Nguyen Xuan Son's weight story received more attention after he did not score in the match against the Bangladesh national team. However, the Brazilian-born striker said that he does not care about what people say because "muscles are different from fat". Meaning he understands his body, the remaining issue is scoring goals, also with that body.
Indeed, this is a fairly common misunderstanding related to weight. With a normal scale, its "neutral" factor only indicates how much your weight is. It does not show how much muscle, fat and water there is in that kilogram. But in the minds of many people, just seeing the scale needle move up is worrying. Or evaluating when looking at other people's physique.
People still give a tricky riddle "1kg cotton and 1kg iron, which is heavier?" The story of muscle and fat is also the same, although they are the same weight, but different in nature. Muscles are thicker, heavier, and consume more energy. Fat is lighter in density, but it is the accumulated part. If you exercise seriously, you can gain a few kilograms, but that is gaining muscle, which means the body is healthier, faster, and more durable. Conversely, rapid weight loss is not necessarily better, if what is lost is the precious muscle mass.
With sports, muscle strength is of course important, so even if you have a "slim" body but lack strength and endurance, it will be difficult to meet the requirements of modern competition. In everyday life, misunderstandings in the journey of weight control are quite common, when the only goal is to "loss kilograms". Eat less, even drastically cut down, exercise in the style of "sweating as much as possible". The result is that weight can be lost, but the body becomes weaker, metabolism slows down and then gains weight again quickly.
A more realistic approach is to shift the question from "how much do I weigh" to "what does my body consist of?" Fat percentage, muscle mass, mobility, sleep quality, daily energy levels... these factors accurately reflect the health status.
Weight management is not a battle with... the scale. It is the process of understanding your body, rebuilding it in a better, more sustainable direction. Being "a little heavier" is actually a sign that a body is going in the right direction.
