Many people who start a fitness program get discouraged early in the process when they don’t see the scale moving in the right direction.
And while healthy, sustainable weight loss is a specialty of mine, I also educate my clients from the first day they come in that it takes time.
As a general rule, men lose about .056% of body weight per week, while women lose at a bit slower rate (.05% per week). So round numbers, a 150-pound woman would lose an average of .75 pounds per week (if following a well-designed exercise and nutrition program about 80% of the time). That may not seem like much, but it would be considered excellent progress. Thus, a 20-pound weight-loss goal would take approximately 6 months to achieve in a healthy, sustainable way.
But are there other ways to measure progress, other than what the scale says? Of course there are!
— Body Composition: Weighing 150 pounds at 20% body fat is clearly healthier than weighing 145 pounds at 30% body fat
— Strength: Increasing your relative strength is one of the single most beneficial things you can do for your health and longevity. Prioritize strength training.
— Mobility: Becoming more flexible and better able to execute foundational movements with improved range of motion and no pain is going to be incredibly helpful — both in your workouts, and in your ability to age in a pain-free way.
— Cardiovascular Health: “Cardio” has gotten a bad name in the fitness industry. It’s often presented (i.e. sold) as the best way to “burn fat” by trainers and gyms that don’t know their stuff. The best way to burn fat and develop a stronger, leaner, more functional body is to focus on resistance training (i.e. lifting weights), with proper doses of “cardio” sprinkled in throughout the week. Don’t avoid cardiovascular training, as it has many health and performance benefits. Just don’t overdo it.
What’s one benchmark you will use — besides the number on the scale — that would reveal how much progress you’re making? Reply back and let me know.
Your friend and coach,
Paul F. Sweatt CPT PN1
Train Smart. Train Hard. Train Safe. Train to Sweatt
P.S. – Whenever you are ready here are 3 ways that I can help:
1. Get that kick in the butt that you need.
If you’re currently trying to lose weight or improve your health & fitness this summer but don’t know where to start, you should schedule a Free Fitness Plan Makeover.
During your Fitness Plan Makeover, we will walk through your entire fitness & nutrition plan and look for simple ways to accelerate your results. You’ll walk away with at least 3 new tips, fixes or strategies that can improve your progress by at least 50%. If you’d like to schedule a Free Fitness Plan Makeover, reply with ‘Fitness’ and I’ll take it from there.
2. Achieve the results you’ve always wanted…from home.
I have the perfect solution for you to never miss a workout. Hire me as your coach and get the accountability you need to stay consistent. Just reply to this message and put “One-on-One” in the subject line…and I’ll get you the details.
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