Losing weight can get frustrating, especially once the newness of a program has worn off. To fight this, celebrity personal trainer Bill Phillips recommends tracking your progress. According to Phillips, watching your numbers can keep you motivated as you see yourself approach your weight loss goals. If you have a bad week, those same numbers can tell you it's time to make adjustments before you lose too much ground.
Types of Metric
Different weight loss metrics report different kinds of result, according to Oregon-based fitness coach Ben Cohn. Your raw body weight can report your progress, though the numbers are less useful taken out of context. Measuring your body fat percentage reports the composition of your body, with lower results indicating healthy weight loss. The body mass index scale rates your body weight in relation to your height.
Measurement Intervals
Phillips recommends weighing in once per week. If you weigh less frequently, it's hard to make adjustments to your program to achieve best results. If you weigh more frequently, it's easy to become frustrated. Daily fluctuations of body weight and water retention can mean you gain weight for a day during a week of successful weight loss.
Measurement Timing
Your body goes through cycles of weight throughout the day and week. These vary according to your sleep schedule, when you eat, when you drink, when you use the bathroom. Most people follow approximately the same schedule through most of their lives. Phillips advises measuring, whenever possible, at the same time on the same day during each week. This avoids many variables that can change your weights, such as weighing before dinner on one night and after dinner on the next.
Tracking
Tracking your progress is an important part of measuring your weight loss. Phillips and Cohn agree that you should record your numbers in a journal. For some, simply charting your progress on a whiteboard or even your bathroom mirror is sufficient. Others might want to write down not only their weight measurements, but the meals and exercise programs they use to achieve those results.
Rewards
Regular rewards can help you stay motivated over the course of a long weight loss effort. Cohn recommends first splitting up your weight loss goal into several subgoals, called benchmarks. For example, you might split a 20-pound weight loss goal into four 5-pound benchmarks. At each benchmark, commit to giving yourself a non-food reward such as a night out with friends or a book you've been wanting. Celebrating success along the road makes reaching your destination that much easier.
References
- Ben Cohn; Fitness Coach; Hillsboro, OR
- "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"; Stephen Covey; 1990
- "Body for Life"; Bill Philips; 2006
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