Tracking Your Results - Why To Avoid The Scale
You've been there before - you workout, you eat healthily, and it's time to see how much weight you've lost.
After one full week, you lost a pound. Awesome!
You do it again; workout, eat healthily, weigh in > Hm, nothing has been lost.
You do it again; workout, eat healthily, weigh yourself a few days early because you're just so anxious to see how you did; What? How did I gain 2 pounds??
Weighing yourself on the scale is often not a good representation of progress made.
Why isn't the scale telling the whole truth?
Weight fluctuates depending on many things:
- Time of day
- Water retention (which also means time of the month)
- What you ate the night before
- Medication
- If you used the bathroom before/after weighing in
The scale also doesn't account for an increase in muscle mass.
- If you are working towards body recomposition, the scale may not change even though your body does.
These results that fluctuate between a few pounds can do real psychological damage if you're weighing in every day and expecting different results.
If using the scale isn't the best way to track progress, what is?
Pictures and measurements.
I want you to look at this picture of my client Jess.
An incredible transformation, right?
What if I told you that her weight barely changed throughout all three of these pictures?
She lost 13 pounds - but shed only a couple pounds.
The scale doesn't tell the story here, the pictures do.
How to take pictures to properly track progress:
- Take a front facing picture with your hands on your hips, but not your skin.
- Take a side picture with your hands out in front of you.
- Take a back picture the same way as your front (hands on your hips).
- Be sure to wear the same things (or similar) for every picture to really track your progress.
- Try to wear a bathing suit, bra and underwear, or a sports bra and bottoms.
- For best results, take photos in natural lighting.
- Also it's best if you can have someone take the pictures for you, or if you prop the phone up and do a self timer.
How to measure yourself for proper progress:
1. Measure yourself on the same day, and at the same time of day each time. It should be done in the morning.
2. Measure yourself after using the bathroom, and before any eating or drinking.
3. See the charts below for notes on what/where to measure:
We understand the urge to weigh yourself can still be there. Here is how to weigh yourself properly:
1. Weigh yourself on the same day, and at the same time of day each time. If should be done in the morning. (Tip: record your weight and measurements at the same time)
2. Get on the scale after using the bathroom, and before any eating or drinking.
3. Stay away from the scale the rest of the week.