#4 Measuring your progress

The Biggest Loser has a lot to answer for!

It may have heightened the nation’s awareness of the need to get into shape, whilst also satisfying our sadistic pleasure in watching the chronically obese attempt 4 hours of training a day. But, ‘The Biggest Loser’ has also heightened the focus on weight loss as the key goal for any exercise program.

Based on my experience, this focus is misleading and is the reason why many people fall off the exercise bandwagon after starting out with great intentions. A focus on weight loss is misleading simply because muscle weighs more than fat.

In any training program you are likely to build some muscle. This is the body’s natural response to exercise so that it is ready for next time, or in other words why the same amount of exercise feels easier after a while. It is most often the case that people will stop losing weight in an exercise program…and this is also about the time when Mr Cadbury starts counting his profit margins as people give up on the weight loss idea.

But what is most likely to be happening is that you are gaining muscle whilst losing fat, therefore cancelling themselves out on the scales…but making a big difference to your shape (and no "round" is not the shape I am referring to).

A lot of people use the phrase “I just want to tone up”. What a lot of people don’t realize is that this means increasing the amount of muscle (the firm bits) and reducing the amount of fat (the wobbly bits)...not losing weight.

So my advice is to stop looking at the scales and get out the tape measure.

Take a starting measurement of the circumference of your major body parts (particularly any trouble areas) tonight…then measure again in 4 weeks. I guarantee this will give you a better indication of your progress than the scales will.

Another way to do this is by simply using the notches on your belt, your dress size, or whether you can fit into your favourite pair of jeans. I

advocate using this method of measuring your progress, because at the end of the day what really matters is to be happy because of how you feel and look in the mirror or in clothes, not because of a number on a scale.

If you aren’t going to take my advice at least learn your Body Mass Index (BMI).

The Body Mass Index is a calculation to determine the healthy weight range for a specific height. You can calculate your Body Mass Index by dividing your weight (in kg) by your height squared (in metres) or use a BMI calculator

The following terms are used to describe the outputs
<18.5 = Underweight
18.5-25 = Normal
25-30 = Overweight
30+ = Obese

I particularly like using this index to show people who are normal or underweight that they really don’t need to be worrying about weight loss.

FYI - This is the also the calculation referred to when Australia is categorized as the “second most overweight nation in the world” (behind the US).

Til next month,

Chris

Home
Next tip

malonchr	Latest page update: made by malonchr , Nov 5 2008, 3:39 AM EST (about this update About This Update Edited by malonchr 3 words added view changes - complete history)
	Keyword tags: body mass index measuring progress tape measure More Info: links to this page