How To- Pg. 2
“for a week or two it may appear that weight loss has stopped”
Remember that as a direct result of your nutrition, aerobic, and strength-training program you will be losing ½- 1 lb. of body fat per week. This leads us to a perplexing phenomenon, for a week or two it may appear that no weight loss is happening. Actually, this is a good sign, as your body is naturally redesigning itself! During the weeks where there appears to be no fat loss, gauge your progress in the following way:
- How are your cloths fitting?
- How are your energy levels?
- Are your strength levels increasing?
- Are you able to do an aerobic activity for longer periods?
Please do not become weight scale obsessed, as they cannot possibly give you a clear picture of changes in your physiology on any regular basis. Are you weighing fat, muscle, water, negative thoughts, etc.? A scale does not break down the figures into individual categories. It becomes apparent that the most important measurement is -- how much of “us” is body fat. That is exactly what skin fold calipers tell us! In my opinion, a better way to measure fat loss, which is what we are trying to get rid of, is body fat percentage with the use of skin fold calipers. Calipers for home use are inexpensive about $20 from the web site below. There is a learning curve needed, but well worth the effort. Unless you are an athlete, or belong to a health club, you probably will not know your body fat percentage, but as you can see, it is an exact measurement of what we are trying to lose- fat.
http://www.exrx.net/Store/CH/SlimGuide.html
The BMI scale is probably the easiest to use and most widely available, used by physicians and free online. If this one makes more sense to you, remain consistent with it.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm
If you have been on the fitness merry go round for a while, or maybe you just cannot seem to get on to the first step, you may have issues that are holding you back. These are critically important areas to address! Unfortunately, they are outside of the expertise of this small volume. I have personally found Re-evaluation Counseling to be a great addition to a health and fitness program. This style of talk therapy allows us to re-evaluate issues that bog us down on a daily basis with not only fitness, but also with many of life’s issues. With the help of a trusted caring friend, you get to explore what may be holding you back, in a nurturing supportive environment! There are Co-counseling groups throughout the country. I hope that there is one close to you. Please see their excellent web site- free How to Begin (PDF) at rc.org.