food in your GI tract
Bloating from hormones or inflammation
Sodium intake and fluid retention
Glycogen stores (your carb + water storage system)
Muscle mass (which weighs more than fat)
Bone density
And yes… body fat
You could:
Lose 2 lbs of fat but gain 2 lbs of water = scale doesn’t move
Drop 5 lbs from food volume, bloat, or dehydration = scale drops fast, but it’s not real progress
Gain muscle and lose fat = scale stays flat, but you look and feel totally different
If you’re only tracking pounds, you’re tracking metrics that don't paint the whole picture.Fat Loss vs Muscle Loss: Why the Distinction Matters
What happens when you lose fat vs when you lose muscle
Muscle is your metabolism’s engine. Lose it, and your body burns fewer calories at rest, struggles to regulate blood sugar, and becomes more prone to fat regain after weight loss.
On GLP-1s, the risk of muscle loss is high if you're not eating enough protein or moving consistently. Appetite drops, but your body still needs fuel to hold on to muscle.
How Much Muscle Mass Do You Want to Have?
Muscle mass needs vary by age, gender, and baseline body type. But in general:
Men should aim for 75–90% skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) relative to lean mass.
Women should aim for 65–75% SMI, depending on age and body size.
After age 30, most people lose 3–8% of muscle mass per decade. By 50, that loss accelerates—unless you actively rebuild.
This means:
You may be “losing weight,” but losing the wrong kind of tissue.
You might look smaller, but not better.
You could feel weaker, more tired, and metabolically stalled—even with a lower number on the scale.
So… How Much Fat Should You Be Losing?
A sustainable rate of fat loss is:
0.5 to 1.5 lbs per week, depending on:
Starting body fat percentage
Muscle mass
Caloric intake
Hormone balance
Age and inflammation
Fast weight drops (5–10 lbs in 2 weeks) are usually water, food volume, or glycogen loss not fat. Real fat loss is slow. But it’s stable.
How We Actually Track What Matters: InBody Scans
At Core, we use InBody scanning to assess:
Body fat percentage (what you’re actually trying to lose)
Skeletal muscle mass (what you need to preserve)
Visceral fat (the most dangerous kind—stored around organs)
Water balance (helps explain bloat, inflammation, or early scale shifts)
Segmental muscle balance (are your limbs or trunk losing/gaining unevenly?)
Basal metabolic rate (how much energy your body burns at rest)
This is real data… not guesses based on the mirror or a generic BMI chart.
It’s how our providers know:
Whether you’re losing fat or just dropping weight
If you’re at risk for muscle loss
When to adjust your workouts, nutrition, or dose
And how to protect your results before you lose them
The easiest and most effective way to start gaining muscle is full-body strength training with progressive overload, 2–3 times per week, using bodyweight or light resistance.
What to Do at Each Stage of Your Fat Loss Journey
If you’re just starting:
Focus on strength training 2–3x/week and walking daily
Hit 80–100g protein/day minimum
Don’t over-restrict—your body needs fuel to metabolize fat
Prioritize sleep and fiber to reduce inflammation
If you’re in a plateau:
Re-check calories and protein—are you under-fueling?
Revisit stress and sleep—your cortisol may be blocking fat release
Increase movement intensity or NEAT (daily activity)
Scan with InBody to see what’s actually changing (it’s not always the scale)
If you’ve lost quickly:
Monitor for muscle loss: that’s the rebound trap
Don’t drop food too far: add strength, not starvation
Reintroduce calories strategically: don’t just celebrate and coast
Track trends over time: not just week-to-week shifts
Final Word: The Scale Might Be the Last Thing to Change And That’s Okay
You don’t need a smaller number. You need a stronger system. Fat loss is a metabolic process. Weight loss is a fluctuating readout.
If you’re ready to stop obsessing over the wrong number—and start tracking what actually drives long-term change: we’re here.
