Many people associate fat loss with weight loss and assume that losing weight on the scales is the be all and end of of any exercise/diet programme.

Think about this though, if you could be exactly the same weight you are now but be a dress size or 2 smaller would you take it?

I think the answer from most people would be YES.

This is entirely possible by the way.

When given a choice over weight loss or changing body shape. nearly everyone chooses body shape. If you are starting a programme overweight then weight loss will happen, it just shouldn’t be the only thing you are worried about.

Take measurements, weekly photos, keep track of clothes sizes to compare them. These will all tell you more about how your body is responding to exercise and diet. Especially if you are doing mainly resistance exercises (which I strongly recommend) as you will be building muscle as well as burning fat.

‘Quick fix’ diets very rarely work in the long term as nearly everyone puts the weight back on afterwards. This is the danger of programmes that promise rapid weight loss, you generally lose a lot more muscle than fat and end up worse off than when you started. You are put on a very low calorie diet than can result in low energy, poor performance in the gym, loss of muscle, decreased hormone production (especially dangerous for women) and actually an increase in fat storage as your body goes into almost ‘survival’ state.

Understand that changing your shape and losing weight are not necessarily the same thing and in fact will be approached in two entirely different ways. And one is a lot healthier than the other.

Alex