Numbers can lie. They can also be demotivating and become an obsession. So how can we watch our progress and stay motivated while we work on our health and fitness goals? That’s what we’ll be talking about today.
I’ve been training with James, one of G Force’s mobile personal trainers for almost 2 months now and I’ve achieved amazing results already! (You can read about it in My G Force Training Adventure Part 1 and Part 2.)
After last week’s session, I shared with him how much weight I’ve lost and he warned me that the numbers on the scale can be misleading. The measure of true physical fitness is in lean muscle mass, not our body weight in pounds. Since muscle weighs more than fat, you tend to get heavier as you get more fit!
In all honesty I must admit, I was getting a little obsessive about weighing myself. Almost every second day! While I myself refrained from getting demotivated, some people get discouraged if they’re constantly weighing themselves and not seeing the numbers decrease (which is actually unrealistic because healthy weight loss is about 2 pounds per week).
When this happens, many people will poop out on their goals, reverting back to their old, unhealthy habits because they’re working so hard and not seeing a difference. They let the numbers get in their way!
James reminded me that there are much better ways to measure our progress and stay motivated:
- How you feel. Do you have more energy than before you started working out and eating better? Do you have more stamina? Are you sleeping better? Can you feel your posture improving and your confidence increasing? Do you feel stronger and healthier?
- How do your pants fit? Even though you may be increasing in weight because of your muscle, you should be getting leaner, meaning you’re losing inches! If you want to measure anything, measure your waist and hips. Better yet, get those old clothes out and try them on. You’ll be surprised how well they fit now – they may even fall off you!
- Beating your personal best. If you could only perform 10 proper pushups two weeks ago and now you can do 14, I got news for you: you’re getting stronger, leaner and meaner! You’re progressing and becoming more fit! If this is the case, why would you need numbers on a scale to make you feel better about the work you’re doing?
I hope these 3 ways to stay motivated in pursuing your health and fitness goals help you to stop obsessing over numbers (like they did for me!). I also hope they help you keep focused on the more important aspects of getting healthier: how you feel from the inside.
Do YOU have any healthy methods in measuring your health and fitness progress? Please share them with us and other readers in the comment section below.