The science behind weight loss and how to actually lose weight once and for all

The topic of weight loss is one that has been ongoing for long now. With different diets and different medicines, different trends and explanations, different fitness influencers and self-appointed “personal trainers” every few months. It can be confusing world out there, especially for those who have been trying to lose weight for a long time with no changes. This article is going to really explain what happens when a person loses weight. The science behind all of it and how to go about doing it so as to see visible and consistent results soon. 

Let’s start with the fact that there is no such thing as losing weight very fast. No sustainable non-life threatening one anyway. So before you even continue to read this article make the intention that you will stop scrolling through many different information sites from a lot of strangers on the internet and getting attracted by every “lose weight in just 1 month with this one trick” videos/posts. Sit down and learn proper information about how your body actually works because all of that is a complete waste of time and will only give you a blow in your confidence when you later find out that it won’t work.

Body weight

When the average person hears “weight loss” they are most likely thinking about the loss of visible fat in one’s body but actually weight loss in general means the loss of overall body mass. Our body is composed of lean Body Mass (LBM)  and body fat. LBM can be divided into mainly:

• Muscle mass – It’s the weight of skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscles. It is important for physical function, metabolism, and overall health.
• Water mass – Total body water (TBW) includes both intracellular water (within cells) and extracellular water (in tissues and fluids). Water is essential for various bodily functions, including temperature regulation, nutrient transport, and waste removal. 
• Bone mass – Bone mass refers to the amount of bone mineral within a bone, which is a key factor in determining bone strength and fracture risk.
• Organ mass – Organ mass refers to the weight or mass of an individual organ within a living organism.  

Body fat is a connective tissue that stores energy and provides insulation for the body. There is visceral (fat surrounding organs) and subcutaneous fat (found under the skin). Access to visceral fat is what puts us at risk of obesity and the way we measure body fat is through body fat percentage; proportion of your body’s mass that is fat, and it’s a key indicator of overall health.

By now you should understand what body weight is, and so it should be clear that simply stepping on a scale is not enough to know whether you have too much fat or not – whether you are healthy or not. It is like looking at the cover of the book and thinking you know the complex plot inside of it. Body Mass Index – also known as BMI, though imperfect, is a much better way to know your healthy weight. It measures body fat based on height and weight then categorises one as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. Check out this BMI app to learn more about that; also, check your BMI.

Let’s talk about how we lose that body weight and burn unwanted fat.

Weight loss

When you notice weight loss in your outside appearance it is mostly likely from one or more the following: water weight, muscle weight, and fat weight. Water weight refers to the extra water that is stored in the body’s tissues, joints, and cavities. Unlike fat weight, which is gained by consuming more calories than you burn, water weight is influenced by various factors, including diet, lifestyle, and certain health conditions. For example if your diet consists of high sodium intake from processed foods or added salt that leads to water retention because when your body holds on to excess sodium, it retains water to maintain the balance of electrolytes in your body. Now if you want to achieve that lean look you want to avoid water retention by doing things like:

1. Reducing your sodium intake
2. Eating more potassium rich foods
3. Staying hydrated – it encourages your kidney to flush out excess sodium and water.
4. Manage stress – yes chronic stress does in fact increase your cortisol levels, which leads to water retention and makes it harder to stay physically healthy in general.

Muscles are pieces of soft tissue throughout your body that help you do everything from holding your phone to running a marathon. So it is not exactly a good thing when you start to lose some of it. Loss of muscle mass is largely due to the following factors:

1. Not eating enough and infrequently
2. Too much/ too often cardio sessions
3. Not stretching enough
4. Not getting enough rest
5. Not enough protein in your diet

Sure, losing muscle mass will make you look thinner but it will also make you significantly weaker so it is not something you should aim for. Building muscle in fact plays a big role in how quickly you burn unwanted fat. A more detailed explanation will be provided below.

Should you count your calories?

Now for body fat, you must understand that just like how water and muscle weight are extremely crucial for you to function and be able to use the body you were given – you need body fat too. As mentioned above there are two types of bodily fat; here is visceral fat and subcutaneous fat. In this article we are interested in when the visceral fat gets too much and becomes a problem. Alongside the health risk it also greatly affects one’s self esteem because fat and overweight people are constantly shamed by society. That is a fact that cannot be ignored. Not simply because of aesthetics, but also it is seen as a lack of self respect and will power. 

