A light In The Dark
The Art of Measuring Progress
By: Patrick S. Cross, LMT, CPN, CET
“I can’t really see any difference, you know, in the mirror.” She said, disappointed.
“You’re only eight weeks in.” I said. “How do you feel?”
“Great!” She exclaimed. “I’ve got more energy and I’m not getting the sugar cravings as much anymore.”
I was taking Barbara (not her real name) through a program for decreasing body fat percentage and gaining strength, but she also wanted to see a new person in the mirror.
“And how is your gym journal looking?” I asked.
“It’s good!” She beamed. “I’ve already added 15 pounds with the dumb bells and 50 pounds on the leg press, and my endurance is going up too.”
“That’s great!” I said, “And you’re using your ketone strips?”
Ketone strips are a simple, inexpensive way to test how well your body is burning fat for fuel.
“Yep,” She said. “I’m getting into the purple.”
Being in the purple means burning a lot of fat.
“And how are you feeling mentally?” I asked.
“That’s better too.” She said. “I can stay focused for longer after lunch at work.”
“And your mood?” I asked.
“Much better. Except when I look in the mirror.” She said, only half jokingly. “I really do feel better, and I’m getting stronger, the numbers don’t lie, so I guess for now I just need to be easier on myself when I look in the mirror and focus on the little wins.”
Barbara is not alone in her frustrations. Changing a body visually is difficult. Improving energy, mental focus, strength, and overall health can happen relatively quickly, depending on the situation, but looking differently usually takes a long time, and always takes a lot of work.
Many people fall away from their program because they aren’t seeing the big, obvious results they want to see in the mirror and, having worked really hard for a month or two, get discouraged enough to fall back into what is easy and familiar.
It is also always possible that the program isn’t right. Each person is different and what works well for one might not work for another.
This is why measuring progress can be a game changer. Simple tools like ketone strips show us in real time if we are actually metabolizing any significant amount of fat. A gym journal lets you look back on your starting point, and see how far you’ve come, even if it doesn’t seem like you’ve made much change yet.
Fitbits and other gadgets can not only help you see progress that might be too small to notice on a day to day basis, but can also show you when you’re not improving and help build an understanding of the lifestyle patterns that are not helpful.
Dexa scans, which accurately measure body fat percentage can tell you how well your program is working and conversely if you might need to try a different approach. There are many more tools for keeping track as well that can help you to better understand your ups and downs, gauge the small steps, and more deeply understand your patterns.
It’s easy to get discouraged with a ‘just feel it out’ approach because many of the changes we want to see take a long time to show up. Some people can take that approach and stay focused and consistent even when they aren’t seeing any obvious changes, but most people just get discouraged and fall off track. Measuring the small changes, keeping track of the little wins, can be a light in the dark that allows you to know if you’re going the right way, and inspire you to keep going even when it doesn’t look like you’ve made it as far as you actually have.
With your next big goal consider some simple, easy ways to keep track of your small steps. See if that helps you maintain focus, stay on track, and eventually make it to those big leaps you want to see.
