The scale is considered as the standard measurement for determining your weight loss or gain, such as in building muscle mass. But while a scale will provide a good idea of where you are in relation to where you were in weight, it doesn’t tell a complete story! Many people will even be discouraged by their apparent failure because the numbers aren’t increasing or decreasing as they want them to be.
Why not try a different approach toward tracking your progress instead of relying solely, perhaps even obsessing over, the numbers on a scale? Here are three alternative ways to do so and the best thing is that all of them are super-affordable!
Tape Measure
This is especially useful on a weight loss program when you’re aiming for inches lost around your waist, hips and thighs. You can make a before-and-after log using a tape measure so that you can monitor the number of inches lost around these areas. You can measure every week, if necessary, so you can make adjustments to your diet and exercise plan.
There’s another benefit to using a tape measure: You have an affordable yet effective tool to build a more proportionate physique! You can plan a workout schedule at Powerhouse Gym, for example, so your chest-and-hip proportion follows the Adonis ratio.
Progress Photos
In the Internet Age, we have several so-called fit inspirations on social media and you can take your cue from them. You may be hesitant about taking photos of your out-of-shape body from many angles but the photos are a great way to get visual confirmation of your progress.
Of course, you can always see your progress in the mirror but there’s a problem with it – the changes in your body may not be as obvious. Photos, in contrast, provide a more objective view of your body and, thus, a better reference point for comparisons from one week to the next.
Just be careful about taking photos in the same positions, time of day, and clothes as well as the same lighting and angles. Keep in mind, too, that your audience is yourself so you don’t need to fool the camera, so to speak, with your best angle. You can keep the best angles, if you want, for posting to social media.
Test Your Benchmarks
As you lose weight through cardio and strength training exercises, you will also observe improvements in your stamina and strength due to increased lung and heart efficiency. You should test such improvements in a more objective way, too, so that you don’t have to rely on a scale all the time.
By testing your benchmarks, you can determine how far you have come and let it be your motivation. You may, for example, test your stamina by increasing the distance and incline covered on the treadmill, as well as test your strength by increasing the weights or number of repetitions.
In the end, a scale is useful but it isn’t the be-all and end-all of your fitness journey!