I am a female and I have been a trainer in the Boston area for a decade.
I have trained THOUSANDS of women.
The majority of women that come through my studio doors are eating too little, exercising too much and hung the fuck up on their weight – a number that no one in their right mind ACTUALLY cares about.
It is high time that women end the war with the scale.
What I am here to prove is that the scale is only one small way to track progress.
More on Female Fat Loss here.
Are you hung up on reaching your high school, pre-baby, or wedding day weight?!?
Or how about getting back down to that weight you dropped to when you had that (month-long) stomach bug?
Let’s get one thing straight: when women begin strength training, our bodies change and we need RELIABLE, NON- BIASED ways to track our progress.
We already know that everyone is different. Personally, I may step on the scale once every 1-2 months. Some clients of mine prefer a weekly or daily weigh-in. If it works for you, that’s great. But if it immediately changes your mood one way or the other, I recommend you look into other ways to track your progress.
Here are some great alternatives – ones that WORK!
TOP 3 Reliable Ways To Measure Fat-Loss Progress
1. Monthly Progress Photos:
Pictures don’t lie. Sometimes the scale can trick you into thinking you haven’t made progress when you have! With pictures, you can literally see those inches disappearing like magic.
2. Taking Actual Physical Measurements:
There is a misconception that ‘muscle weighs more than fat’. That’s SILLY! Remember the old question of what weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks? EXACTLY! Instead, think of it like this…MUSCLE TAKES UP LESS SPACE THAN FAT!
So why do this? Because the scale may never budge but you could be losing inches!
You can see this by taking simple measurements. Use a $3 measuring tape, record the circumference around your:
- tricep
- chest
- belly button
- widest part of each of the hips/butt
- thigh
- calve
If you aren’t measuring progress properly, you will get discouraged, but the reality will be you are actually making amazing progress! Remember – like the weighing, don’t overdo it. I suggest measuring every 6-8 weeks, no more.
3. The Way Your Clothes Fit. Especially A Pair Of Your “Skinny” Jeans!
I suggest you keep a pair of jeans that are just a bit too tight in your closet and try them on weekly as an EASY EASY way to measure your progress.
What Next, You Ask?
Now, let’s say you lost a bunch of weight and you are “plateauing” and frustrated.
My BEST and FAVORITE piece of advice is to get as STRONG AS POSSIBLE.
Case-in-point: Longtime client Liz Zalman lost 100+ lbs, maintained her weight loss for 2.5 years, and got strong as FUCK (via online training over these past 8 months). Sometimes taking the emphasis OFF the physical aspect of things and zoning in on your performance can yield some jaw-dropping results.
Watermelon…SURFBOARD.
Now THAT’S a before-and-after!
Since we started online training in September, look at what she’s accomplished in terms of strength (pulled from the very first week of our very first block and compared to the last block she just finished)
- Bench – 45lbs x 10
- Deadlift – 105lbs x6
- Squat – 75lbs x8
Now:
- Bench – 90lbs x 5
- Deadlift – 210lbs x1
- Squat – Paused reps of 120lbs x8
Liz added 195lbs combined to her bench, squat, and deadlift in just 8 months! She can deadlift more than 1.5 times her body weight! Unlike 90% of individuals who successfully lose large amounts of weight… she didn’t gain it back. She diligently measured her progress, along with tracking her nutrition and her strength training sessions. She made a huge lifestyle shift for the better – and then stuck with it!
And believe it or not, Liz is 137lbs of pure muscle. She has packed on 12 lbs. of muscle since the weight loss and has REMAINED THE SAME SIZE! (see #2 above)
Oh, and she’s even snagged a man 😉
All of this progress is possible for YOU as long as there is a sustainable nutrition plan in place along with a #smartstrength training program!
Want to Learn More About Establishing Your Own Sustainable Nutrition Plan?
My next month of Online Group Nutrition Coaching is filling up FAST!
Shoot me an email stacey@staceyschaedler.com with NUTRITION COACHING in the subject 🙂
xoxo
Stacey
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