Yesterday I blogged about portion control and the importance of measuring your protein, in particular, but your entire meal and snack size in general. Today I wanted to reiterate the importance of measuring, but not just your food.
If you are trying to lose weight, the number on the scale is just one way of measuring your progress. And it is not the greatest way. The number of pounds you weigh can fluctuate (greatly, for some people) based on water intake and dehydration levels, salt intake, grain and refined carb intake (which tends to hold more water in your cells giving you a more bloated appearance), recent exercise and heavy sweating, as well as many other factors. As we have all experienced, a bout of the stomach flu can cause a person to drop many pounds in a short amount of time, but as soon as you feel well again, those pounds somehow magically reappear. And that's a good thing, because chronic dehydration is NOT a healthy way to lose weight!
So, by all means, do weigh yourself! But keep in mind that this number reflects the amount of muscle you are carrying, as well as fat. Sometimes when you begin a new diet and exercise regime, your weight might stay stable for quite awhile, even months, while your body composition is slowly shifting from fat toward lean muscle, which weighs much more than fat. However, even as the poundage remains annoyingly stable, you may be losing inches and centimeters around your waist, hips, thighs, jowls, and upper arms. It is a good idea to measure these as well. Well, maybe not the jowls, but everything else. Not on a daily basis, unless you are a masochist, but maybe once a week, so you can see a bit of progress. Measure what you truly care about the most. I never bother with measuring anything but my waist because this is what matters to me. I don't care how big my butt gets, as long as I have a small waist and a flat belly! (A girl can dream...)
Another reason to take measurements is proof. Sometimes, even when the number on the scale DOES miraculously go DOWN, I look in the mirror and think I look EXACTLY the same. I just cannot fathom where on earth that weightloss came from. So I measure and find out! If my waist measurement is even a fraction of an inch smaller, then I have my proof. See, Mirror, I AM a little bit smaller! So there!
The other important factor in measuring is to always match oranges to oranges and not apples to oranges or cucumbers or piglets. I mean, if you weigh yourself at various times of the day, wearing different outfits, sometimes soaking wet, sometimes in cowboy boots, your results will be all over the place! Even weighing yourself at different times of the month will have a large effect on your numbers, according to your menstrual cycle. The same goes for measuring your waist. Measure at the same time of the day. Measure your waist when your stomach is empty! (I am always interested in the best possible news, so I only weigh myself stark naked, first thing in the morning. Same with waist measurements.) If you have gone crazy on a cheat day, (or cheat WEEK? Hopefully not!) you might want to avoid the scale completely unless you are a fan of the slap in the face. I am more of a fan of denial.
So grab your trusty tape measure in addition to your scale and measure what matters to you! While you're at it, have a happy and healthy Memorial Day!
If you are trying to lose weight, the number on the scale is just one way of measuring your progress. And it is not the greatest way. The number of pounds you weigh can fluctuate (greatly, for some people) based on water intake and dehydration levels, salt intake, grain and refined carb intake (which tends to hold more water in your cells giving you a more bloated appearance), recent exercise and heavy sweating, as well as many other factors. As we have all experienced, a bout of the stomach flu can cause a person to drop many pounds in a short amount of time, but as soon as you feel well again, those pounds somehow magically reappear. And that's a good thing, because chronic dehydration is NOT a healthy way to lose weight!
So, by all means, do weigh yourself! But keep in mind that this number reflects the amount of muscle you are carrying, as well as fat. Sometimes when you begin a new diet and exercise regime, your weight might stay stable for quite awhile, even months, while your body composition is slowly shifting from fat toward lean muscle, which weighs much more than fat. However, even as the poundage remains annoyingly stable, you may be losing inches and centimeters around your waist, hips, thighs, jowls, and upper arms. It is a good idea to measure these as well. Well, maybe not the jowls, but everything else. Not on a daily basis, unless you are a masochist, but maybe once a week, so you can see a bit of progress. Measure what you truly care about the most. I never bother with measuring anything but my waist because this is what matters to me. I don't care how big my butt gets, as long as I have a small waist and a flat belly! (A girl can dream...)
Another reason to take measurements is proof. Sometimes, even when the number on the scale DOES miraculously go DOWN, I look in the mirror and think I look EXACTLY the same. I just cannot fathom where on earth that weightloss came from. So I measure and find out! If my waist measurement is even a fraction of an inch smaller, then I have my proof. See, Mirror, I AM a little bit smaller! So there!
The other important factor in measuring is to always match oranges to oranges and not apples to oranges or cucumbers or piglets. I mean, if you weigh yourself at various times of the day, wearing different outfits, sometimes soaking wet, sometimes in cowboy boots, your results will be all over the place! Even weighing yourself at different times of the month will have a large effect on your numbers, according to your menstrual cycle. The same goes for measuring your waist. Measure at the same time of the day. Measure your waist when your stomach is empty! (I am always interested in the best possible news, so I only weigh myself stark naked, first thing in the morning. Same with waist measurements.) If you have gone crazy on a cheat day, (or cheat WEEK? Hopefully not!) you might want to avoid the scale completely unless you are a fan of the slap in the face. I am more of a fan of denial.
So grab your trusty tape measure in addition to your scale and measure what matters to you! While you're at it, have a happy and healthy Memorial Day!
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