Friday, May 8, 2015

#36 Do You Have A Love-Hate Relationship with Your Bath Scale?


Do you have a love hate relationship with your bathroom scale?  How often do you weigh yourself?  Every day, every week, never???



 
I use to weigh in everyday and I found myself jumping for joy or either kicking the scale.  I allowed the scale to dictate what type of day I was going to have.  Not anymore!



I have since learned that there are so many things that can take place with our bodies that can affect the number on the scale.  For instance, water weight, your period, your bulging muscles that you are building, stress and so many other variables can trigger that number.  

I do believe that it is important, for me anyway, to weigh in at least once a week.  I usually weigh in on Mondays.  The reason why I do this is because it keeps me grounded.  That out-of-sight-out-of-mind approach does not work for me.  If I fail to get on the scale and just try to go by how I look in the mirror or how my clothes fit -- I find myself waaaaaay over what I thought.  So when I start a new workout program -- be it weight training with cardio --  I weigh in first and do my measurements (I check my body measurements with a measuring tape once a month).   I then weigh in every Monday the same way -- (empty bladder with no clothes, at the same time of day with the scale on a flat floor surface -- in the morning for me).  




It's important that you keep track of what you are doing by writing it down on paper or buy you a fancy journal.  Also include how much you weighed at the beginning of that week.  I write down what my program will be for the next six weeks and I include the weights used and how many reps and sets.  This journal is a great encouragement while you are on your program.  Also, if you get off track the journal is a good reminder of what you did in the past to drop the pounds.  You could also include your food as well.  I usually do my weight workout on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.  I do any type of cardio I choose on Tuesday and Thursday.  Now that the weather is getting warmer I will again do my walks on the weekendI then switch it up for the next six weeks by doing a different weight workout.  I find that if I keep my body guessing it performs by shedding unwanted pounds. 

If you are trying to loose weight it is important that you weigh in but don't be rigged about it.  I think everyone knows by now that if you want to loose weight you have to eat a clean diet and workout.  When I say clean -- I mean -- food found in nature.  No process foods but lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean meats.  You know the drill.  It has not changed -- it's one of the best ways I know of to see results. 



Check out her video and see how she measures her body


I have learned a lot from the lady pictured above.  She is on YouTube and she goes by the name Aketafitgirl (click on the blue link under her picture to check out her channel).  She is an all-natural bodybuilder.  No Steriods with this sista.



She suggest three forms of measuring your body.  Measure your physical weight, body measurements with a tape measure and your body fat (you can skip this part unless you have a skin-fold caliber) prior to starting a program.  "Gauge your progress based on your measurements.   If you start your program and you've only taken your measurements at your waist and did not measure your thighs and you didn't see much loss at the waist you might think there is something wrong with the program.  So it's good to measure lots of different body parts" says Aketafitgirl.  She also suggest gauging by keeping an article of clothing that you are unable to fit the way you would like to.  Let that be your goal to fit into those skinny jeans!:-))









So if you are one of those who have a love-hate relationship with your scale -- try some of these tips and see if it makes a difference for you.

Until next time...


Please leave a comment on the left.  Thanks for visiting.

4 comments:

Honeybee said...

i still can't fit into my favorite jeans. Once I fit in, I know I'm at the right path. Thanks for the enlightening.

-Honeybee
http://herweightlossdiary.blogspot.com

JoannB said...

Yes, yes, yes. So true. I just started doing Zumba again, at home, and I got on the scale thinking "surely I'm going to see some real results". Ha! The scale read the same as before I started! I now know that muscle weighs more than fat, so as I build muscle and burn fat, there will be a little adjustment there. Even armed with this understanding, it still frustrates me when I look at the scale, and it just sits there, no change... (Sigh). :-)

Renee barry said...

IKR -- That scale can be annoying but it's not lying.

Thanks for reading!!!

Renee barry said...

Honeybee don't give up. Consistency is key. Thanks for reading!