Your goal is to lose weight. Perhaps, this is a good reason
as any to obsess over the numbers on your scale. After all,
the scale measures your body weight, and weight is something
that you want to lose, right?
Not exactly!
What you want to lose is FAT. Our body is mainly comprised
of water, muscle, organ tissue, fat and bone. The scale
measures the total weight of all the elements that our body
contains. It does not give us any idea on how much of this
weight is, in fact, fat.
For adults, the weight of the organ tissue and bones is
constant. The fluctuation of numbers that we see on the
scale reflects changes in volume for the other three
components of our body - water, muscle and fat.
Have you ever weighed yourself twice on the same day and
found a difference of several pounds? Such differences,
whether it is positive or negative, should be attributed to
changes of water in your body.
You cannot gain or lose a pound of pure fat in just one day.
It is also not possible to gain or lose a pound of muscle
overnight.
However, it is very easy to retain or lose several pounds of
water.
Gaining or losing water will affect the number on the scale,
but will not make you slimmer. Eventually, your water
volume will return to the balanced amount, and the scale
will adjust accordingly.
Muscle Weighs More Than Fat
Muscle, another crucial component of your body, weighs more
then fat. This is the reason why ideal weight charts and
formulas do not work for bodybuilders.
Even when bodybuilders have very little body fat, the amount
of muscle that they have makes their total body weight go
way up. According to the standard weight charts, most
bodybuilders would fall under the category of being "obese".
This clearly illustrates how "losing weight" does not equal
"losing fat".
Tools to Measure Your Progress
Since fat is the third component that influences the number
on your scale, the scale is merely a useful tool for
measuring progress on your fat loss journey. However, the
key here is not for you to fixate on the scale, but to
use it as only one of the tools to track your progress.
Weigh yourself just once a month on the same day to avoid
stressing out every day over weight "ups and downs" caused
by water fluctuation.
In addition, you do not want to rely totally on your scale.
Instead, judge your progress by the way your clothes fit.
Take your tape measurements every month to see how far
you have reduced your fat factor; because, it is inches--
not pounds, which really matter most!
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About The Author
Melanie Mendelson is the author of an incredible step-by-
step guide that will teach you how to lose weight and keep
it off for good... even if you love to eat!
Click Here Now ==> http://www.practical-weight-loss.com
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You are advised to consult a medical professional before attempting any kind of therapy based on the information on this site. For further details, please read our disclaimer.
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