How Do You Know If It Is Fat, or If You Just Have Heavy Bones?
When you step on the scales and see THAT figure in front of you, how do
you know how much of that weight is surplus fat? How do you know that
it's not heavy muscle and bones?
First, we need to understand the difference between being heavy and being obese.
Overweight or obese people carry a higher amount of body fat in proportion
to their bones and muscles. We all need some fat to be healthy - it is
the surplus fat that is of concern. Even "heavy" bones are negligible
when looking at someone's total weight, so it is really a matter of
comparing the amount of muscle to the amount of fat.
People who
build their muscles through sport or exercise (such as a weightlifter)
can appear to be overweight when looking at the scales. In fact, muscle
weighs more than fat. However, when you compare the proportion of
muscle to fat, if there is a high amount of muscle they are not
necessarily obese.
Muscle and fat look very different under
the skin, and you can usually tell whether you have an above average
amount of muscle just by looking, and by knowing what activities you do.
One other reason for extra weight that is not
fat could be fluid retention. Again, you can usually see this in the
form of swollen ankles or a swollen face. Sometimes women retain fluid
as part of the menstrual cycle, and it can also be a sign of something
more serious, such as heart disease. If you suspect you are retaining
fluid, you should see your doctor.
Otherwise, if the scales show
that you are over the healthy weight range for your height and gender,
like millions of others, you are probably carrying some surplus fat.
Don't worry, you are not alone, and once you are able to accept that you need to slim down, there are ways to deal with it!