What a perfect time to set goals for yourself as the year slowly starts coming to a close. As candy treats and holiday feasts quickly creep upon us, many make the decision to lose a little weight in preparation for these times of overindulgence. Though losing weight can help improve your overall health, some are scared to start their weightloss journey because they do not want to see the number on the scale. Actually, now is the perfect time to fight against those fears and not let the scale spook you.
As you start your health journey, remember that the number on the scale does not define you. The scale should only be used to see the improvements you have made over a long period of time, not as a guide to determine if you are losing weight at a particular rate. One aspect of losing weight that many don’t realize throughout their weightloss journey is that the scale might not always be a true representation of fat loss.
How can the scale be incorrect? As you work out and lose fat, you will also gain muscle.The scale cannot tell the difference between fat loss and muscle gain; it will only show you a number. Muscle is also more dense than fat. For example, one cup of fat weighs 7.5 oz, but one cup of muscle weighs 9.7 oz. Therefore, one pound of muscle gained will take up less space in the body then fat. This means that you may look thinner than before, but the scale will say your body weight has stayed the same.
Need help setting your health goals before we enter the final two months of 2020? Click here to learn more about how to reach your fall ambitions and goals.
How else do you track your weight loss progress besides stepping on the scale? Here are a few tricks on how to track your weight without obsessing about a number:
How to track you health journey without looking at the scale
Take progress pictures throughout your health journey
The best way to notice a difference in your body is through visualizations. Take a picture of yourself facing the camera on the first and 60th day of your health journey. By physically seeing the changes your body has made, you will have a boost of confidence and determination to continue on.
Perform the same workout once a month and watch your progress
As you start to create a consistent workout routine, you will slowly be able to grow your physical strength. Because of this, it may become harder to see how much progress you have truly made throughout the last few months. Make sure to repeat the same workout once a month to see how your strength has improved. For example if you start your health journey on November 1st, perform the same workout on December 1st to see your physical growth over the past month.
Take tape measurements of your body every 2 months
As discussed earlier, muscle takes up less space in the body than fat. Because of this, your body will look leaner though the number on the scale might not drastically change. To get a true representation of how much fat you lost, take measurements of your arm, waist, hips, and thigh circumference every 1-2 months. For a proper video on how to take body measurements at home, click here for a video walking you through the steps.
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To your Joy and Health,
Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
This blog post was written by Bailee Richman, Dietetics Student from the University of Maryland