Fat loss or Weight Loss?


So many people make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight.   Fairfax Hackley, a personal trainer, noted that losing weight is the number one resolution over the past 10 years.  Yet, only 65% of people making those resolutions have lost even one pound after a month into the New Year.  On a local radio show, Fairfax Hackley provided some tips on how to stay on track.  (You can listen to him using the source cited below.)
        Hackley’s Tips to Stay On Track:  

        1.        Focus on FAT LOSS, not WEIGHT LOSS – he notes too many people focus on losing weight, when they need to focus on losing fat.  Focusing on weight loss will lead to more success.
  •  Losing weight can be losing fat, muscle and water. 
  • Losing fat – focus on the unwanted fat, like unwanted belly fat       

         2.    “ Focus your diet and exercise program on losing body fat”
a.       The more muscle you have the more fat you can burn
b.      Hackley notes, “Your muscle is your fat burning machinery.”
c.       Focus on weight lifting to build muscle
d.      Focus on good nutrition by eating the right foods                                                      
        3.  Focus on cardio for fat loss
  4.  Get enough sleep
Getting help from a health provider or nutritionist is also helpful, especially to find a program that works for you.  He recommends keeping track of what you are doing, diet, and exercise, so your health care provider can provide more guidance
         5.   Patience – he recommends “exercise a little patience” – it will take time
         6.   Exercise with a buddy – go for a walk with a buddy, diet with a buddy.  One of my students who wanted to lose weight, joined a weight loss program with one of his buddies. When food became too tempting, when going off the program became too tempting, he called his buddy. 

Thanks Fairfax Hackley for some great tips to help us stay on track in 2015. 

Sources:  Listen to Fairfax Hackley at The difference between fat loss and weight loss.  Image Source:   weightlifting

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