Lindsay Matway : How to MEASURE progress in your fitness journey!

HOW DO YOU MEASURE PROGRESS???

Is it SOLELY by the number on your scale??? I mean, seriously... IF you KNOW you have been eating healthy food... and working out more than you usually do... and your scale goes up 2lbs, do you really let that TRASH your day and erase all of the HARD WORK and DEDICATION you've put in???

Working with FEMALES can be TOUGH!!! So many of us are SOOOOO FIXATED on that damn "ideal" number that we forget to FEEL PROUD of ourselves for waking up early 4 days this week and getting our workout in... or choosing to SKIP the donuts at the office... or walking the stairs instead of taking the elevator. All of those LITTLE choices that will end up COMPOUNDING over time and defining your health as a whole.

Look ladies... I love looking lean... and I am happy when my scale drops down too... but having that be your DEFINING MOMENT every morning is RIDICULOUS and NEEDS TO STOP. It should be but one of MANY WAYS you MEASURE your progress!!! And depending on where you are at... Your weight may actually GO UP as you build lean muscle and shed fat! (as seen in the pic below!!!)

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Here are just a few others ways to MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS:

- MEASUREMENTS (Take BEFORE measurements of chest, waist, hips, arms, and thighs) *INCHES are far more important than POUNDS!*

- BODY FAT (You can use a scale that has a body fat measurement tools built in it, you can use Calipers, or they even have tests you can have done at the gym... Whatever you choose... be consistent using ONLY that one way to measure)

- HOW DO YOU FEEL? Are you sleeping better, do you have more energy, feeling more positive, happy? (These are ALL results of a healthy diet and regular exercise!!!)

- HOW DOES YOUR SKIN LOOK? YEP! With a healthy diet, you should even see your skin tone improve and clear!

- HOW DO YOUR CLOTHES FIT? As your body composition changes, you will notice your clothes fit differently! (THIS IS ONE OF MY FAV WAYS to MEASURE MY PROGRESS BECAUSE I LOVE ME SOME SKINNY JEANS!!!)

- A PICTURE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORDS!!! ((MY ABSOLUTE FAV WAY to MEASURE PROGRESS!!!)) Pleaseeee do yourself a favor and take progress pics!!! (I mean, seriously, PIC below... Need I say more???)

- BETTER, STRONGER, FASTER!!! When it comes to exercise... this is one of the FIRST signs of progress and the EASIEST to MEASURE!!! On day ONE see:
How many push ups you can do?
What size weights are you using?
How far into your workout video can you make it?
... and then take note as the weeks go by how much BETTER, STRONGER and FASTER YOU BECOME!!! It doesn't take long to see this type of progress!!!