Your weight is not always the best method of tracking your weight loss, as muscle weighs more than fat. However, if you are exercising and eating right, and still not losing pounds, there might be a problem with the weight loss method you have chosen. It is important to consult with a physician and possibly a personal trainer in order to find the right weight loss and maintenance program for you. With the right information and resources, you can make the proper way of losing weight a part of your life.
Muscle vs Fat
If you have been working out consistently and are not seeing results on the scale, the reason could be that you are gaining muscle without losing fat. Muscle is heavier than fat, so if you increase muscle through exercise it is possible to lose inches from your body without losing overall weight, according to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Muscle does not replace fat in your body, so it is possible to have both fat and muscle together.
Correct Training
The President's Council explains that proper exercise and diet should lead to both an increase in muscle and a decrease in fat in your body. If you are not having this result, you might not be performing the right combination of strength training, aerobics and diet control, since all three are necessary for optimum physical fitness. Speak to your physician, and possibly a personal trainer, to better understand the best weight loss method for you.
Considerations
Sometimes the numbers indicated on the scale can be misleading. MayoClinic.com explains that quickly losing pounds can reflect the loss of water weight or even lean tissue, instead of the fat you are trying to lose. With a healthy weight loss plan, the weight loss will be more gradual, so you might not see the results on the scale right away.
Eating and Exercise
If you lose weight without exercising, you will lose your muscle as well as fat, explains Natalie Digate Muth from the American Council on Exercise. She says that if you do not participate in strength training along with aerobic exercise and balanced eating, "25 percent of every pound you lose will come from lean, calorie-burning muscle." Therefore, it is important to balance the types of exercise you perform.
Expert Insight
Muth explains that your goal should be to lose 1 percent of your total body fat per month if you are trying to lose weight. To determine your body fat and lean body mass, or muscle, you can go to a personal trainer or your doctor to have your complete body composition tested.
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