When it comes to losing weight, most of us are guilty of relying on the weighing scale to measure the effectiveness of our efforts. But weight alone doesn’t tell the whole story.
According to our nutritionists, people should focus on getting leaner instead of lighter. Not only will you look more toned, you’ll feel a lot more energetic and have lowered health risks too!
What is Leanness?
Our body is made up of fat, water, muscle mass and bones, looking at weight alone doesn’t tell you the composition of your body. When we look at leanness, we’re taking into consideration your body composition, which is an estimated ratio of lean mass, fat mass and water mass.
Two people of the same weight but diverse body fat percentage can look radically different. Fat looks 3x larger than muscle. The one with more lean mass will look more well-toned and feel more energetic than the other.
Lighter = Healthier?
Not necessarily. It’s true that people who are obese and overweight have a higher risk of heart diseases. People with a Body Mass Index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2 have a high percentage of visceral fat, which is the fat that surrounds our internal organs. This metric reflects our risk of coronary disease, hypertension, stroke and diabetes.
However, it is possible for people with a healthy BMI who lead a sedentary lifestyle to have a high percentage of visceral fat and body fat percentage. Hence, having a similar risk of coronary disease as one who is overweight!
So, how do I get lean?
To gain and maintain lean muscle mass, physical activity is a must! Getting lean is a combination of regular exercise and sensible eating. Exercise helps to tone muscles and strengthen bones while a balanced and moderate diet provides your body with the nutrients it needs.
Many weight loss diets focus only on restricting calorie intake to achieve weight loss. However, if you don’t maintain muscle mass through exercise, a lot of the weight loss will come from muscle, which may result in a higher body fat percentage due to muscle and bone density loss.
If the thought of regular exercise makes you weak in the knees, then start with small changes each day and work your way up. Get some inspiration from our fun guide to staying active and incorporate some tips into your routine!
5:2 Diet Plans
Inspired by the popular 5:2 intermittent fast diet to recharge, cleanse and boost fat metabolism through limiting calorie intake for two non-consecutive days a week. Available in juice, soup or a combination of both.
LEAN Program
A nutritionist-designed combination of detox plans and 5:2 diet plans to get you on the road to sustainable weight loss. Available as a 8-week or 16 -week program.
HIC The Lighter Side 