Weight loss misconception: Does not lose weight mean no effect? Body fat rate is the final say!

Standing on a weight scale and seeing the numbers unchanged, many people will instantly fall into self doubt. Don't rush to emo yet, you may be experiencing the most classic cognitive bias on the road to weight loss - treating weight numbers as the only truth. In fact, fat is quietly running away from home, while muscles remain as "nail households". In this silent battle, body fat percentage is the real judge.

1. Why does weight deceive people?

1. Moisture is playing hide and seek.

Drinking a glass of water can increase one pound, steaming in a sauna can decrease two pounds. These fluctuations are all just a joke of moisture. After high-intensity exercise, muscle water storage will increase, and hormonal changes before the physiological period can also cause edema, which will make the weight scale perform "digital magic".

2. Muscle and fat in tug of war [SEP]: Muscle with the same weight is 30% smaller in volume than fat. After starting exercise, while fat decreases, muscle mass may increase, just like exchanging a bag of cotton for a dumbbell, weight does not change but body shape becomes noticeably tighter.

2. Body fat percentage is the invisible judge

1. What is high-quality weight loss

Losing 1 kilogram of pure fat requires the consumption of 7700 calories, equivalent to running 15 marathons. But when fat loss is accompanied by muscle growth, the weight change may not be significant, and this state of "weight unchanged and circumference reduced" is actually an ideal effect.

2. Self testing body fat tips

Pinch the abdominal skin on an empty stomach in the morning, and if you can easily pinch more than 2 centimeters, it means you need to lose weight. Waist circumference divided by hip circumference, women over 0.85 and men over 0.9 should be alert to excessive visceral fat.

3. Scientific strategies for breaking through the plateau period

1. Adjusting exercise mode

Long term consistent exercise can create an "energy-saving mode" for the body. Try changing from uniform running to interval sprinting or adding resistance training. For every 1 kilogram increase in muscle mass, the daily basal metabolic energy increases by 50 calories.

2. Recalculate diet

After three months of weight loss, basal metabolism will decrease by 10-15%, and calorie intake needs to be readjusted based on current weight. Protein should be maintained at 1.5-2 grams per kilogram of body weight, as it can prolong satiety and reduce muscle loss.

4. These signals indicate that you are becoming thinner

1. Clothes are becoming looser and looser

Previously tight jeans can now be easily buttoned up, and the collarbone lines suddenly become more prominent, all of which are more convincing than weight numbers.

2. Significant improvement in physical fitness

Previously gasping for breath while climbing three floors, now able to climb five floors in one breath; During exercise, each group of movements can be performed 3-5 times more than before, which is empirical evidence of optimizing body composition.

Don't be a slave to weight scales anymore Li La! The next time you see stubborn numbers, you can take out a tape measure to measure your waist circumference and try the elasticity of last year's pants. These real changes are the "resignation letter" left behind when fat is withdrawn. Remember, what we need to defeat is fat, not weight. The changes in body lines are always warmer than cold numbers.