How This Helps
Break the habit of stepping on the scale and begin to realize you control your own healthy outlook!
Instructions
If you are one of those people that weigh themselves every
morning, stop it. I am speaking to you
on behalf of every personal trainer, nutritionist, coach, you name it! There is
no logical reason to weigh yourself daily unless under the orders of a
physician for a medical condition. Our
weight can vary from one day to another, anywhere from 2-5 pounds or more. The effects
our food, our activity level and even how many times we use the bathroom, can
influence the numbers on the scale. If you are weight training, your muscles
can retain water for 2-3 days after an intense or intense to you, workout. Even
the amount of carbohydrates you ingest on a given day, can affect the scale in
terms of water weight retention. Keeping
a weekly log to track your weight fluctuations, if you are in a weight loss or
gain protocol, makes sense. But hop on
the scale any more frequently and you are most likely setting yourself up for
confusion.
Enter the dreaded topic for all of us, body fat percentage! Are
you someone that uses a body composition or body fat scale, as either a
complement to tracking their weight or their sole means of tracking their
measurements? If this sounds like you,
be aware that changing your body fat percentage, can take upwards of 30 days to
achieve and can be varied in your daily results even more so than with your
weight. Don’t stress if you don’t see changes right away!
If you have ever seen a drastic weight loss from an obese
person, shortly after starting a diet and workout regime, take note of the
length of time at which that reduction lasts. Most often, a significant
reduction in weight loss or body fat percentage comes easier and faster to
those already overweight, as the body begins the shedding or detoxifying
process. This process will be a reaction to the sudden change in status quo and
will not last forever. Eventually a
weight loss regime will stabilize and the body will level off at a stable
weight and fat to muscle ratio. Maintaining that level or a healthy level for
that matter is another topic entirely!
Just don’t stress about the numbers on the scale, any scale
or any numbers. Keep a healthy distance from your bathroom scale outside of
once per week at the same time, wearing the same amount of clothing every
time. Keep in perspective that if you
are overweight, you are looking for consistent downward trend over time or anywhere
from .5 to 2 pounds per week lost, if actively engaged in a healthy exercise
and nutrition plan. The numbers on the scale should never define you. We all
know this we just forget it too easily when staring down at those cold,
heartless digits staring back at you. Just don’t forget this tidbit of information
everyday or you really will inhibit your weight management success and more
importantly, you’ll lose your focus on a healthy weight and positive
relationship with yourself!
