INTRODUCTION
Losing weight can be a challenging journey, and it’s natural to feel demotivated if you don’t see immediate progress.
By tracking specific indicators of your weight loss, you’ll stay more motivated, see results sooner, and stay committed for the long haul. This means less weight loss plateaus too. Most guys get SOME kind of results.
They just don’t know where to look for them.
BODY WEIGHT
The most obvious metric to track is your body weight.
Stepping on the scale daily (or at least three times a week) allows you to monitor your progress consistently. We recommend weighing yourself in the morning, on an empty stomach, and wearing minimal clothing for accuracy.
By recording your weight in a tracking app like MacroFactor, you can observe trends and ensure you’re moving in the right direction over weeks and months. Remember that fluctuations are normal, so don’t get discouraged by occasional ups and downs. Scale weight is a powerful tool that provides valuable insights into your weight loss journey.
PROGRESS PHOTOS
While scale weight is important, it doesn’t tell the whole story.
Taking progress photos at regular intervals complements the data from the scale and offers a visual representation of your body’s changes.
To capture useful progress photos, set up your phone in front of a mirror, preferably with a front-facing light source, like a window.
Take three pictures, once a month: front, side, and back.
Comparing these photos over time allows you to track visible changes in body composition.
Check out my client Chris, down 15 lbs in this photo.
BODY MEASUREMENTS
You can also use a measuring tape to get a clearer picture of your progress.
Two key measurements to focus on are waist circumference and bicep size. Measuring around your belly button gives you a reliable indicator of fat loss progress, while bicep size can indicate muscle growth. Tracking these measurements weekly, either in a tracking app or a simple note-taking app, provides additional data to assess your progress.
If your biceps are getting bigger while your waist is getting smaller, you’re on a great track—building muscle and losing fat simultaneously.
CONCLUSION
Weight loss is made easier by keeping your progress indicators front of mind.
Don’t miss out on the motivation and clarity that comes along with this.
