怎么知道您是失去脂肪还是肌肉？

当您遵循减肥计划时，很少有事情比看到规模上的数字go down. Unfortunately, many people who see weight-loss success wind up失去肌肉和脂肪。

这很重要，因为不仅是帮助您执行日常任务的肌肉钥匙（即​​携带杂货，将沉重的袋子和盒子放在头顶上），而且还肌肉也是代谢活性组织; this means muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. Maintaining a good amount of lean muscle mass keeps yourbasal metabolic rate（即，您的身体在休息时燃烧的卡路里数量）升高，这可能有助于您长期减少脂肪。

So, how do you know if you’re losing fat or muscle? Here are a few ways to tell:

知道您失去脂肪还是肌肉的最佳方法之一是检查您的锻炼程序。If you’re doing a lot of cardio, but you’re not adding strength training, there’s a good chance any weight you lose will be about 50% muscle and 50% fat (though you’ll lose some water weight as well), says希瑟·米尔顿，MS，NYU Langone的认证力量和条件专家以及经过董事会认证的临床锻炼生理学家运动表演中心。

假设您想保持肌肉，请确保每周至少举重两天，并击中所有大型肌肉群（例如臀部，四边形，腿筋，背部和胸部）。米尔顿说：“当您使用这些肌肉时，您会产生更大的肌肉纤维募集，并且在能源成本方面，您会得到更好的收益。”换句话说，优先考虑较大的肌肉群以较小的肌肉组（例如二头肌和三头肌）会导致更多的卡路里燃烧 - 无论是在和期间和after your workout。

Another way to tell if you’re losing muscle instead of fat is if you notice greater levels of fatigue than usual or if you’re easily tired doing activities that don’t usually make you tired, Milton says.

使用能量水平来衡量您是失去脂肪还是肌肉的唯一麻烦是，还有许多其他因素会影响能量，包括sleep, diet andmedications。确保您考虑了其他测量值（如下）。

One easy — albeit subjective — way to tell if you’re losing fat or muscle is to take progress photos every 2–4 weeks. “See if you notice any patterns or trends of how things are reshaping on the body,” saysMike Clancy, certified strength and conditioning specialist and personal trainer in New York City. If you’re only losing fat, you’ll likely notice a smaller waist and hips, while the rest of your body may start looking shapelier. “For example, a person at 120 pounds with 22% body fat will have shape, curves and leanness, while the same person at 120 pounds with 35% body fat will look wider and looser,” Clancy says. Just keep in mind that any changes you may notice depend on where you tend to store fat.

与任何测量一样，一致性是关键。这意味着您应该旨在在大致相同的衣服中大致同时拍摄进度照片，并每次使用相同的照明。在内衣中拍摄自己的前景和侧视照片。“您可以在手机上保留一张相册，以调查进度。”Chris Ryan，经过认证的力量和条件专家，纽约市的私人教练。

这种方法听起来很幻想，但它非常简单。实际上，许多标准的浴室秤已经内置了它们，您可以在线订购生物电阻抗秤。

Essentially, you step on the bioelectrical impedance scale just like you would a regular scale, and the device measures your body composition through electrical impulses. “Muscles are highly conductive compared to fat,” Milton explains. Therefore, if the scale registers faster electrical impulses, you likely have a higher amount of lean muscle mass. You can check in from time to time to see how your body composition changes and ensure you’re not losing muscle mass.

However, Milton warns that to get an accurate reading, you have to take the measurements at the same time of day. Even if you take the readings under similar conditions, other factors — like how hydrated you are — can throw things off, she says.

For an objective, low-cost measurement, try a body fat caliper (also known as a skinfold caliper). This is a classic, old-school tool that measures the thickness of your subcutaneous fat (i.e., the fat beneath your skin) in different areas of your body. Typically, women are measured in the triceps, hips and either the thigh or the abdomen, while men are measured in the chest, abdomen and thigh, though this can vary. Then, the various measurements are plugged into an equation that offers an estimated breakdown of your body fat and lean muscle percentage.

One downside to using body fat calipers is that they’re not 100% accurate, “so I wouldn’t use that as my measure of success,” Clancy says. By all means, use body fat calipers to gauge fat loss, but be sure you’re also using another measurement.

人体脂肪卡钳的另一个缺点是它们在自己身上很棘手，因此您可能需要健身专业人员来帮助您。值得庆幸的是，许多健身房都有人体脂肪卡钳，您也许可以与其中一位培训师进行快速的皮肤测试。请记住，测量的准确性在很大程度上取决于培训师在执行皮肤折叠测试方面的经验。

If you go the body fat caliper route, try to get measured on the same day at the same time, roughly every 30 days. And be sure to take the measurements pre-workout, since your muscles will be temporarily tighter post-workout, Ryan says. The results will likely look better post-workout, but they won’t necessarily be accurate.

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