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When it comes to losing weight and tracking progress, most people use the scale. However, this may not be the best way to track your progress, especially as you get close to your target weight. Body fat and body measurements offer a far better way to track your progress. So why is it important to track body fat?

Losing Weight is Not the Same as Losing Fat The problem with scales is that they don't tell us anything about our body composition and body fat level. Focusing purely on weight can be misleading: you don't know whether you are losing fat, muscles or even water. In fact, water loss is a natural result of carbohydrate withdrawal and is the biggest contributor to weight loss during the initial phase of the ketogenic diet. That's why you may experience an initial rapid weight loss. Give it a couple of weeks before you start measuring your body fat and keep measuring every few weeks. Ketogenic diets have a muscle-sparing effect and will help you preserve and build lean mass. However, muscle loss may occur if you don't eat enough protein and/or you don't eat enough fat and therefore calories. Make sure you are eating enough to avoid any unwanted muscle loss. You should never feel hungry when you follow a ketogenic diet.

Body Fat Helps Calculate Protein Intake Accurately Knowing your body fat is essential for calculating your macros accurately: your protein intake is determined by your lean mass - not total weight. That's why it's important to know your body fat so your lean mass can be calculated. Once you know your body fat, you can use our Keto Calculator to find out your macros.

You May Gain Weight with Exercise If you exercise, your overall weight may go up. Don't panic and remember, compared to body fat, muscles are heavier and more compact. The more muscle your gain, the more likely you will experience a weight gain. If you think your weight has been stalling as you get close to you target weight, focus on your body fat, not your weight. Below is an example of men and women who have similar body fat content but different body composition and different weight. Even though their body fat is similar, a muscular individual weighs more than a thin individual. In fact, the total body weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) of a muscular individual can be the same as that of an overweight sedentary person. That's why I rarely weigh myself - I only track my measurements and body fat. Not seeing any progress? Ditch the scales and track your body fat instead!

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Martina Slajerova Creator of KetoDietApp.com I changed the way I ate in 2011, when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. I had no energy, and I found it more and more difficult to maintain a healthy weight. That’s when I decided to quit sugar, grains, and processed foods, and to start following a whole-foods-based ketogenic approach to food. More posts by Martina Slajerova Martina Slajerova About the Reviewer This article has been reviewed by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE who is a qualified expert. At KetoDiet we work with a team of health professionals to ensure accurate and up-to-date information. You can find out more on the About us page.