Have you recently started, or ever started, a fitness program only to get discouraged early in the process when you don’t see the scale moving in the right direction? I have. In my mind I’m, still 25 and on fire, but my 50+ year old body says otherwise. Maybe like you, I expect to come out of the gate on fire and dropping 10 pounds or a jean size in a week when I dial in a fitness and nutrition program.
We all know that’s not realistic but we are human and want that immediate satisfaction. Right?
What I have learned, and want to share with you, is the mindset and reality of a sustained and life changing fitness and health program. And while healthy, sustainable weight loss is a specialty of ours, we also educate our clients from the first day they come in that healthy, sustainable weight loss takes time (I know, not what you wanted to hear, but its the truth).
As a general rule, women lose at a rate of .05% per week and men lose about .056% of body weight per week. So round numbers, a 150-pound woman would lose an average of .75 pounds per week (if following a well-designed exercise and nutrition program about 80% of the time).
That may not seem like much, but it would be considered excellent progress. Thus, a 20-pound weight-loss goal would take approximately 6 months to achieve in a healthy, sustainable way.
But Coach are there other more “true total health” ways to measure progress, other than what the scale says? Of course there are!
Actually, the scale is NOT the best way and often creates a mental block when other great benefits are happening. And worse, instead of feeling fantastic and accomplished for achieving your progress like:
Tighter muscles
Dropping clothing sizes
Increased energy
Generally feeling good
When you get on the scale and the number isn’t what you want, your mind may go into a slump and the negativity may try to get you to quit! Oh no no no, we dont do that here.
Here is what I recommend. Use these other indicators of how you are progressing.
1 – Body Composition: Weighing 150 pounds at 20% body fat is clearly healthier than weighing 145 pounds at 30% body fat. Here is a calculator that you can use with a couple of measurements https://www.mytecbits.com/tools/medical/navy-body-fat-calculator
2 – Strength: Increasing your relative strength is one of the single most beneficial things you can do for your health and longevity. Prioritize strength training. How many push-ups can you do today? Check again next week and keep it going.
3 – Mobility: Becoming more flexible and better able to execute foundational movement patterns with improved range of motion and no pain is going to be incredibly helpful – both in your workouts, and in your ability to age in a pain-free way.
4 – Cardiovascular Health: “Cardio” has gotten a bad name in the fitness industry. It’s often presented (i.e. sold) as the best way to “burn fat” by trainers and gyms that don’t know their stuff. The best way to burn fat and develop a stronger, leaner, more functional body is to focus on resistance training (i.e. lifting weights), with proper doses of “cardio” sprinkled in throughout the week. But don’t avoid cardiovascular training, as it has many health and performance benefits. Just don’t overdo it.
Would you like some help tracking your fitness progress? Reply back and let me know.
The bottom line; focus on HOW you feel, your strength, how your clothes fit, and ignore your scale – It is not your friend!!
