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When most people think of success in terms of hitting a fitness goal, it usually comes from the number on the scale.

“I want to hit 170 first then 150”.

The problem is that when you are ONLY using the scale as a way to measure your progress, you’re setting yourself up for massive failure!

This is for a few reasons:

1. Scale weight doesn’t reflect your body composition – this is why most muscular people are technically considered overweight in terms of BMI
2. The number you have in your mind might not look how you want it to (due to that body composition factor)
3. The number on the scale may not be moving at all but you’re making amazing progress elsewhere
4. You are more inclined to give up when the scale doesn’t move as you think you’re failing or not making any progress

In my personal opinion, the scale is the absolute worst way to measure progress.

In fact, I really only step on the scale maybe once a month just to see where it’s at but I don’t care if its going up or down or staying about the same most of the time.

Generally, I’ll use one or more of the methods below to track my progress at a given time:

Body measurements

Body measurements are great because they can help you get a better understanding of your body composition and if it is actually changing.

Let’s say you’re 180 lbs and you keep weighing in at 180 lbs week after week.

At this point, you probably think nothing is happening when in fact, if you were taking body measurements you may notice that your measurements are actually going down while your weight is staying the same.

This is because you’re losing body fat and gaining muscle at the same time.

Even if you are not eating in a body recomp phase or trying to, this can happen a lot of the time when you start a new program or try something new with your training/nutrition.

On a similar note, you can also get a body fat caliper and measure your body fat % that way. If it is going down even though your body weight is the same, this is a great sign!

Good spots to use a tape measure are:

• Chest
• Waist
• Hips
• Biceps
• Thighs

Progress pictures

Most people won’t notice many changes in pictures over the first few weeks but around 4-6 weeks is when people will notice a massive change in the shape of their bodies.

In this case, the scale may have only moved down a few lbs, which can be demotivating or disappointing but if you compare your first week pictures with week 4 or 6 you’ll notice that your body actually is making a lot of progress again due to that composition factor.

If you never take a week 1 photo though, it may be hard to notice changes by taking pictures weekly or by just looking in the mirror.

It is always best to compare it side by side with week 1 to truly gauge any changes happening.

I recommend doing the same exact poses, using the same angles, and even wearing the same outfits.

Trying on clothes

You’ll notice that if you are gaining muscle and losing fat, your clothes will actually be looser than they were before even if the number on the scale is staying the same.

This is a great indicator that you are making progress!

Non scale victories

While these few things will help you determine if you are making physical progress with your body, there are many other things that are still considered to be signs of progress.

These are things like:

• Sleeping better
• Eating healthier
• Drinking more water
• Reducing stress
• Having more energy
• Having a better mindset around food
• Having less cravings
• Having less guilt around food
• Being able to lift more weight
• Having more endurance
• Having more confidence in and outside of the gym
• Being more active throughout the day/taking more steps
• Building new habits
• Enjoying life more/having more fun
• Having more discipline
• Having a higher sense of commitment

Even if you are noticing some of these non physical wins, and no physical body change, give it some time!

ESPECIALLY if it has only been a few weeks. The body you are looking to achieve is likely going to take months to years.

All of these smaller wins will eventually add up to bigger wins.

Most people just brush wins like these off as insignifcant but you really should be celebrating each win you accomplish no matter how small!

This will help keep you motivated and moving forward. You’ll be in the mindset of continuously accomplishing things opposed to always failing which is the momentum you need to carry you to your overarching long term fitness goal.

If it has been months of not seeing any physical progress, it is likely that you are doing something wrong (may be time to invest in a trainer) or there is an underlying issue going on (may be time to see a doctor).

I would set an appointment with a doctor to get your hormones and thyroid checked. I would also explain your situation and they may be able to assist you further!

If you strike out with a traditional doctor, you may want to seek a more holistic approach and see a functional doctor. They can help you test your gut health and a few other things that a normal doctor would not. You can read about that here.

Until next time,

Coach Emily