So, if you are a woman, you may be a bit addicted to that darn scale, as I used to be! There was hardly a day that I stepped on it, and if my weight was up a little bit, I would be so discouraged. How often should you really weigh yourself?
The other day I stepped on the scale for the first time in probably two months. If it weren’t for my husband, I’d put it away! As it is, it sits in the bathroom but is pushed against the wall enough that I don’t have any temptation to step on it first thing in the morning each and every day.
Women, our weights fluctuate not just every day, but throughout the day! Depending on your activity level, how much water you’ve had, what you’ve eaten, and of course hormone and cycle fluctuations, your weight will be all over the map.
Here’s some advice: pick a day each week and weigh yourself first thing in the morning. Don’t bother getting on the scale the rest of the week. By sticking to a certain day, you’ll get an idea of how you are doing. I don’t want you to be discouraged if you seemingly gain three pounds overnight. We have all been there.
There are other ways that you can monitor your progress, such as how your clothing fits and differences in your measurements. I admit … I was a total slacker over the holidays. I didn’t exercise as much as I would have liked, and so I was a bit scared to step on the scale. My clothes fit as they usually do and weren’t any tighter. I took the plunge, and guess what? I lost about four pounds. Now, that is simply not possible due to holiday eating, right? Guess what … it was muscle. Because I didn’t stick closely to my workout routine, I am 100% positive that weight loss was all muscle I had worked so hard to build.
So, if you want to gauge your progress, go ahead and weigh yourself, but please don’t get discouraged. Take your measurements and your body fat percentage, as well, if at all possible. You’ll be much more encouraged as you get an overall picture of the great progress you have made.
- Rachel
Weight Loss Tips
February 7, 2008 at 7:09 am |
Hi – I’ve been curious about weight loss and kettlebells. I imagine since there is so much muscle building with kettlebells that weight gain is probably more apt to happen in the beginning. I purposely have not stepped on the scale for this reason. I feel great – clothes are getting looser, but I don’t want to get on the scale. Really, how much weight could I have lost anyway? Did you gain when you started with kettlebells?
February 8, 2008 at 9:12 am |
Hi Debra, When I first started using kettlebells I dropped weight pretty easily because the fat was melting off. Now that doesn’t happen for me (unfortunately LOL). If I drop it now, it’s due to muscle loss, just because I’ve gotten to a good point, am not dieting, etc. So to answer your question, I dropped weight in the beginning and then started gaining a little bit back (not too much), as I added muscle. That still happens as long as I workout consistently. I’m trying to remember not to worry about the scale. Kettlebells don’t add huge muscles, just the right size.