I Never Did Like My Scale...

The awesome and knowledgable personal trainers from Studio Strength on Franklin Ave are back on the blog today! They're here to give us some fit-spiration {womp, womp} as we enter bathing suit season! With the GC pool now open, the official start of summer is just a few days away....

Don't Be a Slave to the Scale

Hey you! Get away from that scale! That's right, I said get away from that scale. When trying to lose weight, the scale is not your friend. 

People who are dieting can become fixated on the number on the scale. But it's important to know that the scale doesn't give you a clear picture of your fat loss progress. Notice I said FAT loss and not weight loss. When dieting and exercising, your goal is to maintain or build lean muscle mass while reducing body fat. That will give you the lean, sculpted look everyone wants to achieve. It's about losing body fat, not just losing "weight".  Therefore, factors other than weight need to be considered. Those factors include: How do your clothes fit?  A looser waistline or a baggy shirt tell you your body is getting smaller. How do you feel? As you lose body fat, you will have more energy. How do you look? As the body fat decreases and you develop lean muscle mass, you will look leaner and tighter.  Are you getting stronger?  Notice how much easier it is to perform every day tasks or to play your favorite sport?  That means you're gaining strength. Have you done your body measurements?  Body measurements will change and you will lose inches as you lose body fat.

All this being said, there is a time and a place for weighing in. But before you do, there are some things you need to keep in mind. First of all, muscle weighs more than fat.  You might look leaner and your clothes might fit better because you lost body fat and gained lean muscle  mass, but your weight may not have changed. Also, it's important not to weigh yourself every day. You can expect daily weight fluctuations base on what you eat and drink, your salt intake or eating right before you get on the scale. A weekly weigh in will give you a clearer picture of your progress. So pick a time each week when you will weigh yourself using the same scale, with an empty stomach and under the same conditions. 

Remember, there are several ways to judge your progress while dieting and working out. Pay attention to how you look and feel and don't be so tied to that number in the scale. It doesn't give you the whole picture.




This article was written by the owners of Studio Strength, Juan Mayoral and Christine Inguanta.  Studio Strength is located at 960 Franklin Ave., Garden City.  Please visit our website www.studiostrength.com, email studiostrength@aol.com or call (516) 385-8188 with any questions, comments or information about our articles, fitness or training studio.  If you enjoy this article, please like us on Facebook and share. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.   


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