Holly, The Fitness Expert

Tracking and progress Winning and achieving Weighing and measuring The number on the scale haunts us all. Most of us think back to our college or even high school weight and think “I wish I were as fat as I thought I was back then.�

When tracking progress or goals we think of the scale. There are many things that factor into our weight as we mature. The average female gains 10 lbs. every decade. This could be from hormone changes, lifestyle, diet, or pregnancy. So, it is important to consider all things when setting goals, tracking, and achieving.

Weighing yourself everyday can be discouraging because weight fluctuates. It is important to know what the inches are as well, in addition to knowing a baseline estimate of your bodyfat. Pictures are also a good way to track progress. Pictures say a thousand words. As you start to change your habits your body shifts around, and the numbers do not tell the full story.

When tracking it is important to keep many of the variables consistent which is frequency, time of day and the person doing the measuring.

When conducting research, you need to be as consistent as possible, getting healthier is much like research because you are trying to

determine what works for you and your unique genetic makeup.

Keeping records can help you better understand your body to get the best results.

What to track and why: Date and time of day measurements are done.

Weight, measurements of the chest, waistline, waist, arm, hips, thighs, and calves. Keep track of your menstrual cycle, alcohol intake and a loose estimate of your sodium intake. These things can contribute to the measurement of inches. Take photos as well for a more visual account of your progress.

Weight: It is a good practice to keep track of weight especially if you have a significant amount of weight to lose. Keep an eye on it, but do not get to tied up in this. There are a lot of variables, most women can fluctuate 5-8 lbs. every month depending on diet, exercise, and alcohol consumption.

Inches: Keeping track of your inches will help you get wins sometimes when your weight may not reflet it. I am sure you have heard the phrase “Muscle weighs more than fat�? This is totally untrue; they weight the same. Muscle takes up less space. So, you can weigh the same and be smaller. Less inches = winning.

Photos: Taking photos during your journey is a great way to get an outside view of what is going on when the number are not adding up to the output of effort. Your body could be shifting as you build muscle and lose body fat.

Body Fat: Most gyms or personal trainers will measure your bodyfat for free or a nominal fee. Doing this from the start gives you a good baseline. However, keep in mind there is at least a %3 margin of error with most devices. The most accurate way to test body fat is hydrostatic, or under water testing. This can be costly, and few places do this procedure.

It is important to remember to be consistent. Who, what, when, why and where? Always or whenever possible use the same person to gather the data with you. Focus on the process but keep the data.