Why Are You Watching Your Weight?
From time to time clients will leave their biosignature follow-up appointments feeling disappointed when the number on the scale hasn’t changed. They see a drop in body fat percentage and a rise in lean muscle mass, but the weight on the scale is still the same.
Watching Your Weight Yet Ignoring Your Gains
An obsession with the what the scale says isn’t productive. A drop in body fat percentage alongside an increase in lean muscle mass – even if the overall weight remains the same – is a substantial achievement! These changes are important steps toward a leaner, healthier body.
Shouldn’t we be more focused on progress and becoming healthier rather than a number that has no meaning behind it? A drop in body fat percentage means exactly that… a loss in body fat! Add some muscle, and you’re one step closer to the lean, healthy body you’ve been striving for.
During the first 8-12 weeks of strength training, fat loss and muscle gain happen at precisely the same time. Your weight may not budge at all during these first few phases. Do not be discouraged. The gain in muscle mass also comes with a huge bonus… an increase in your metabolism! This means you will be burning more calories every day without even touching a dumbbell. If you continue to train and eat healthy, this increase in metabolism combined with excess burned calories from exercise will eventually tip the scale in your favor.
Take a look at the pictures below. This is precisely why setting a goal to be 130 lbs is not realistic. 130lbs looks different on every person; you could be obese at 130 lbs or very lean depending on your height, weight and body fat percentage.
Continued training and healthy eating will eventually reflect on the scale. Again, the same weight looks different on everyone based on their body composition. At your next body fat appointment, focus on setting realistic, measurable goals to better celebrate your progress and health improvements.
Images Courtesy of:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/65/20/52/652052aae35896d6f303baf30ec43a0a.jpg
https://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/how-to-interpret-your-body-fat-test/