Having excess fat comes from your body having more than it needs so it starts to store it in places like your belly, thighs, back, arms, face, and eventually deeper inside around your organs. You get all this fat from the food you eat and no surprise, the type of food plays a big role. Why do people say you should eat more greens when trying to lose weight? Because vegetables are low in calories, high in fibre, and help you feel full without overloading your system. They improve digestion, reduce cravings, and support calorie deficit in a healthy way. And why do people encourage you to reduce carbs and sugar? Because many high-carb foods like white bread, sugary drinks, and pastries cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash, which leads to more fat storage and hunger soon after. Cutting down refined carbs helps you avoid that cycle and keeps your energy more stable. Essentially, the only way for that unwanted fat to melt is by your body burning higher amount calories than the one it consumes. Either on it’s own or you can speed it up with lots of physical movement. 

The way your body starts to burn fat on it’s own is when you consume lesser calories than your body naturally burns due to metabolism – so by eating less you can be on a caloric deficit. Calm down, don’t go start starving yourself. Calorie deficit: a state where the number of calories you consume is less than the number of calories your body uses for energy. As tempting as that may sound for you to think eating less is the simple fix it actually is just a bit more complex than that.

What about eating less and less?

Let’s get this straight – starving yourself is not a shortcut but a trap. A lot of people think that if eating less helps burn fat, then eating almost nothing must burn it faster. You must take into account that your body runs on something called metabolism; the process that converts the food you eat into energy. Even when you’re doing zero activities, your body still needs energy to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing, and temperature stable. That basic energy use is called your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The problem with starving yourself is that you will put your body into a state of panic. It thinks you’re in danger so it slows down your metabolism to save energy and hold on to fat as backup fuel. This means:

• You burn fewer calories even while doing the same activities
• You get tired and sluggish because your energy is low
• Your body starts breaking down muscle for energy (not fat)

You will lose some weight quickly at first, but at the stake of gaining it all back just as fast, and even more once you start eating normally again.

Exercise plays a large role

From how large of a role exercise plays into this there should be a whole article on it but a few words should also be enough for you to get the main point. When you intentionally move your body with cardio or strength training, your body taps into its energy reserves. At first, this energy comes from the food you’ve eaten – mainly glucose (sugar) in your blood or stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. Once that burns out, your body turns to fat stores. That’s when the fat burning begins to happen. But here’s the truth: your body doesn’t just burn fat the moment you start working out. It takes time and consistency. You need to regularly push your body into a state where it needs more energy than it has readily available – that’s when it starts using your fat stores for energy. That is exactly why exercise helps you get there faster, but keep in mind that it is not a requirement to burn fat. 

Building muscles

Now about building muscle – it’s way more important than people think. Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue. So the more muscle you build, the higher your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – meaning you burn more calories even when you’re sitting, sleeping, or doing nothing, your body becomes a calorie-burning machine. Let’s say two people eat the same amount and do the same activities, but one of them has more muscle. That person will burn more calories naturally. That’s why weight training is not just for bodybuilders. Lifting weights or doing resistance workouts boosts fat burn long after the workout is over, thanks to something called the afterburn effect – where your body continues to burn calories to repair muscles and restore itself.

Stay consistent. Be realistic

Now that you understand what truly happens behind all those after bingeing exercise sessions, do you feel a newfound burst of motivation? Are you excited to start over with a new routine and new eating lifestyle? Stop. Clear your mind and think steadily. Wait until all those strong emotions pass then you may resume your plans because guess what? Motivation can only get you so far. Even if you manage to stay strongly motivated for about three months and you get your results… maintaining it is a whole another story. You must never make decisions while your emotions are unstable. Writing all this and reading all this is much easier than the actual months of work that will come after. Much harder so staying realistic and being consistent is the only way you will ever get to your goal sanely and healthily (This applies to everything in life).

This article was meant to be a straightforward breakdown of how weight loss actually works – not just a list of tips or shortcuts. If you are looking for a few tips and tricks check out “Five effective ways to achieve weight loss.” Here are five quick pointers that you will help you get started and maintain that goal weight:

1. Focus on building habits, not chasing numbers.
2. Fuel your body — don’t punish it.
3. Mix both strength training and cardio.
4. Track your food, sleep, and stress — they all matter.
5. Progress is slow. That doesn’t mean it’s not working.

Stay healthy because your body is a temple that you have been given a responsibility on. Treat it how you want but remember that you and only you will be the one bearing the consequences in the future. To those trying – stay positive on your weight loss journey! Real weight loss isn’t about punishing yourself or eating like a bird. It’s about fuelling your body wisely – giving it enough to function, build muscle, and burn fat the right way.