Hello fitness friends! I hope you are having a great start to the new year. I wanted to post a quick note about measuring progress. There are so many people who are defeated because the scale is not budging. I don’t know about the men out there but the women I know are very concerned about their wieght. I must weigh _______ in order to meet my goal.

The scale is a tool, but not the best indicator of overall health and fitness. Here’s why.

The scale tells you how much you weigh. It does not tell you how much of your weight is body fat, your heart health, endurance, flexibility….You can also lose muscle and water during dieting which is not good. We want to keep muscle and lose fat.

I know people who are skinny fat. They are light on the scale and have absolutely no muscle tone. They couldn’t run a mile if you paid them. They have poor eating habits and high cholesterol. I also know some lightweights who carry most of their weight in their abdomen which is very unhealthy.

We want to lose fat, have healthy cholesterol levels, have physical endurance and strength, and flexibility. These factors will increase our likelihood of living a long and healthy life.

Measuring Your Progress in practical ways.

1. Measure your waistline. Abdominal fat (visceral fat) is a good indicator of our health. A waistline over 40 for a man and 35 for a woman is considered unhealthy and dangerous., ~WebMD. It puts a person at risk for heart disease, type II diabetes, reproductive issues, and many other health issues.

2. Have body fat measured. If you belong to a gym, they most likely have this service. Reduction in body fat is so beneficial. There are some tools online but they will as accurate.

3. Have your cholesterol & blood pressure checked by your doctor. Have a physical. It’s important that we ulitilize physicians when working towards a healthy lifestyle.

4. Endurance and Flexibility. Do you feel easily winded when walking or running and you don’t have upper respiratory problems like asthma? Do you have trouble stretching, bending, etc…These are things to check with your doctor or trainer about.

Lastly, what we see in the mirror can be deceiving. We could look good on the outside and be unhealthy on the inside. I hope this year we measure our progress not only by what see, but by our factors as well. Keep up the good work. You can do this!