8 non-measurable factors of progress
I have to admit, I was a bit nervous stepping on the scales this other morning after relaxing a bit (a lot) while in Italy. I had what I thought was a fool-proof plan to help me adhere to my comp prep on my holiday. However, temptation got the better of me on a number of occasions and the plan, like all good intentions, laid to waste.
I didn’t go off the rails entirely; I still got in my workouts, steps and hit my protein count most days, but Italy’s delicious wine, pizza and gelato was too tempting to resist. Saying this, I had an incredible time and regret absolutely nothing. Thanks to (very) loosely adhering to my plan and tightening things up the second I got back to the UK, I am delighted to report I am down 1kg since setting off on my trip.
It got me thinking about why we fear the scales so much. Why do we place so much weight (pun entirely intended) on what the number on them is. It made me a bit sad that I’ve spent so much of my life defining myself by the number on them and that so many others do. Especially when there are so many other great markers of progress that we forget to take into account when we’re making changes to our health and fitness. We often forget them because they are not measurable.
Weighing ourself is also of course a great indicator, but, there are so many other things that we can and should use to measure our progress. Things that don’t illicit the same emotional consequences as stepping on the scales seems to.
My situation right now is of course a bit of an exception. I, and other physique competitors, have to use things like scale weight and measurements as a tool to measure progress as we’re working towards a very specific goal of stepping on stage. I’m also a bit of a data geek. I love data points. I like things that I can create a visual representation with (just ask my coach about my millions of spreadsheets and graphs!). If I can’t visualise it, I find it harder to comprehend or gasp. So this has been a focus for me throughout this prep, to not get bogged down in the numbers and weeds, but to make sure I’m taking into account all my markers of progress, not just the ones I can plot on a chart.
Whether you’re just starting out in your fitness journey, or have been smashing it for a while and have hit a plateau, have a check in with yourself and make sure you’re celebrating ALL the wins, not just the ones you can measure!
How do you FEEL?
More energy - How do feel each day? Have you noticed you have more energy throughout the day and no longer hit a wall at 3pm? Have you noticed you have more energy in your workouts to go heavier or longer?
Better sleep - Have you been sleeping longer and deeper? Do you wake up feeling more refreshed? The healthier your lifestyle becomes the better you may find your sleep is. Not just the amount you get, but the quality and after effects too. Sleep is such an important tool for recovery and many of us don’t get enough of it either. Simply by being aware of how much your getting can prompt better ‘sleep hygiene.’
Improved mood - How’s your mood day to day? Have you noticed that you’re a bit brighter? Or maybe even that you have an improved ability to deal with tough situations?
Clothes fitting differently - Note that I’ve chosen the language ‘differently’ and not just ‘loosely’. Obviously, this is dependant on whether you’re trying to loose fat or build muscle, you may notice your clothes starting to fit different. Even if losing fat is the goal, if you are resistance training you may start to notice clothes sitting a little differently too!
Increased confidence - This is a huge one for me. Once I start paying more attention to my body the knock-on effects to my confidence are amazing. I’m not just talking about confidence in what I wear or how I feel about my body. This type of confidence carries over into all facets of my life. From conversations I have with friends or colleagues, to decisions I need to make.
What about your behaviours?
Eating out - Have you made a good choice at dinner recently? Did you opt for the grilled fish and veg instead of burger? This might not be a huge accomplishment to some, but if you’re someone who struggles to resist the temptation when out with friends this can be a big step. Eating out can be a significant hurdle for those who are trying to maintain a healthy focus, often causing anxiety over food choices and availability when trying to stay on track. Which leads me to...
Ate something without guilt - Has your relationship with food changed? Did you have a chocolate bar or a pizza guilt free and then get right back on track afterwards? Often if we feel guilt about indulging a little (which we shouldn’t!) it can be tempting to say “fuck it” and go off the rails completely. Additionally, if we’ve been adhering to a plan for a while, even the smallest of slip ups can send us into a shame spiral. Next time you give yourself a mental break and enjoy something guilt-free, make sure to give yourself a pat on the back!
Choosing the stairs - Or parking at the end of the car park, or walking instead of getting the bus. Are you choosing to get a bit of passive exercise (or NEAT) instead of taking the convenient option? Little things like this add up quickly and go a long way to helping you keep active.
When we start on a journey to weightloss, weight gain, or simply getting fitter and healthier, it’s really easy to get hung up on quantifiable data like scale weight, measurements, lifts etc. While these things are absolutely great indicators of progress and shouldn’t be discounted, there are a myriad of other important markers that confirm we are kicking arse. Sadly, they tend to fly under the radar because they can’t be measured and we often don’t put enough emphasis on them.
You should be proud of all our achievements, measurable or not!
Have you noticed any of these factors? Have I missed an important on? Let me know below ☺️
Robyn xxx