It isn’t all about weight

When you think about getting into shape what do you focus on?

I can probably answer that question for you, as most people will focus on losing weight right ? Of course weight loss will play a huge part in feeling fitter, healthier and looking better but trust me weight is only part of the picture. What you weigh is made up of a number of components including skeletal muscle, muscle mass, body fat, bone mass and water; and it is important to consider these other elements of body composition if you are truly to succeed in your journey.

So what am I talking about?

Body fat

We all know what fat is and in this sense; body fat is exactly what people imagine, it is fatty deposits on the body which make us appear fat or overweight. This is an easy one to understand, it is what we see, the thing we want rid of and generally losing body fat is what will make us feel better. However actually losing this body fat can be harder than it first appears as it requires a certain number of changes around nutrition, exercise and general lifestyle choices ( more on this in a future post)

Skeletal Muscle

This is one of two types of muscle we talk about in terms of body composition and is probably the one everyone talks about when thinking about getting into shape. Skeletal muscle is the amount of muscle involved in the mechanical systems of our limbs and other parts of the body. basically everything involved in movement. Traditionally when people talk about building muscle this is what is being referred to. Examples of this include biceps, quadriceps, pectorals and Glutes. The amount of skeletal muscle we have will have a massive impact on overall weight as muscle is heavier than fat.

Muscle mass

What the heck is muscle mass ? Well this is the total weight of all the muscle in our bodies which includes skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle and smooth muscle. We have looked at skeletal muscle above so what is cardiac and smooth muscle

Cardiac muscle is the muscle making up the heart which to a certain extent cannot be altered but can be developed through cardio fitness. Smooth muscle is muscle which is found in other organs of the body including our guy and which we have no conscious control over. Although these two muscle types play very little part role in actual physical appeared they do have a role to play n overall fitness and “getting into shape”

The next thing I want to talk about is Visceral Fat. This type of fat could be considered the most dangerous in some ways as it refers to fat which is found in and around the human organs, usually within the abdominal cavity. Again, although this isn’t seen as important for what most of us consider to be “getting into shape” it is vital to keep this under control for good overall health.

Body water

Between 50 and 60% of our body is made up of water yet hydration is often overlooked when looking at how best to get into shape. Have you ever started a weight loss journey and after the first week or so seen you have lost more than you expected only to find this slows down dramatically from then on? That is because in the first few weeks you have probably lost a lot of water which actually has a negative effect on overall health and wellbeing. Staying hydrated is key to a healthy body and mind so don’t fall into this trap. Try and drink at least 2 litres of water a day consistently.

Finally for this post I want to include bone mass in the discussion. We can all imagine that bone is clearly quite heavy and can play a large part in overall weight. You have probably heard people say “i am big boned” as an excuse for being overweight; however there may be some truth here but we have to see the overall picture and consider all of the above factors. Do you look fat that isn’t big bones, are you generally fit and healthy ? that isn’t to do with big bones either i’m sorry to say. Within the scope of this article I have mentioned bone mass as it does play a small part in overall weight but bone mass is more important in the reduction of conditions like osteoporosis as we get older.

So, as we have seen, there are a number of factors influencing our weight and overall level of fitness and it is vital to consider all of these when deciding what is the best way to “get fit” Firstly you should get to know your numbers. What is your body fat, how much water do you need, what is your muscle mass and skeletal muscle? Only then can you build a true consistent picture of how you are performing.

Sure you can diet, you can eat less, you can exercise and all of these will obviously give you results and it will depend on how you see fitness and what it means to you but what I have tried to show here is that getting into shape and does not necessarily have to be all about losing weight.

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