STEP-BY-STEP Fitness: THE SCALE

Now that we’re in the new year and a lot of resolutions include losing weight and getting healthy let’s talk about something we all use recklessly. THE INFAMOUS SCALE! DUN DUN DUUUNNN (that was supposed to be my scary music. It sounded frightening and suspenseful in my head.)

After you get on the scale do you look like this guy. . .

This is what I want you to do. Pick up your scale, take it outside, throw it in the street, then run over it with your car. Sound a bit drastic? Good! If not used properly the scale can be your enemy, an enemy that plays tricks with your feelings and emotions. Scales can lead you to believe you’re making progress when you’re not and lead you to believe you’re not making progress when you are. The scale is a tricky thing if not used smartly.

Ever wonder why one day you can weigh 2 pounds less than you did the day before, then the next day be 3 pounds heavier according to your scale? This is especially aggravating if you’re in the midst of “dieting” and exercising. It’s because your body weight fluctuates from day to day depending on one or more of the following: the amount of water you’re drinking from day to day, the amount of food you’re eating from day to day, if you’re menstruating, if you’ve gone to the bathroom (#1 or #2) that day and how many times, if you exercised and how intense that exercise was, time of day you got on the scale, what you ate or drank before you got on the scale, and how many items of clothing you are wearing. This list is in no way the end all be all of list of contributing factors that manipulate the number on your scale but it does give you an idea of the number of variables that can influence a scale reading.

For now don’t worry about the scale. Here are a few ways you can track your progress without a scale. These are better signs of your progress:

· Photograph - Take a picture of yourself in your underwear or bathing suit once every 30 days. You see your body every day. It’s hard to notice your progress on a daily basis but your pictures will show you how well you’re doing.

· Body Fat - Have a fitness professional take your body fat measurement. DO NOT BE AFRAID. Before you start any fitness/exercise regiment or “diet” there are two things you should do. Visit your doctor and get your body fat measurement done. After your initial measurement get it done again every 60-90 days.

· The Tape Measure - Have a friend take your measurements with a tape measure and record the readings. In 30 days do it again and see how much progress you’ve made. Measure your neck, shoulders, chest, waist, hips, upper arms, upper legs, and lower legs. Be sure to measure both sides. Most people are not exactly the same on both the right and left sides.

· Clothing – How are your clothes fitting now? Pants getting a little baggy? Shirt fitting a little looser than it used to? Good, you’re making progress. All you have to do is keep it up.

· Your Friends – As you make progress people will begin to ask you this question, “Have you lost weight?”. When you hear that, pay attention. It means you’re making progress. Especially if the person who asks you hasn’t seen you in a while.

If you really feel the need to use a scale be smart about it, use it as an averaging tool. Pay close attention to the time of day and what you’re wearing when you get on the scale. Try to wear the same thing (preferably nothing) and weigh yourself at the same time every time you get on the scale. Track your weight for 4-7 days. Add up your total weight then divide by the number of days you weighed yourself that week. Tracking your average weight will give you a better idea of your progress than weighing yourself everyday and looking at those numbers independently.

Use as many progress measuring tools as you can. Don’t let the evil scale discourage you!