Most of us, who are concerned about fitness, base it on our weight. We step on the scale (sometimes on a daily basis) and we determine our success by what the numbers say. If they have gone up, we get discouraged (even by one pound) and if they go down (again, even if it’s just by one pound), we are elated.
But what the scale says isn’t the only measure of how well we are doing. You could be staying the same, yet losing inches. So be sure to not only consider your weight but your inches.
The reality is that many times exercise builds muscle, so it may appear that you aren’t losing weight but it’s because you are adding muscle to your body. Eventually the weight will begin to fall off. This is why you want to also make sure you are “measuring” your success…pun intended.
If you haven’t already done this, do it today. Get out a tape measure and begin to take measurements of your upper arms, wrists, waist, hips, thighs and calves. I would give it a good 2 or 3 months before you take measurements again. While your weight might not have shed too much, you just might discover that your inches have.
When you lose inches, you are losing what is most important; not the weight but you are actually losing fat. That’s what you need to shed from your body.
So instead of focusing solely on what the numbers on your scale read, consider if you are losing inches. If you are not losing inches it could be that you are eating too many calories or eating unhealthy foods. Or it could be that you aren’t exercising enough. It may even be a combination.
The point is that this is probably the best way to measure whether or not you are successful in your fitness routine.
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