One of the biggest things I see with people trying to lose weight is that they get so caught up in the number on the scale that they forget what they’re actually trying to accomplish.
Think about it for a second.
Do you really care if you weigh 175 pounds instead of 185? Or do you care more about how you look in the mirror, how your clothes fit, and how you feel?
For most people I think it’s the second one.
And that’s where I think a lot of people get nutrition wrong.
Losing Weight and Losing Fat Are Two Different Things
Let’s say we have two people who both weigh 175 pounds.
One has a higher percentage of body fat and less muscle. The other has more muscle and less body fat.
Same exact weight. But they are going to look completely different.
This is what we call body composition, and it’s something I wish more people paid attention to instead of just watching the scale go up and down.
I’ve seen people get frustrated because they’ve been working out consistently, eating better, and getting stronger but the scale has barely moved.
That doesn’t automatically mean what you’re doing isn’t working.
You could be losing body fat while maintaining or even building some muscle. And if thats happening, you’re making progress regardless of what the scale says.
Protein Is Probably More Important Than You Think
I talk about protein quite a bit at BayWay CrossFit because I really believe it’s one of the most overlooked parts of nutrition.
Especially for people who are trying to lose body fat.
When you eat protein your body breaks it down into amino acids. Those amino acids get absorbed into your bloodstream and your body uses them for all kinds of things, including repairing and building muscle.
Think about building a house.
You can have the best construction crew in the world but if you don’t have any lumber, concrete, or materials, you’re not going to build much of anything.
Your workouts are kind of like the construction crew.
Protein provides a lot of the building material.
You can come into the gym five days a week and work your butt off, but if you’re not giving your body what it needs to recover, you’re making things harder than they need to be.
And for a lot of people, especially those trying to lose weight, they aren’t eating nearly enough protein.
How Much Protein Should You Actually Eat?
For most healthy adults who are regularly strength training, I like using somewhere around 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day as a general target.
So if you weigh 150 pounds, that’s roughly 105 to 150 grams of protein a day.
If you weigh 180 pounds, that’s roughly 126 to 180 grams.
Now that might sound like a lot if you’re not used to paying attention to protein.
But here’s something else I want you to think about.
It’s not just about eating a giant steak at dinner and calling it good.
I would much rather see somebody spread their protein throughout the day.
Let’s say your goal is 125 grams of protein.
You could eat:
- Breakfast: 25 grams
- Midmorning: 25 grams
- Lunch: 25 grams
- Afternoon: 25 grams
- Dinner: 25 grams
That’s 125 grams.
And you’re giving your body several opportunities throughout the day to use those amino acids for muscle repair and growth.
Now does it HAVE to be exactly every three hours? No.
And if you only eat three meals a day, you can still build muscle. Total daily protein is the most important thing.
But spreading it across three to five meals every few hours is a pretty good strategy, and for most people it makes getting enough protein a whole lot easier.
You Don’t Have to Build Muscle to Burn Fat. But You Should Try to Keep It.
This is something I want to make sure people understand.
You can lose body fat without building muscle. Fat loss primarily comes from consistently consuming fewer calories than your body uses.
But here’s the problem.
If all you’re doing is eating less and trying to make that scale drop, you might lose some muscle along with the fat.
And I don’t think that’s what most people want.
What we really want is to lose body fat while keeping as much muscle as possible. And in some cases, especially if you’re new to lifting weights, you can actually build muscle while losing fat.
That’s why strength training and protein are such a big deal.
Muscle also burns more calories at rest than fat does, although not nearly as many as some people make it sound like.
The bigger benefit is that having more muscle changes your body composition. It helps you look leaner, get stronger, and stay more capable as you get older.
And that’s what we’re after.
What Does This Look Like in Real Life?
Here’s what I would tell somebody who comes into BayWay CrossFit and says they want to lose 20 pounds.
First, we’re going to look at what you’re eating.
Are you eating enough protein? Are you consistently overeating? Are you skipping breakfast and lunch and then eating everything in sight at dinner?
Then we’re going to look at your training.
Are you lifting weights? Are you getting stronger? Are you showing up consistently?
And finally, we’re going to look at more than just your body weight.
How are your clothes fitting? Are your measurements changing? Are you getting stronger in the gym? Do you have more energy?
Because if you’re getting stronger, your waist is getting smaller, and you’re feeling better, I’m not going to be too concerned if that scale hasn’t moved much.
You’re doing something right.
Watch This Week’s Whiteboard Nutrition Video
I actually broke this down on the whiteboard at BayWay CrossFit because sometimes it’s easier to understand when you can see it drawn out.
We talk about the difference between weight loss and fat loss, why protein matters, and how building and maintaining muscle can change the way your body looks.
[YOUTUBE VIDEO GOES HERE]
I’ll add the video here once it’s uploaded to YouTube.
Here’s What I Want You to Take Away From This
If your goal is to lose body fat, don’t make the mistake of thinking that eating as little as possible is the answer.
Eat enough protein. Lift weights. Pay attention to your overall calories. And be consistent.
You don’t need some crazy diet or a bunch of expensive supplements.
You need to give your body the nutrients it needs, train hard enough to give it a reason to maintain muscle, and keep doing those things long enough to see results.
That’s really what it comes down to.
At BayWay CrossFit in Baytown, Texas, we work with people of all different fitness levels. Some want to lose weight, some want to build muscle, and some just want to be healthier and feel better.
Whether you’re looking for CrossFit classes, personal training, or help understanding nutrition, our goal is to help you make progress that actually lasts.
We work with people from Baytown, Mont Belvieu, Highlands, Crosby, and the surrounding communities.
If you’ve been struggling with your nutrition or feel like you’re doing everything right but not seeing the results you want, come talk to us.
Sometimes a few small changes make a pretty big difference.
BayWay CrossFit
Get stronger. Eat better. Stop letting the scale decide whether you’re making progress.