Table of contents
Post highlights
The scale only tells you part of the story
Fat loss and weight loss are not the same thing
Why abdominal and visceral fat matter
What the SHINE clinical trial found
A different way to approach weight management
Why consistency matters more than extremes
Carb Fence: supporting fat loss, not just a lower number on the scale
References
The number on the scale doesn't reveal whether you're losing fat or losing muscle — and that difference matters for long-term health.
Preserving lean mass alongside fat loss supports strength, metabolism, and how your body looks and functions over time.
Carb Fence works locally in the gut via SiPore® technology, supporting fat loss while helping preserve lean body mass.
Post highlights
- The number on the scale does not tell you whether you lost fat or lean mass.
- Fat loss with lean mass preserved represents a very different change in body composition than weight loss that includes substantial lean tissue.
- Abdominal and visceral fat are important measures when looking beyond total body weight.
- In the SHINE clinical trial, SiPore® reduced body weight and fat mass while lean mass was preserved.
- Carb Fence is powered by patented SiPore® technology, which works locally in the gut to slow the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats during digestion.
- SiPore® works from the first meal. Changes in weight and body composition develop over longer-term, consistent use.
Imagine two people who each lose five kilograms.
One loses mostly fat while preserving lean mass. The other loses a meaningful amount of lean tissue alongside fat.
The scale shows exactly the same result.
But what happened inside their bodies is very different.
That is why weight loss alone does not tell the full story. What kind of weight you lose matters.
And it is one of the most interesting findings from the clinical research behind the technology in Carb Fence: fat mass decreased while lean mass was preserved.
The scale only tells you part of the story
Body weight is exactly that: the total weight of your body.
It does not tell you how much of that weight comes from fat versus lean tissue. It does not tell you where fat is stored. And it does not tell you how your body composition is changing as you lose weight.
This matters because losing fat is not the same thing as simply becoming lighter.
If weight loss comes primarily from fat while lean mass is maintained, the change in body composition is very different from weight loss that includes a substantial amount of lean tissue.
That is why looking beyond kilograms or pounds can give a more meaningful picture of progress.
Fat loss and weight loss are not the same thing
When people talk about wanting to lose weight, what they usually mean is that they want to lose excess body fat.
But the scale cannot distinguish between different types of tissue.
A five-kilogram reduction could reflect mostly fat loss. Or it could include a combination of fat and lean mass.
Both appear identical on the scale.
Body composition helps show the difference.
This distinction is particularly relevant when looking at abdominal fat.
Why abdominal and visceral fat matter
Not all body fat is stored in the same place.
Visceral fat is stored deeper in the abdominal area around internal organs. It is an important aspect of metabolic health and one reason measurements such as waist circumference and abdominal diameter can add useful information beyond total body weight.
For this reason, research into weight management increasingly looks at more than the number on the scale.
Researchers may also examine:
-
Fat mass
-
Lean mass
-
Waist circumference
-
Abdominal measurements
-
Changes in overall body composition
This gives a much clearer picture of what is actually changing.
What the SHINE clinical trial found
The SHINE trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study involving 318 adults with prediabetes or early type 2 diabetes.
Over 12 weeks, researchers evaluated SiPore® technology across a range of metabolic and body-composition measures.
The body-composition findings were particularly interesting.
Participants using SiPore® showed reductions in body weight and fat mass while lean mass was preserved.
Researchers also observed reductions in waist circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter, measures used to assess changes in abdominal body composition.
Together with supporting real-world evidence, these findings show that SiPore® helps target abdominal and visceral fat while preserving lean body mass.
That is a more informative outcome than weight loss alone.
It tells us something about what changed, not simply how much the scale moved.
A different way to approach weight management
SiPore® does not work by acting throughout the body.
It works locally in the gut, where digestion begins, and does not enter the bloodstream.
Its precisely engineered pores temporarily entrap a portion of digestive enzymes involved in breaking down carbohydrates and fats.
The result is simple:
Carbohydrates and fats are broken down more gradually during digestion.
This reduces the impact of the meal and supports a steadier post-meal response.
SiPore® starts working with the very first meal you take it with. There is no loading period required for its local mechanical mode of action to begin.
That does not mean fat loss happens after one meal. Changes in body weight and body composition develop over longer periods of consistent use.
But the mechanism starts immediately, meal by meal.
Why consistency matters more than extremes
Meaningful changes in body composition happen over time.
There is rarely one meal, one workout, or one decision that determines the outcome.
Instead, progress comes from what happens repeatedly.
Consistent eating habits. Regular movement. Adequate protein. And approaches that can realistically fit into everyday life.
That is also the idea behind SiPore®.
Rather than trying to eliminate carbohydrates or fats from the diet, the technology is designed to reduce the impact of everyday meals by modulating digestion locally in the gut.
One meal at a time.
Less impact per meal can build into more stable patterns over time.
Carb Fence: supporting fat loss, not just a lower number on the scale
Carb Fence is powered by patented SiPore® technology.
Taken with meals, SiPore® works locally in the gut to slow the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats during digestion.
Clinical and real-world evidence shows reductions in fat mass while preserving lean body mass, supporting healthier body composition.
SiPore® has also been shown to help target abdominal and visceral fat.
That distinction matters.
Because successful weight management should not only be about seeing a smaller number on the scale.
It should also be about what kind of weight you are losing.
Fat mass down. Lean mass preserved. A more meaningful way to think about progress.
------------------------------
References
Baek J, et al. (2026). Effect of Engineered Mesoporous Silica Particles with Tailored Pore Size on Glycaemic Control in Individuals with Prediabetes or Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled SHINE Trial. eClinicalMedicine 97:104042.
Sigrid Therapeutics. U.S. Real-World Evidence Study, 2025.
Why does the type of weight you lose matter, not just the number on the scale?
Weight loss can come from fat, muscle, or both. Losing lean mass alongside fat can slow your metabolism, reduce strength, and make it harder to keep weight off long-term. Two people can lose the same number of pounds and end up in very different places, depending on what kind of weight they actually lost.
How can I tell if I'm losing fat or losing muscle?
The scale alone cannot tell you. Body composition methods such as DEXA scans, bioelectrical impedance, or simple measurements like waist circumference and how your clothes fit give a clearer picture than weight alone. Tracking strength and energy levels over time can also be a useful signal.
How does Carb Fence support healthy body composition during weight loss?
Carb Fence works locally in the gut through patented SiPore® technology, rather than through systemic appetite suppression. It is a medical food designed for the dietary management of impaired carbohydrate metabolism, used alongside standard medical care and dietary guidance. In the SHINE clinical trial, Carb Fence use was associated with reductions in fat mass while lean body mass was preserved, supporting healthy body composition.
