When you're working toward a healthy weight, it's not uncommon to feel confused, discouraged and even overwhelmed at some point in your journey. You're doing all-the-things, eating balanced, exercising, prioritizing sleep and other healthy habits, but that number on the scale isn't moving as fast as you'd hoped (or perhaps it's not moving at all), and soon you find yourself wondering just what you're doing wrong?!
The truth is your healthiest, happiest weight is defined by much more than a number on the scale. When you're nutrition is balanced and you're consistently getting in the right kind of exercise, many women find they lose fat while also building muscle. And you want that fat burning muscle!
In fact, many of the women I coach find as they shed fat and build muscle, their clothes start fitting looser, they notice inches dropped from their waist and hips, yet the scale doesn't move much (if at all).
And then there are the other indicators of improved health, such as lowered blood pressure, decreased cholesterol, and the ability to do day-to-day tasks more easily and with greater energy!
But if you're only looking at the number on the scale, well, you might be missing out on the many health, fitness and wellness shifts happening, not just on the outside, but on the inside too.
First, ask yourself....
What is your goal? Many of the women I work come to me saying they've lost the weight before, restricting food, saying no to everything they love (like bread and chocolate), and ramping up the cardio, only to gain it all back (and then some) later. If you're goal is weight loss that lasts, you have to think about the process it takes to get there. And spoiler alert: it should be simple, doable and rewarding, so it's sustainable!
If the path you take to achieve your goal is paved with deprivation, restriction and all or nothing actions, it might be time to think about your REAL goal. If your goal is to lose weight AND keep it off, then read on my friend, because I'm going to tell you what you really need to know.
Which weighs more - a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?
The answer is they weigh the same! A pound is a pound, right?
The difference is how fat and muscle are distributed in the body. Fat takes up more space than muscle. When you have an excess of body fat it will change your body composition, energy levels, health stats and more. But when you lose fat your body composition also changes, the scale goes down and you start to notice changes in how your clothes fit and improved energy.
Now add muscle to the mix. If you're doing some form of strength building activity (which I highly recommend for a whole host of health and wellness reasons!) then you're also boosting metabolism, which means you're burning more calories, even at rest! And now that you've got lean muscle in your body, you can tone and shape areas of your body too, which is why you might notice greater muscle definition in your arms, legs, and bum. You may notice greater strength and endurance in day-to-day tasks as well as in your workouts. And this is commonly when I start hearing women report their clothes are fitting looser and their body shape is changing in ways they feel good about, yet they're concerned because there is little movement shown on the scale.
The challenge is we've been so conditioned by diet culture that the scale is the be all, end all of success. And it's wrong. Look at all that amazing progress listed above, yet we discount it all so quickly because of a silly number between our toes. Crazy, right?
Here's the kicker, let's say in an effort to "fast track" weight loss, you drop your calories crazy low, cut out food groups, and ramp up the cardio. You'll likely find the scale goes down, at least initially, but what are you REALLY losing? In most cases, it's not just fat, it's water weight, and muscle too. Which is why eventually your weight loss stalls. Because in order to keep burning fat and stoke that metabolic fire, your body needs muscle.
It's also why I'm not a fan of quick fixes and crash diets that tell you to "eat less and move more". Eat less of what? And move more in what ways? How do we know our body is getting the nutrition it needs to support healthy metabolism, hormones and body function? And how do we know the exercise we're choosing it going to produce the results we're looking for?
I'm going to let you in on a little secret, Over the past decade I've weighed the same weight, and worn two different pant sizes at different times. The difference was the muscle vs. fat in my body. It shifted my body composition. In fact, at one point while I was increasing my weight loads in strength training, I actually went up 8 pounds on the scale, yet I went down a whole pant size. This is why I rarely weigh myself, it's just not a good indicator of how well or not well your efforts are paying off. We have to start looking at the BIG PICTURE.
How can I achieve (and maintain) weight loss?
There are all sorts of ways to achieve weight loss, and while it's partly true that part of the equation is you need to burn more than you consume, it's not that simple. WHAT and HOW MUCH of what you eat matters. Especially when you add exercise to the mix.
This is why I often recommend dietary tracking, to help you really see what you're consuming and notice what may be helping vs. hurting your goal. And when you understand your body's caloric needs and portions of Protein, Carbohydrates and healthy Fat to support you, you're able to truly make the best choices for you, your body and your goals!
A good place to start is through journaling, notice your daily diet. What foods are you regularly consuming, what may be lacking, what food patterns do you notice? Have you downloaded my 4 Ways To Eat Better Guide? I have a step-by-step template that shows you how to start.
Next, consider using a free dietary tracker. I recommend MyFitnessPal simply because they offer a free version that is both PC and mobile friendly, with a vast data base that is user friendly. Tracking for even just a week can be incredibly eye opening by showing us just how well we're actually meeting our body's nutritional needs. Many of my clients come to me thinking they're eating too much, when in fact they're not eating enough. And they're even more surprised when they realize they're missing out on the key nutrients their body needs to shed fat!
Then, take note of your day-to-day physical activity. How much are you really moving your body each day? Are you getting 5,000, 8,000 or 10,000 steps in? Great! But if you're averaging much less, it might be time to start looking for opportunities to sneak in more physical activity during the day. From taking the stairs to adding in mini breaks of structured exercise, just ten minutes here and there can really add up! And remember, cardio is great for heart health, bone density and your mental health too, but if you want to burn fat, tone and shape your body, you've got to add strength training to the mix!
7 ways to support healthy fat loss (and maintain valuable muscle):
Reduce consumption of trans and saturated fats
Limit ADDED sugars and salts
Increase fruits and vegetables
Prioritize lean protein (i.e., chicken breast, ground turkey, fish, legumes, etc.)
Stay healthily hydrated (aim for at least 64 oz. a day)
Get adequate sleep (strive for 7-9 hours a night)
Move your body daily (the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week... that's just 30 minutes a day!)
Bottom line: balanced food and fitness habits is the best way to achieve lasting weight loss. If your approach to weight loss is All or Nothing, requires you to hunker down, make big sweeping sacrifices and basically live miserably, your results won't be sustainable. Keep it small and simple. Make it realistic and doable. You only need to make a 1% improvement to make progress, which make it easier to stay consistent, and consistency over time is what brings results!
Are you tired of starting over every Monday, hopping from diet to diet, wondering if you'll ever get it "right" so that you can lose the weight and become the best version of you? I’ve got you friend! Come join me inside my FREE women’s-only Facebook community: Eat Better with Coach Mindy. It's for busy women like you who are ready to lose weight, gain energy, get healthy and fit -- without restrictive diets or punishing food rules.
