Lose Weight
by Throwing Out Your Scales

I feel that one of the best things a person can do in their quest for fitness is take their scale and put it in the garbage. I say this because it has very little to do with lasting fitness. When a person begins an exercise program, there is usually an initial weight loss on the scale. This causes the person to feel as if the “program” is working. What they don’t realize is that the weight loss is primarily water weight which is temporary and meaningless.

A family member of mine recently decided that he was getting too fat and wanted to drop some pounds. His program consisted of walking around his neighborhood and cutting his caloric intake quite a bit. He also decided to judge his progress by weighing himself each day. Ten pounds in one week he lost. His motivation was high until he hit the plateau. His body had adapted to the walking and the calorie deprivation so it certainly wasn’t going to keep losing more and more weight.

There is a correct method for losing fat but judging progress by the scale is a flawed approach. Some of the weight that is initially lost on a diet or any other flawed approach is water (which is meaningless) and metabolically active muscle tissue (which is dangerous to lose). Losing weight in this manner can literally cripple your metabolism and make your body prone to holding on to body fat and less likely to burn it. The correct method for losing fat includes eating the right way (small frequent meals consisting of a lean protein, a starchy carb, and fibrous vegetable), having a concern for muscle (a resistance training program), and moderate aerobics (as too much can lead to the muscle loss mentioned earlier).

I’ve actually had people tell me that they feel great, clothes are fitting better, and other people are noticing but it isn’t working because they didn’t lose as many pounds as they wanted to. That is absurd. If you are feeling and looking better you must realize how much of a positive change that is. If major fat loss is a goal than you will see it over time….just not every day. The body simply doesn’t work like that. Until next time….Have fun and keep learning.