Measuring Progress…Beyond The Scale Part 1 5

Posted In Motivation

If you want to lose body fat, quit trying to lose body fat.

Say WHAAAAT?!

OK I am aware that I sound like a complete crazy person after that first statement. And to be honest, it’s only partially true. Sometimes, unfortunately, in order to lose body fat and get the aesthetics you desire, you have to be at least somewhat focused on losing body fat.

However, for most women, that only happens when they are already quite lean and it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty, minute details that help with that last little bit of fat loss.

For most women, if they want to get the body they desire, they simply need to do the following things:

1. Get enough sleep (8-9 hours a night for most people).

2. Eat protein, veggies, and fat with every meal. Have starchy/sugary carbs post-workout.

3. Lift really heavy things 2-3x a week.

4. Walk often (most days of the week for 20-40 minutes).

5. Sprint occasionally (1-2x a week). Can also swing, snatch, prowl, slam, or drag a heavy sled.

6. Manage their stress effectively.

7. Get moderate amounts of sunshine regularly (15-30 minutes/day most days of the week).

8. Get really frickin’ strong!

OK, OK… you’ve heard all this before…but it’s true! If you want to lose body fat and get the look you desire, focusing on performance in the gym and getting SUPER STRONG is just the way to do it! How do I know? Because my friend, mentor, and business partner Jim Laird has been getting women super hot and super strong for over a decade! Here are some of his clients (both of these women are 40+)

Now, he is currently helping 5 of our awesome clients get ready for their first powerlifting meet. Check out these super hot ladies!

4 of the 5 ladies competing this weekend! Their bodies have changed so much from heavy lifting!

The 5th lovely lady, Lizz:

The other wonderful thing about focusing on strength instead of focusing on the scale, is that it gives you a POSITIVE goal on which you can focus! Instead of feeling like you MUST go to the gym because you need to “burn calories and lose disgusting fat…” you are super excited to go to the gym to see how much your lifts have improved! It’s a wonderfully motivating thing to watch yourself get stronger and stronger every week. You’ll feel super powerful and your self-esteem will skyrocket!

Never underestimate the power of having a positive goal, as opposed to a negative goal.

All this being said, measuring fat loss progress can still be important if that’s your goal, but the scale is NOT the best way to do it. It can play a small role in measuring progress, but it definitely does NOT tell the big picture. So what does?

Stay tuned for my next blog post where I discuss exactly what/how I have my clients measure their fat loss progress.