Some people try hard to lose weight, but the result can only be seen in a short time. It's not the lasting changes since they lose primarily water, not fat.
Comparing water weight vs fat loss is important since you will understand the quick decrease on the scale is temporary. Once you don't see any progress, you'll not be disappointed as you know what you really let go and focus on long-term results.
Let's dig into this article to understand more about this issue!
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What is Water Weight?
Before getting to the water weight vs fat loss discussion, let's see what water weight is!
Since around 60% of our body is water, water is necessary for our body to function. Yet, sometimes, the body retains too much fluid, resulting in excess water weight.
What Causes Excess Water Weight?
Water retention can happen due to:
- Hormonal changes
- Long sitting time
- Salty meals
- Diet and lifestyle habits
- Medical conditions
Is Water Weight Harmful?
In general, water weight is not a cause for worry. It's mostly a natural result of hormonal swings during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause in females. It can be the result of extra salt and dehydration.
However, water retention may be a sign of an underlying medical issue, such as low blood protein, severe lung illness, heart failure, renal disease, liver disease, or venous insufficiency.
What is Fat Loss?
Fat, also referred to as adipose tissue, is a stored type of energy. This energy is used to produce hormones and regulate metabolism. An individual's fat composition is established both after birth and throughout puberty. Adult fat cells have the capacity to both increase in size and quantity; however, when weight is lost, fat cells only decrease in quantity.
Fat loss happens when a person gets on a diet and exercise. When you consume fewer calories than you burn off each day, your body experiences a caloric deficit, and your energy balance goes negative. As a result, body fat is lost.
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What is the Difference between Water Weight vs Fat Loss?
Water weight vs fat loss. Here are their main differences:
The extra fluid that is naturally and healthily retained in the body's tissues is referred to as water weight. It is a type of energy that the liver stores as glycogen. Contrarily, body fat is fatty tissue that is stored within the body and can be either subcutaneous or visceral.
When you start dieting and exercising, you'll likely lose water weight first. You may see a decreased number on the scale. But if you just follow your new regime for a short period and then stop, your weight will rebound quickly.
You need to be consistent in your workout and diet to actually lose fat. Steady and slow weight loss indicates a true goodbye to fat weight; otherwise, you just let go of water.
How to Know if You're Losing Water Weight vs Fat?
To identify which situation you are in, consider these factors below:
- The pace of losing: If you experience drastic change overnight, it's more likely because of the water loss. Meanwhile, fat loss happens steadily and consistently.
- The body parts' status: Water weight changes usually happen in the hands, feet, and abdomen, making you feel bloated or puffy. On the other hand, the decrease or increase of body fat results in changes in the arms, hips, thighs, and stomach.
- Your activities and other causes: Some factors, such as a salty meal or upcoming menstruation, can lead to temporary weight changes. However, if you get on a healthy diet and exercise more, you may lose body fat.
How to Lose Fat Instead of Water Weight?
Here are some effective ways to shred some pounds of body fat:
- Get started with strength training: Exercises such as lifting weights and training with other gym equipment not only help you to lose fat but also build muscles and increase strength.
- Sleep more: A study shows that cutting down 1 hour of sleeping can cause difficulty in losing fat for those who follow a low-calorie diet. A sufficient amount of sleep also benefits your physical and mental health.
- Follow a high protein and healthy fat diet: High protein food supports appetite reduction and burning fat. Meanwhile, a healthy fat diet can promote long-term weight loss.
- Use a supplement: Supplements are a trusted companion assisting you in achieving a healthy transformation. Products, such as ULTRABRN (Ultra Burn) from STAARLABS, can reduce appetite and boost metabolism. If you are looking for a natural weight management method, using STAAR LABS MAX (SLM+) can help. Combining them properly with your diet and daily workout will lead to successful results.
Target Fat Loss, Not Water Weight with STAARLABS
The discussion of water weight vs fat loss has come to an end. Understanding their differences will guide you to the correct path of cutting excess weight, which is to target fat but not water.
Always remember to be consistent and combine various strategies to see the real results. If you want to add a supplement to your diet, shop at STAARLABS. Our products can optimize your performance and help you achieve success.
FAQs
1. Can water weight be mistaken for fat?
People may be confused by these two terms, yet they are not the same. Changes in water weight don't always mean actual weight increase or loss. The term "fat weight" describes the build-up of extra fatty tissue in the body as a result of a consistent calorie surplus over an extended period, which raises the proportion of body fat.
2. How much water weight will I lose before losing fat?
Water, fat, and muscle changes lead to weight loss. Although burning a pound of fat is practically impossible, losing five pounds of water per day can be achieved. Among them, 1.8-4.4 pounds come from urine.
3. Do you look thinner after losing water weight?
Yes, you can potentially look thinner after losing water weight. However, if your weight is reduced this way, you'll experience different effects on your health in the long run, compared to weight loss due to losing fat weight.
