How to measure success

I hear what you’re saying: ” How do I know if this is working?!?!” After all, you’ve got to see the success of this plan, or you aren’t going to stick with it.

First of all, throw away your scale.

Ok, you don’t really have to throw it away. It’s an essential tool. But, if this is

  • your first real effort to control your health, fitness, and nutrition without going on a diet
  • a dramatic change from your previous eating habits (hint: it is)

Give your scale a break.

Let’s call your weight out for what it is:

weight: (n) the force acting on an object due to gravity

So if you need detailed, daily calculations related to the effects of gravity, by all means, use your scale daily. For everyone else:

Your body will need some time to accept that things are changing!

You may not see a significant decrease in weight right away, but rest assured, changes are happening to your body. It’s learning to live on less carbs. It’s learning to use protein as fuel. It’s learning to turn fat into fuel. Let it have some time to adjust before stepping back on that scale.

Fix your belt!

What? What happened to this belt? Actually, nothing. As your body starts to become a lean, mean, calorie-burning machine, your body composition will change. Clothes will start to become baggy. You’re going to have to cinch up that belt a notch. In due time, you’ll probably have to go shopping for a whole new wardrobe (I know, I know… it’s the price to pay for being sexy!).

So long afternoon crash!

Look for other signs of success, like that dreaded afternoon crash you used to get. You know, the one that had you heading to Starbucks for your afternoon caffeine fix? You’ll see it disappear. When you fuel your body right, you’ll have plenty of energy to power through the day without needing caffeine, 5-hour energy drinks, or other energy supplements to stay awake all day.

Restful sleep

Your body is meant to sleep and sleep well. You’ll find that sleep comes naturally once you stop pumping it full of junk food. It’s deep and restful. It’s refreshing.

But what if…

So when should you expect to see these miracles of nature? The first week may be rough. The second week should be better. Give it the full 45 days to start seeing the effects above. If you don’t see results after that don’t quit. Adjust. Identify what isn’t working. Are you hitting your macro ratio consistently? If not, fix that! Are you hungry all the time? Try increasing your protein (and remember to adjust your carbs and fat to balance everything out). Are you hungry earlier or later in the day? Try shortening your fasting window to allow more time to eat during the day.

When can I get back on the scale?

At the end of the challenge. No sooner. The only reason to step back on a scale during this challenge is to satisfy that urge to berate yourself for a perceived lack of progress mentally. If you are feeling great, your clothes are getting baggy, you are sleeping better, and you feel the need to find something negative to beat yourself up over, then jump on that scale.

A more accurate number…

Weight alone doesn’t give an accurate picture of your health. To get a complete picture, you must evaluate weight, body mass index (BMI), and body fat percentage. We’ve already established that weight is the pull of gravity on your body. But what makes up that weight? Is it fat? Water? Muscle? Did Aliens leave a large, heavy object in your body during your last abduction? 🤷‍♂️ The answer to that question lies in the other two numbers. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. It is used as an indicator of your health status and disease risk. It doesn’t tell you how much of your body is muscle mass and tissue vs. fat but it has a lot of research behind it to determine your health risk.

BMI categories are as follows:

Underweight <= 18.5

Normal 18.5 - 25

Overweight 25 - 30

Obese 30 and over

Body fat percentage is a measure of fitness level because it is the only body measurement that calculates body composition without regard to height and weight. I.e., “how much of your body is fat vs. muscle.” Even if your weight isn’t changing, you can see big swings in this number as you lose fat and add muscle, and this is precisely why we avoid the scale daily or weekly. This number changes slowly, but change is good.

Essential fat: Women 10 - 13%, Men 2 - 5%

Athletic: Women 14 - 20%, Men 6 - 13%

Fitness: Women 21 - 24%, Men 14 - 17%

Average: Women 25 - 31%, Men 18 - 24%

Obese: Women >32%, Men >25%

To learn about the different methods for calculating BMI and Body Fat Percentage, including how you can calculate it yourself, see: Body Mass Index and Body Fat Percentage

Today’s Tasks

Don’t forget to complete today’s tasks for the challenge.

  • Drink 1 gallon of water
  • Workout for 45 minutes
  • Read ten pages from your book Once completed, be sure to head over to the tracking site and mark them as completed to track your progress for the challenge.