Given most people have a desire to lose weight and body fat, it is highly recommended to take before & after photos and measurements (weight & body fat). Tracking your progress with photos and measurements is extremely helpful in staying on track to reach your goals, regardless of what program you are participating in.
Also, please check out this blog post #screwthescale (outstanding transformation photos) for more info on tracking your measurements – it’s an excellent reminder that body fat % is a far better tracking tool than simply weighing yourself!
Below are some guidelines and helpful tips to remember when taking your measurements:
- Ideally, take all of your “Before” measurements and photos before your first session.
- You will measure your weight & body fat each day to track your progress, keep you accountable for making progress and help you to remain excited and committed to your fitness and physique goals. We will also use the daily measurements to troubleshoot your nutrition & lifestyle as needed. Without daily updates, we can’t really coach you well.
- Make sure you follow the optimal protocol prior to testing with the Renpho/Nuvita Scale:
- Drink 2-3 glasses of water prior to testing (this should be done every day).
- Go to the bathroom and void as much as possible prior to testing.
- Avoid caffeine prior to testing.
- Avoid alcohol 24 hours prior to taking the test.
- Do not exercise within 4 hours prior to taking the test.
- It is important to weigh and measure yourself at the same time of day each time in order to get reliable and consistent results. It is best to take your measurements after waking before eating any food.
- Ladies, please note that during your menstrual cycle your numbers will be a few pounds off. The measurements are affected by where you are in your cycle.
- Flying (air travel) prior to testing will also throw off your numbers.
- Place the scale on a flat surface in a room with stable temperature. This will help the device to be as accurate as possible.
Losing “Weight” vs Losing “Body Fat”
Always remember body fat is the key variable to measure and not weight. You can experience a lot of frustration if you focus only on your weight and not your overall body fat.
To prove this point, see Echo’s transformation photos below. She completed a 6 week transformation and only lost 2 pounds on the scale but she lost 7.7% body fat. Some women would be highly disappointed with only a 2 pound loss, right?
However, the difference is seen in your photos, your clothes, the compliments you receive and reflects in the body fat % measurement.
TEST…DON’T GUESS!!!
When you train hard and smart with strength training and the right lifestyle, you are burning body fat (losing weight) and building muscle (gaining weight). That’s is a good thing!
FYI: A good body fat % loss in 6 weeks is 3%. An outstanding body fat % loss in 6 weeks is 5-7%. A 2% loss in body fat is a loss of 1 dress size. . So, remember a 2% drop in body fat is very significant- this is similar to a loss of 10lbs of weight.
Being outstanding is doable for everyone, especially if you are new and not been the best with your nutrition & lifestyle.
Weekly Body Fat Check-ins Tutorial
You got this!
Coach Brien
