What Really Happens When You Lose Body Fat (And It’s Not Just the Scale)

June 13, 2025

Most of us were taught that stepping on a scale is the best way to track fitness progress. But what if your weight doesn’t budge—and yet your jeans fit better, your arms feel tighter, and your rings start sliding off?

In this episode of Nacho Fitness Coach, Sara and Caleigh break down what it really means to lose body fat—even if the number on the scale stays exactly the same. From shifting jean sizes to surprise side effects (spoiler: bring a blanket), they share real-life examples and expert insights about body composition and fat loss.

🎯 Key Takeaways from This Episode:

Scale Weight ≠ Fat Loss: Caleigh’s weight stayed around 140 pounds for months, but her body composition changed drastically—smaller clothing sizes, visual muscle definition, and less body fat.
Body Fat Percentage Tells a Better Story: Thanks to consistent data from smartwatches and bioimpedance tools, Caleigh saw her body fat percentage steadily decline—despite weight plateaus.
Building Muscle May Keep Scale Weight Stable: Starting resistance training led to increased skeletal muscle mass, which helped reshape her physique without dramatic scale drops.
Data Over Perfection: Tools like fitness watches may not be 100% accurate, but consistent tracking over time reveals important trends in muscle gain and fat loss.
You Might Get Cold (Seriously): Less body fat means less insulation! Both hosts talked about feeling colder after losing fat—a side effect most people don’t expect.
Your Rings Might Not Fit: Slimmer fingers are one of the first visible signs of fat loss. Sara and Caleigh noticed their rings spinning or even falling off after weight loss.
Fat Loss Isn’t Spot Reduction: You’ll typically lose fat from smaller areas like fingers and arms first, and the stubborn zones (like belly and thighs) are often the last to go.
Running Helped Slim the Lower Body: Long-distance, low-intensity cardio helped Sara slim her legs—without changes to nutrition at the time.

📊 The Power of Body Composition Data

One of the biggest takeaways from Caleigh’s journey? Even without major weight loss, her body fat percentage steadily declined. Using her smartwatch, she tracked:

Stable scale weight
Increased skeletal muscle mass
Decreased fat mass and body fat percentage

This highlights a crucial point: Body recomposition—building muscle while losing fat—can make your body look dramatically different even if your weight doesn’t change.

💡 Real-Life Signs of Fat Loss That Aren’t About the Scale:

Your jeans size drops (Caleigh went from a size 10 to a size 4!)
Visual changes in muscle tone and definition
Rings become looser or fall off
You feel colder (less “insulation” from body fat)
Your thighs don’t chafe like they used to
Back fat disappears, making bras and tops fit differently

🏋️‍♀️ From Cardio to the Weight Room

Caleigh’s journey began with cardio (running), which helped jumpstart fat loss. But real changes in her body shape came when she added strength training in May 2023. The combination of lifting weights and cardio created a noticeable uptick in muscle mass while continuing to lower fat.

🔍 Why the Scale Lies (Sometimes)

Let’s be clear: Weight fluctuations are normal. Hormones, hydration, food intake, and even sleep can cause daily shifts. That’s why it’s important to focus on long-term trends and not panic over a random 0.6 lb increase.

Instead of daily stress over the scale, Sara and Caleigh recommend:

Weighing yourself consistently (same day, time, and conditions)
Paying attention to how your clothes fit
Tracking body fat percentage
Noticing how you look and feel

Final Thoughts: You’re More Than a Number

Fat loss doesn’t always look like weight loss. If your body fat percentage is dropping, your muscle mass is rising, and your clothes are fitting better, you’re making progress—even if the scale stays the same.

Just remember: more muscle, less fluff, and yes… maybe more layers because you're cold now. That’s the reality of a healthier, stronger, leaner you.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Mail

Ready to work with Nacho Fitness Coach?

Let's connect! We’re here to help.

Send us a message and we’ll be in touch.

