“I am just not making any progress!”- a quote too often heard by too many clients. After a brief discussion, we normally come to an understanding that the “progress” they’re looking for is a decrease in numbers on the scale. Whereas in some cases this decline in numbers is critical for their health, in many cases it’s only one of a plethora of markers we should be using to determine whether or not you’re making progress when it comes to your health and fitness goals. Did you know it’s possible to completely transform your health without losing a single pound? If you are only focused on what the scale says as an indicator of progress, you might become frustrated and discouraged which might lead you to discontinue your health journey, which is obviously something that we want to avoid! That’s why I wanted to share with you some of my favorite progress indicators that have nothing to do with the scale, but can be used as feedback to monitor how your nutrition and fitness programs are working for you and your goals!
Body Measurements: these measurements can be extensive and expensive (ex: measuring your body fat percentage with an inbody scan or other types of body scan appliances), or can be as easy and cheap (using a tape measure to measure girths). These types of progress indicators can be superior to simply looking at your weight on a scale. Because muscle weighs more than fat, the number on the scale may be staying the same (or even going up….gasp!) but you may be losing inches and undergoing a process called body recomposition, transforming fat into muscle. Body recomposition can be a huge sign that your current program is working for you, and it may be hard to observe by only looking at your weight in kg/lbs. Just as you would perform a typical weekly weigh-in on a scale, try to track your body fat percentage (if possible) or measure your girths at the same time, on the same day, wearing the same clothes, right upon waking once a week.
Objective Physiological Indicators: these objective indicators (objective meaning they can actually be measured) can be lab tests that can include (but are not limited to): bloodwork, blood pressure, nutrient status, hormone levels, heart rate variability and resting heart rate, GI health, need for medication, and frequency of health problems. These indicators will communicate to both you and your doctors whether you’re making progress in terms of your overall health, or if there are adjustments that need to be made with your program. Before beginning your health transformation, make sure to see your doctor and get a baseline set of tests done so that your progress can be easily tracked.
Subjective Physiological Indicators: Other key indicators of health improvements are more subjective, meaning we can’t test them to get precise numbers. However, they’re still extremely important to gauge in order to determine if we are making progress with our wellbeing. Examples of these subjective indicators can be: pain, inflammation, sleep quality, energy and fatigue, sense of physical wellbeing and vitality, joint mobility and stiffness, immunity, among many others. Subjective measures can be hard to track consistently, but when done correctly can give you a great idea of how healthy you are becoming!
Subjective Psychological Indicators: Your health program might be working for you if: you’re experiencing improved mood & emotional stability, your perception of your stress load is superior to before you started your program, your overall outlook on life has progressed, you’re feeling more calm and relaxed, and you’re having greater clarity of thought and memory.
Social & Daily Life Indicators: When we’re not physically feeling our best, participating in social activities or other daily life undertakings may seem too exhausting or daunting. If you’re starting to participate more in daily life activities, starting to notice more energy and confidence to engage in social settings, or noticing an improvement in the quality of your relationships and social networks, you better believe you’re making progress with your health program!
Adherence: An indicator that you’re making progress in your health program is that you’re becoming more consistent, more confident, and more aligned with the behavioral processes that you’re engaging in. You’re doing the daily health tasks more often, feeling more confident about your actions, and more aligned with the process of completing them. These processes are no longer a “chore” for you and instead they’re becoming a habit instilled in your lifestyle. Though it may seem like a small indicator of progress, this to me, is the biggest and most important one. Without consistently adhering to the process, you may never see the progress that you’re hoping for.
So next time you step on the scale and it hasn’t budged since last week (or…*gasp* it went up!), take a look back at some of these other indicators of progress. Can you find other ways that you’re making progress that aren’t related to the scale? If you want help finding ways to monitor your progress to make sure your health and fitness plans are working for you, let me know! I would love to work with you to Build your Best Self.