5 ways to measure your progress without the scales

On a fitness mission? Here are 5 ways to measure your progress without the scales.

People can become obsessed with the number on the scales, and it can create a negative effect to your eating habits. The problem with weight is that it measures exactly that – weight. This is not a true reflection of how well you are eating, or whether you are losing body fat. Think how heavy a large bottle of water is, it doesn’t mean it’s fat and unhealthy. Muscle weighs more than fat, so when you begin training, you may lose fat and gain muscle tone, which is great, but you may become demotivated by seeing the weight gain on the scales. So what are the alternatives? Here are 5 ways to measure your progress without the scales.

Photographs

The best way to measure your progress is with photos. People hate taking ‘before’ photos, but they can be so motivating. At the start of your new regime, take photos in your underwear from the front, back and sides. Then I suggest taking the same photos every two weeks. You may not see much difference in the first two weeks, but when you are following a sensible eating and training plan, you should lose fat slowly and build muscle tone at a steady rate. Therefore you may not be able to see the difference by looking in the mirror, but this is where photos can be so helpful.

Your wardrobe

A great way to measure your progress is with a pair of jeans! Choose a pair and make them your ‘measuring jeans’. As they do not change shape, they are an honest way of measuring your progress, as you can feel the difference in clothes, even if it is half an inch. You can also take photos of yourself in the same outfit, such as a favourite dress, to see how they may become looser on your arms or another part of your body.

Body composition analysis

The main problem with scales is that they just measure weight, they do not take into account whether the weight comes from fat, muscle or water. There are lots of body composition machines available to buy that will measure your body fat percentage, as well as your body’s water percentage. This gives you a much better idea of whether you have lost body fat and gained muscle. Pop into your nearest Boots (as they have body composition machines you can stand on for two minutes) and get a body composition print out.

The tape measure

A good way to measure your progress is the faithful tape measure. However, it is very easy to make mistakes with this method, as to ensure you are taking comparable results, you need to make sure you are measuring exactly the same part of your waist, legs etc. The best way to do this is to wear some tight clothing, and mark on the clothing where you are measuring. This way, you will hit the same marks every time, and your results will be valid. Half an inch off an arm may not be so visible to the naked eye, so the tape measure can help motivate you.

Your eating habits

I really feel that people should measure their progress by looking at their eating habits. The best way to be a healthy weight is to concentrate on the eating, and look at weight loss as a side effect of this. If you can stick to a healthy eating plan, after three to four weeks take a good look at your food diary and realise the positive changes you have made. This is progress.

For more helpful advice, visit chloebowler.com