“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”
– Bill Gates
Using a scale to gauge the progress of your diet and training is like using Instagram to get to know someone – it’s very misleading, you only see a fraction of the full picture, and it’s easy to abuse and get depressed. Instead, start checking in with something a lot more honest, real, and helpful – the mirror!
Spend less time on the scale and more time in front of the mirror.
The mirror doesn’t lie but your scale does.
One pound of fat and one pound of muscle weigh exactly the same, but boy do they look very different. By putting more effort into our diet and exercise, we often build muscle while burning fat. The mirror will show us that progress while the scale won’t even budge.
How do you feel?
“I need to lose 20 lbs before elk season”…but at what cost? When we fixate on these numbers we neglect perhaps the most critical gauge of our health…how we feel! I’ve seen first hand the guy who sprinted to lose 20 lbs right before hunting season, did, and was a shadow of his former self when it came time to throw his pack on and climb up a mountain. Don’t sacrifice valuable muscle, energy, and strength just to see a smaller number on the scale.
Get to know your body.
The mirror shows it all, there’s nowhere to hide – love handles, that spare tire around the midsection, cellulite. It also shows us definition, bigger muscles, and sexy curves. Your body is more than just a number, and being familiar with every part of it is a far healthier way to check in on your health and progress.
Of course, I’m not suggesting there is no purpose to a scale at all, it can be a useful tool. Even more useful is a scale or device that reads your body fat percentage. This number tells us a lot more about the positive changes we’re making even when our weight seems stuck in place. So bare in mind, while it’s good to know your body weight it is only one part of the equation, a bigger part of the equation is found in your reflection in the mirror and paying attention to how you feel.
