You’re More Than Just The Number On the Scale, by Coach Chris
One of the most common motivations for joining the gym we hear from new clients is losing weight. This can be a frustrating journey for a lot of people, especially when they come into it with a narrow perspective of what it means to be successful, and the pieces of the puzzle that help move the needle.
The very first thing we cover with our nutrition clients is defining success.
Losing body fat and gaining lean muscle is what most people in the “weight loss” crowd are actually looking for. Our perspective is that it’s not really about how physically heavy or light you are — it’s more about the aesthetic and the feelings you want about your body. Most people want to look like they work out. They want to fit into their old clothes. It’s about feeling better. Building confidence. Is it really the number on the scale you want? Or is it the feelings and benefits that come with the body composition you want to attain? For the vast majority of people, it’s the latter. This is an important distinction we have to make with our clients to make sure they don’t get in their own way.
Focusing on the number on the scale trips a lot of people up. They think they’re not making any progress, when in reality they’re making huge strides in their health.
It’s vitally important, especially for those just starting out on their fitness journey, to measure their progress with more than just the number on the scale. Often times when a new client starts working out more, and making better food choices, the number on the scale doesn’t change much in the first 90 days. However, it’s plain as day that their body composition is changing. Especially when you’re just starting out with functional fitness training, you may be building muscle as fast as you’re burning body fat!
This is why we have an InBody composition scanner at the gym. It gives us a much better idea of what’s happening “under the hood.” We can track your body fat percentage, lean muscle mass, AND overall body weight to see the trends over time.
It’s also why our clients track all their workouts, and we re-test workouts regularly. It gives us more objective data to ensure we’re making progress.
If you open yourself up to multiple measures of success, and not JUST the number on the scale, you’ll be far more likely to be successful in the long run. The number on the scale is just one of dozens of possible ways to measure your progress.
If you’re fitting into your clothes better, feeling more energetic, moving better in the gym, your health markers improved at the doctor, BUT the number on the scale hasn’t budged in a couple weeks, it’s totally unfair to yourself to call it a failure and quit! Make sure you consistently gather objective data (bodyweight or body measurements, body composition scans, workout data) and subjective data (how you’re feeling, energy levels, your inner monologue) to give yourself a full picture of your progress. Progress in any one metric is rarely linear, but this multi-metric approach will always give you some bright spots to keep you moving forward overall.
You’re not a one-dimensional cartoon! You’re more than just a number. You’re a fully fleshed out human. Treating yourself any other way is a one-way ticket to frustration and waste time.
Not ready to get back to the gym yet? It’s a great time to focus on the other major pieces of your lifestyle like nutrition, stress, sleep, and self-care. Our nutrition coaching covers all of these areas and more. Want to learn more? Sign up for a free phone consultation to chat with one of our coaches, no strings attached!
