The Difference Between Weight Loss and Fat Loss, and How To Correctly Measure Fat Loss

[RyanNeedsaB]

Great video!!

I have a question, have you ever worked out with someone who always seems to injure their hip flexors (sports or working out)? Even with not much force they are easily tweaked. Any ideas what to do? Thanks a lot.

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@RyanNeedsaB Very often, hip flexor injuries are due to tightness, as well as weakness in the glutes, and possibly some other issues. I would get assessed by a Trigenics practitioner, and work on strengthening your glutes.

[RyanNeedsaB]

@FitnessSolutionsPlus Thanks for your response! So I will aim to workout the gluteus. Are there any possible recommended exercises for that?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@RyanNeedsaB You can work the glutes initially with hip lifts, then double leg hip lifts, and eventually working up to exercises like one-legged deadlifts and good morning to integrate the glutes into the action.

[JaneKabarguina]

Hmmm, here is my situation. I was losing weight in the beginning when I just started to restore my physical shape and strength, but later I gained a few pounds with growing muscles which is explainable. I still continue to exercise changing my rouotines from time-to-time. The weight does not change for a few months at all. What does this mean?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@JaneKabarguina Great question, Jane.

It could mean a number of things. It may be that either your workout program needs to get more challenging, that you're consuming too many calories for continued fat loss, or that you may have some nutrient deficiencies (sometimes, despite eating a "perfect" diet, some nutrients are still missing).

[JaneKabarguina]

@FitnessSolutionsPlus Do you mean that I ALWAYS have to lose weight? I don't get it. As per the North American standarts I am in absolutely great shape (which is highly argueable by my own standarts) and I don't care much about the scale. Yes, the centimeters are important, but why do I still need to lose weight? Isn't there some ideal weight category that people can comfotably be? What about yourself? Do you continue losing/gaining weight?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@JaneKabarguina No, no, it's not so much about weight loss as it is about fat loss. For a woman, 18-25% body fat is considered "health", and 12-18% is considered (athletic). So first of all, you should decide where you want to be - healthy, athletic, etc., and then measure your body fat (not your weight). If you're not where you want to be, make the adjustments necessary to get to where you want to be. And if you are where you want to be, good job.

[amirshoa]

I`m wondering how many glass of water we should have a day ?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@amirshoa That depends on a number of factors like how big you are, where you live, how active you are, etc. As a rough guideline, 8 glasses of water is about right.

[MsHoop24]

Great Video. Can you expand on the different fat sites and what they all mean. Thanks Igor.

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@MsHoop24 Sure. It's a methodology designed by a famous strength coach named "Charles Poliquin."

Triceps = testosterone

Chest = androgens

Subscapula (under the shoulder blade) = insulin

Mid-axillary (over the ribs) = thyroid

Supra-ilium (love handles) = insulin as well

Umbilicus (belly) = cortisol

Knee and calf = growth hormone

Quads and hamstrings = estrogen

[lesleyelmo]

Great logical approach to measuring fat. Makes more sense than other techniques. Thanks, Igor.

[OneYearPro]

excellent video Igor.  How do I get healthy joints? And I am talking about the ones in my body...

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@OneYearPro A bit part of health joints is correcting muscular imbalances, and eating an anti-inflammatory diet.

[rdstoker]

Igor, can you use callipers to measure your own body fat or is it always easier to have someone else do the measurements? How often should you take a full set of measurements with callipers and a tape measure, once a week?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@rdstoker With calipers, you have to have another person do it, because some areas, you just can't reach on yourself. For most people, the measurements should be done every 2 weeks. For very aggressive goals, they should be done weekly.

[jelfaks]

Really didn't know a lot about this stuff. Thanks Igor!

[mazel180]

Great weight loss and weight measurement video!

What do you suggest for a young professional who sits at a desk for 7-9 hours a day (re: inactive at work), tries to go to the gym every other evening (to do weights), but is unable to achieve any real weight-loss or muscle/fitness gains? Thank you very much and Happy Holidays!

[poorfrisco]

how did you get to be so awesome igor?

[randomaznpro]

what about teenagers that are still growing

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@randomaznpro what about them?

[sad115]

Interesting video. I have what I am sure is a common question. How do I keep my joints healthy?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@sad115 Eat an anti-inflammatory diet, get regular soft tissue work from a qualified professional, and correct your muscle imbalances.

[goku607]

If I'm trying to gain weight, what should I expect in terms of an increase in body fat percentage?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@goku607 Depends on your body type. If you're big and stocky, and want to get bigger, with intelligent training and nutrition, you can expect to add only 1 pound of fat for every 3-4 pounds of muscle. If you're slender, with intelligent training and nutrition, the fat gain can really be minimized to almost nothing.

[ElyseeBeauty]

How is a scale able to measure your body fat, body water, bone mass and BMI?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@ElyseeBeauty A scale can only measure body weight. It doesn't measure water, bone mass and BMI.

[arcticeagle]

So what kind of diet is most apropos?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@arcticeagle There is no single diet that is right for everyone. That's something that needs to be individualized. But in most cases, the common sense stuff will get you pretty far: reduce or eliminate refined foods, add more vegetables, and drink only water or various teas.

[TheBillinda]

What is a healthy range of fat level for a grown adult (female and male)? At what age should we start measuring body fat?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@TheBillinda A healthy level for a male would be 12-18%. For females, about 18-24%. Between 5% and 12% for males and 12-18% for females is considered "athletic." I would say that you can start measuring body fat around 16-18 years of age.

[mahendradeosingh]

How often should I wiegh my self if working out and trying to gain wieght ?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@mahendradeosingh I would take measurements every 2 weeks. Just make sure to also measure your body fat to make sure that the extra weight that you're gaining comes from muscle and not fat.

[orenmcgrath]

is there any accurate way i can measure body fat % at home or would i have to use special tools for accurate measurements?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@orenmcgrath There are lots of ways to measure body fat. The most accurate way is a DEXA scan, but that's only available in research settings. Thankfully, if you have a personal skilled with calipers, they can get very close to the accuracy of the more high tech gadgets.

[christoe4oh]

Very interesting video! So are the calipers similar to the idea of "pinching an inch"? Is there a way that I can do this at home. Also, why do so many nutritionists and trainers use the BMI? Are they misinformed or is there some merit to it?

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@christoe4oh Yes, it's similar to pinching an inch. Except in these cases, you can actually quantify the amount that you pinch. Yes, the BMI can be misinforming. The traditional argument against the BMI is that a muscular person will be considered "overweight" or "obese" according to BMI. Since that's the case for such a small part of the population, that's not a big deal.

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

@christoe4oh The much bigger problem with BMI is that some people who are at their "ideal" weight may have very high body fat percentages, but BMI doesn't classify those people as "at risk."

[FitnessSolutionsPlus]

It depends on the type of exercise that you do in the morning. As long as you're not using heavy weights (for you), and you're using moderate to high reps (8 reps and higher), yes, you're helping with fat loss. Whether it hinders muscle growth or not, the jury is till out on that.

[TheVet007]

good video...does working out in the morning on an empty stomach help with weight loss? Does it hinder muscle growth?