An article I came across recently addressed the variety of factors (social, physiological and psychological) that play key roles in weight loss. The article focused on women and the factors that can make it more difficult to see results on the scale from week to week, including social pressure to be thin and hormone fluctuations. My favorite part of the article stated that with all these outside factors, a person’s weight isn’t always the best way to gauge fitness level.

“A lot of people need to divorce from the scale and start dating body composition”

-Roberta Anding, Spokesperson for the American Dietetics Association

I hear many times from week to week at the resort the same phrase “I only lost X amount of weight.” If you find yourself getting a bit obsessed with the scale (having weigh-ins make or break your days), remind yourself that the really important factors lie in your body composition! Changes in body composition may take longer to see results than the scale, but keep your eye out for them. You will begin to notice changes in measurements, your clothing getting baggier, and that you are more and more toned. These changes indicate changes in composition even if you do not see X amount of weight coming off on the scale. This is a lifestyle change, not a race, and you are working to change that composition by knocking your body fat down and improving your lean muscle mass. It is not all about the scale, so remind yourself to focus on the big picture next time you get down about the scale not moving quickly enough and keep on moving forward! You’ve got this!

Adapted from a blog post by Jessica Hummel