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Measure Your Progress Without Numbers

April 20, 2010 in Motivation by admin | No comments

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Scales suck.  They all lie.  We all know it.  Don’t believe me?  Weigh yourself, chug a glass of water, and weigh yourself again.  See?  Now go to the bathroom and weigh yourself again.  See?

Yet people use the scale as their number one gauge of fitness progress.  It makes no sense- and only ends in disappointment.

Now, you could get your body fat percentage measured, or take your circumference measurements to see how you have physically progressed, but even those aren’t don’t give you the full picture.  A lot more positive things happen through a healthy diet and exercise, than simply shrinking.

Next time the numbers don’t match your effort, look to the other signs you are progressing.

  • Climbing the stairs is easier
  • Your knee/back/neck pain has decreased
  • You don’t need that 3:00pm coffee anymore
  • You can touch your toes
  • You spend less time watching TV and more time playing with your kids
  • Work seems less stressful
  • You are sleeping more soundly and waking more rested
  • Carrying those loads of groceries is easier than before
  • You can’t remember what feeling stuffed or starving is like
  • Your skin is clearer and brighter
  • Your doctor told you ‘congrats’ instead of ‘here’s what you need to do…’
  • Your mood is even, and those little things that used to drive you crazy don’t seem to bother you
  • Your balance has improved
  • The aches and pains you have learned to live with have vanished

Losing weight may be your goal, but that’s not the only thing that happens when you start making healthy decisions.  Focus on ALL of the good, and appreciate how your entire body, and life, are changing for the better.

In Good Health,

Kelly Turner

Kelly Turner is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and health and fitness writer from Seattle, WA.  Her writing has appeared in numerous magazines, and she currently blogs for Breathe Magazine, is the Health and Fitness Expert for Twirlit.com and feature fitness writer for FitPeeps.com.  To contact Kelly with any questions, you email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.

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Do You Weigh Too Much?

August 27, 2009 in Fitness, Motivation, Tips and Tricks by Dave | 1 comment

images3Do you weigh too much? I don’t mean how much you weigh, I mean how often you weigh.

Are you one of those people that hops on the scale every time you go into the bathroom? Do you contemplate shaving your head to lose those last few tenths of a pound each time you hop on.

Do you drive yourself insane with the fluctuating number from day to day, hour to hour?

Man, I’m asking questions like an infomercial pitchman.

How often you weigh yourself might effect your weight loss goals- and not in a good way.  Scales don’t just measure fat, they also weigh muscle, bones, and water. The scale is not an indicator of weight loss. You can weigh less without losing fat and you can lose fat and not see it in the scale.  Weighing yourself everyday can be frustrating when you see these numbers change up and down, and cause you to lose motivation.  Weighing yourself less often can actually give you a clearer picture of your actual weight loss.

The ensure the most accurate number on the scale when you do weigh, make sure you weigh at the same time each day you weigh in, preferably first thing in the morning when you stomach is empty and you had a good night’s sleep.  Or better yet, use your body fat percentage as a gauge- this is the only way to keep track of the actual amount of fat your body contains.

Body fat is the best indicator, because not only does it track how much fat you are losing, you can also see how much muscle you are gaining.  It shows you the quality of your body mass, as opposed to just the quantity.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking “I’m not losing weight because I am gaining muscle,” though. This is a cop out- if you have fat to lose, you should be losing weight, it’s just that it doesn’t happen as consistently and perfectly as you would like it too.   If you are working out hard enough to gain muscle weight, you are working out hard enough to lose fat weight, so that’s not an excuse for a unmoving scale.  Weigh once a week, to make sure you are on track, but watch your body fat, too.

Most importantly, don;t drive yourself crazy.  Your weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds a day based on meals, hydration, and, a-hem, bowel movements.   Stay accountable, but don’t live and die by your scale.

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