How do you tell if your health kick is effective?

So many people begin improving their lifestyle in a bid to lose weight. They monitor their progress by the bathroom scales….That is a BIG mistake.

During the initial stages of my health kick my weight actually increased and that is a good sign…

Why?

Because it is showing that I am beginning to build muscle again and this will cause my metabolism to increase.

I can recall a patient called Rebecca who went from a size 18 to a size 16 dress size in a couple of weeks as the result of improving her nutrition, exercise and especially in her case through improving her water intake. She was ecstatic. That is until she went to a Weight Watchers class and she discovered that she had put on an extra two pounds.

Her response was to get angry, then frustrated and then she threw her hands up in the air saying, “I give up. Nothing seems to work for me.”

Everything was working perfectly for her. It was just that she made the mistake of judging her progress by criteria that doesn’t mean much at all. Let me clear, your weight is not an accurate indicator of your health.

What is a more reliable indicator of your progress?

I use these two indicators:

1. Size does matter
   Try a tape measure around the waist or pay attention to how easy you get into your clothes. A change in your body shape is a more accurate indicator of healthy progress. Muscle weighs more than fat but it takes up less space.
2. Your energy levels
   To me your energy levels reflect the efficiency of your body. A car doesn’t expend as much fuel when it is tuned perfectly and the same goes for your body. So the healthier you are the more easily you can produce energy and maintain it.

A fun way I have also found that is giving me positive feedback which is quite motivational is the Body Test component in Nintendo’s Wii Fit program. It measures not just your weight but your weight distribution and your coordination and balance. Based on your test results it then calculates it into your Wii Fit age.

I can’t vouch for its scientific accuracy but it has been a useful, fun and motivational tool for me.