So many of the women I work with have told me that they feel so discouraged & want to give up when they work sooooo hard on their nutrition and exercise plan, and the dang scale does. not. move. Can you relate?
Honey, if that single number is the ONLY thing you’re basing your success on, you are setting yourself up for disappointment!
Why?
Because weight is NOT a true indicator of your overall weight loss success.
As a woman, your weight fluctuates a LOT throughout the month because of many factors-menstrual cycle, food, exercise, medications to name a few.
And losing weight doesn’t mean you’re losing fat. You could be losing muscle and slowing your metabolism right down with it. No bueno!
So what DO you measure if you’re wanting to see changes in your body?
(1) Habit Consistency
You can’t lose 20lb by NOT taking some sort of consistent action. And losing weight doesn’t happen overnight either, so if you’re not tracking + celebrating the positive steps and habits you create along the way, you’re just going to hop on/hop off the hamster wheel of weight loss. These consistent habits you take every week stack up, and are the things that help you get from point A to point B. Commit to THAT.
(2) Tape measures
Ok I know you want SOMETHING to measure your body with. Tape measure is quick + relatively easy to use and actually tells you where on your body you’re seeing changes. Given that the body doesn’t spot reduce, taking measures all over your body gives you a better overall picture of fat loss. I recommend doing the following body sites: mid-point of upper arms, chest, natural waist, belly button, hips, mid-point of thighs (left and right side for extremities). Stay consistent with your plan 80% of the time, and measure monthly to see your progress
(3) Photos
My gawd, if I had a buck for every time a client said they didn’t want to take these! But they are SO important in seeing how far you’ve come! Before beginning any goal, take your dang photos (front, side, rear). You’ll thank me when you take that progress photo in a month/6months/1year.
(4) Track your GAINS
Kind of related to the first point, measure what things are IMPROVING in your life as a result of sticking to your lifestyle plan. If you’re sleep has improved, what your energy is like, how’s your mood overall, how supported and connected you feel with your coach or accountability group. These things MATTER and we don’t give it enough focus.
Track these, note the improvements, and it will help keep you doing the actions that you know you must continue to do to feel good and see changes.
You got this, babe 😘
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