Don’t Lose Weight – Lose FAT

by Dr. Michael Nowazek

The real problem with many weight loss programs is that not only do they fail, they often do more harm than good.  Why is that?

A program that focuses on weight loss through restricting calorie intake and engaging in some form of exercise overlooks an important element in safe and sustainable weight loss.  You might lose weight on one of these programs, but the weight you may be losing could be muscle mass instead of fat. That’s not good.

Weight Loss vs Fat Loss

Let’s take an example of someone wanting to lose 30 pounds. They could lose 30 pounds of fat or they could lose 30 pounds of muscle. They look the same on the scale, the same 30 pounds. However, if they’ve lost muscle mass instead of fat, they’re unhealthier than they were before the weight loss. Why? By losing muscle, they’ve just increased the proportion of fat compared to muscle in their body. They’ve got the same amount of fat but 30 pounds less muscle. In other words, they’re actually fatter than they were even though they’ve lost 30 pounds. That’s not healthy, and the weight loss may not be sustainable because an increased ratio of fat can affect hormone function and lead to cravings.

Losing muscle instead of fat puts you at higher risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes, hormone imbalance, headaches, migraines, menstrual irregularities, and cardiovascular issues.  It can also lead to long-term inflammation and inflammatory problems such as arthritis and neurological inflammation. 

Losing muscle rather than fat is also very punishing to your immune system and you could expect recurring colds, flus, infections, and other immune system maladies. This, combined with stress and a grueling exercise program, is also very likely to burn out your adrenal glands

Losing muscle makes you unhealthier than when you started, so much so that you would have been better off not having lost any weight.

You might be thinner, but you certainly won’t be healthier.

Losing fat, on the other hand, can provide you with improved blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose levels, and insulin levels. Losing fat can also help to bring your hormones into balance, reduce or eliminate cravings, improve your sleep, improve your mood, and give you more energy. You may also find that losing fat improves your mobility and reduces pain and inflammation.

The First Step to Healthy, Sustainable Weight Loss

A healthy weight loss plan cannot indiscriminately target pounds.  It must specifically target fat to actually improve your health to be safe, effective, and sustainable. A safe and successful plan for sustainable fat loss must be designed specifically for you. 

The first step in a healthy weight loss program is finding out what your fat to muscle ratio is, something that cannot be determined based on only height and weight (a body mass index). The ratio of fat to muscle is important to know because the fat that you can see in the mirror is not all the fat there is in the body. There is also the fat that you can’t see in the mirror, the fat that wraps around your internal organs. This fat is called visceral fat or organ fat. Even people who appear to be lean can have an excess of visceral fat.

The test that we perform at Green Apple Health Care is a Bio Impedance Analysis (BIA). BIA testing is painless and non-invasive. Pads similar to those used for an EKG are attached to your hand and your foot. An impulse is transmitted between the pads and measurements are recorded. BIA testing tells us how much total fat there is in the body, not just the fat you can see in the mirror. BIA testing also measures metabolic rate (the number of calories burned at rest without exercise), hydration level and also tells us the overall health of the cells.

BIA testing eliminates weight loss as the goal and focuses on fat loss and muscle gain as the goal, an important distinction in achieving a healthy fat to muscle ratio.

A Weight Loss Program That is Right for You

At Green Apple Health Care, you won’t get a rigid boiler-plate diet that’s impossible to stick to. You won’t get a punishing exercise regimen that you dread doing. Rather, what you will get is a plan custom-designed for you that you can actually do.

  • Tests before, during, and after your fat loss program loss to determine your fat/muscle ratio, your metabolic rate, your hydration levels, and the overall health of your cells.
  • A custom nutrition plan designed based on the testing done, a nutrition plan that you can actually keep to, a nutrition plan that targets excess fat, that addresses your personal nutritional needs, and that takes into account your lifestyle. The nutrition plan is designed so that you shed excess fat and feel better.
  • An exercise plan that you can do (and might actually enjoy), one that includes the exercises that are right for you and that will not only support losing fat but will also improve your overall health.

If you want to change your body composition, gaining muscle and losing fat may be right for you.  But make sure that it’s the FAT that you’re losing. Be sure that you’re on a plan that targets fat loss and improves your health.  

Call Green Apple Health Care today at (780) 485-9468 or book online for a consultation with your naturopathic doctor to talk about changing your body composition in a safe and effective way.

 If you prefer, online booking is available for both new patients and repeat patients.

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Dr. Michael Nowazek

Dr. Michael Nowazek is the Clinical Director of Green Apple Health Care. He brings a wealth of knowledge from his extensive training and his many years experience as a naturopathic doctor.

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