It’s easy to get discouraged when you first start an exercise program (and sometimes even when you’ve been at it awhile…). You struggle to fit a workout somewhere in your busy day, to eat well when your business meeting serves pizza, and to continue this for weeks and sometimes months without seeing the scale budge. And you’re not alone – we all (yes, me included!) struggle to see results from all this seemingly unrewarding effort.
Seeing results is key when you start a weight loss program. You want to know that your hard work is doing something for your body, bringing you at least a few steps closer to your goals. The secret to seeing these results is knowing where to look for them – because you won’t find them on that dreaded scale.
Weight Loss ReDefined
In order to see results, you have to first understand how weight loss works. It’s not simply about losing body fat, although we wish it were that simple. Your number one goal with a weight loss program is honestly not weight loss – it’s really about restructuring your body. When you do this, the pounds will naturally follow… but it takes time. And at least initially, this restructuring won’t show any change on your scale. You are losing fat and building muscle simultaneously, so you must choose an analysis method that will track these types of changes.
The Secret…
The secret to seeing results from the beginning is body composition analysis. Your body composition is your body’s ratio of fat to lean muscle mass. And there are all kinds of ways to measure this, including circumference measurements, bioelectrical impedance, and skin calipers. The important thing to know about all of these methods is that they will show you immediate results from your efforts, as opposed to those ominous scale readings. Plus, body composition measurements serve as excellent goal-setting tools. Instead of aiming for a goal “weight” (which may be unrealistic for your body type), you can shoot for a specific body fat percentage or waist circumference. These measurements are more specific and more attainable – and you can continue to measure every few weeks as your workouts progress.
How To Track Your Fat Loss
Although some methods of body comp analysis require expensive equipment, there are several you can do for yourself right at home. The artcile links below will address both body fat percentage and circumference measurements in more detail, outlining what numbers you should look for and how to calculate the values for yourself.