Or give us a call today at 913-788-6511

Agency Contact Form

More Marketing Tips, Tricks & Tools

What’s in My “Drug Bag”? Supplements, Sleep Hacks & a Little Bit of Chaos

August 27, 2025

What supplements should you actually take? In this fun episode of Nacho Fitness Coach, we unpack caffeine, collagen, creatine, probiotics, and whether melatonin is a sleep hack or just hype.

Protein Wars: Muscle Milk vs. Whey Isolate – Which Protein Powder Is Actually Better?

August 20, 2025

Muscle Milk vs. whey protein isolate—what’s the difference? We break down ingredients, benefits, and who should use which in this funny yet practical episode of Nacho Fitness Coach.

Fitness Scams You Need to Stop Falling For (and What Actually Works)

August 27, 2025

If you’ve ever bought a $50 tub of “miracle” greens powder, fallen for the latest detox tea, or wondered whether pink-labeled supplements for women are actually different (spoiler: they’re not), you’re not alone. In this episode of Nacho Fitness Coach, Caleigh (the self-proclaimed beginner who thinks Bulgarian split squats should be classified as cruel and unusual punishment) and Sara (the coach who actually knows what she’s doing) dive headfirst into the wild world of fitness scams —with plenty of laughs, tangents, and questionable jokes along the way. 🚨 Why Fitness Scams Are Everywhere The fitness industry is worth billions, which means there’s always someone ready to sell you a “shortcut.” Whether it’s a supplement that promises to torch fat, a crash diet that guarantees results in 30 days, or Instagram workouts that magically target belly fat, scams thrive because people want fast fixes. The reality? Sustainable health comes from the boring stuff : consistent movement, balanced nutrition, sleep, and stress management. But that doesn’t sell as well as “drop 30 pounds in 30 days.” 🤯 Popular Fitness Scams They Call Out Here are just a few of the fads and gimmicks discussed in the episode: Body Positivity (when twisted into an excuse) – Loving yourself is great, but ignoring your health isn’t. Raw Milk – Romanticized online, but not a magic bullet for health. Athletic Greens (AG1) – Expensive powders that are basically just multivitamins in smoothie form. Electrolyte Powders – Some (like Liquid IV or LMNT) are useful, but don’t believe the “double hydration” marketing hype. “For Women” Supplements – Same formula, pink label, higher price. Colostrum & Collagen Powders – Marketed as miracle youth potions. Spoiler: your regular protein powder works just fine. Probiotics – Helpful after antibiotics, but not the cure-all they’re marketed to be. Detox Teas & Cleanses – Your liver and kidneys already handle that job for free. Keto Desserts – Sorry, Jessica. That keto cupcake is still just a cupcake. 12-3-30 Workouts – Good exercise, but it’s not a “fat-burning secret.” Crash Diets (HCG, blood type diets, etc.) – Fast weight loss? Yes. Sustainable? Nope. And of course… everyone’s favorite scammy influencer, V Shred . 💡 The Bigger Problem: Normalized Fitness Lies The scariest part? Some scams are so normalized, we don’t even question them anymore. Marketing convinces us that we’re broken and need expensive fixes—when the truth is that health isn’t about extremes. What actually works: Consistency > hacks Real food > powders Movement you enjoy > gimmicky workouts Patience > promises of “30 pounds in 30 days” 🎧 Why You’ll Love This Episode Yes, you’ll learn how to spot scams. But you’ll also laugh (a lot). From butt-joke tangents to middle-schoolers discovering their teacher has a podcast, Caleigh and Sara remind us that fitness doesn’t have to be intimidating—or boring. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a detox tea commercial or wondered if collagen peptides are just expensive marketing, this one’s for you. ✅ Key Takeaway Don’t waste money chasing the latest fitness trend. Stick to the basics: move your body, eat balanced meals, get sleep, and stay consistent. Everything else is just expensive hype.