I recently asked on Twitter if anyone would like to guest post for me and the amazing Carys of caryselenjones.com said she would love to. So with no further ado, I'll leave you in Carys's capable hands!
The scales can sometimes be your worst enemy, especially when embarking on a weight loss (fat loss) journey. Yep, did you see the words in the brackets there? FAT LOSS. This is what you want to be losing! When you look down at those scales you want to see the number decrease, because you want to be losing fat. We have all heard time and time again that muscle is more dense than fat, or muscle 'weighs more' than fat. But, for some reason, we are still disappointed when the number on the scale doesn’t budge, even if our clothes are looser. If you are lifting weights in the gym or taking part in a circuit, pump or kettle bell class *newsflash* you will be building muscle (or at least should be)! A lot of people would rather refer to this as 'toning', but it is what it is and muscle is being built. This is how you rev your metabolism and get a gorgeous figure that you can maintain on a 'normal' eating plan, rather than dieting your whole life.
Take a recent experience with a client of mine. She had been steadily losing around 1kg a week for the first 5 weeks. At last weeks weigh-in she remained at the same weight. I explained to her everything I have pointed out in this article and that I was sure she is still progressing as I could still see the changes on her body. Still, she went away from the session feeling disheartened and felt she had reached a plateau. Next time we met we took new progress pictures and compared them to one we had taken just two weeks previous. The results were staggering. The smile returned to her face and we went forward and had another awesome session together.
My point here is that the scales are just a guide but photos never lie!
How to take the perfect progress pic:
- Either
set the timer on your camera or get a friend to take it for you.
Selfies are not the best for getting the right angle. A photo in the
mirror might do the trick but watch out for that flash.
- Take the photo in the same type of clothes or undies each time. It's pretty difficult to compare photos if you are in a baggy t-shirt one time and your best push up bra the next!
- Take the photo from the same angle each time, with the same lighting. Things can look very different with a flattering angle. Make sure it is straight on.
- Take one from the front, one from the side and one from the back. Don’t forget to incorporate your legs and bum.
- Take one flexed picture and one relaxed picture. Keep them separate and for accurate results don’t compare flexed and relaxed, only relaxed against relaxed.
- Be organised. Make sure you date them, and file them on your computer. You don’t want your friend flicking through your phone to see half naked lumpy pictures of you...or maybe you do...I don't know...
I hope that you will all heed my advice and get snapping!
Thank you so much for your amazing post, Carys! If any other bloggers would like to guest post on nicshealthylife.co.uk then please get in touch!
The scales can sometimes be your worst enemy, especially when embarking on a weight loss (fat loss) journey. Yep, did you see the words in the brackets there? FAT LOSS. This is what you want to be losing! When you look down at those scales you want to see the number decrease, because you want to be losing fat. We have all heard time and time again that muscle is more dense than fat, or muscle 'weighs more' than fat. But, for some reason, we are still disappointed when the number on the scale doesn’t budge, even if our clothes are looser. If you are lifting weights in the gym or taking part in a circuit, pump or kettle bell class *newsflash* you will be building muscle (or at least should be)! A lot of people would rather refer to this as 'toning', but it is what it is and muscle is being built. This is how you rev your metabolism and get a gorgeous figure that you can maintain on a 'normal' eating plan, rather than dieting your whole life.
Our
weight can also fluctuate due to hormonal changes, water retention or
even if you have just eaten a big meal! The best advice I can give
is to take pictures. I know at first you really won't want to and
the thought of seeing all your lumps and bumps with no filter or
'stomach breathing in' is positively petrifying, but just do it. You
will thank yourself when you really start to notice those changes!
Take a recent experience with a client of mine. She had been steadily losing around 1kg a week for the first 5 weeks. At last weeks weigh-in she remained at the same weight. I explained to her everything I have pointed out in this article and that I was sure she is still progressing as I could still see the changes on her body. Still, she went away from the session feeling disheartened and felt she had reached a plateau. Next time we met we took new progress pictures and compared them to one we had taken just two weeks previous. The results were staggering. The smile returned to her face and we went forward and had another awesome session together.
My point here is that the scales are just a guide but photos never lie!
How to take the perfect progress pic:
- Take the photo in the same type of clothes or undies each time. It's pretty difficult to compare photos if you are in a baggy t-shirt one time and your best push up bra the next!
- Take the photo from the same angle each time, with the same lighting. Things can look very different with a flattering angle. Make sure it is straight on.
- Take one from the front, one from the side and one from the back. Don’t forget to incorporate your legs and bum.
- Take one flexed picture and one relaxed picture. Keep them separate and for accurate results don’t compare flexed and relaxed, only relaxed against relaxed.
- Be organised. Make sure you date them, and file them on your computer. You don’t want your friend flicking through your phone to see half naked lumpy pictures of you...or maybe you do...I don't know...
I hope that you will all heed my advice and get snapping!
Carys
xxx
Thank you so much for your amazing post, Carys! If any other bloggers would like to guest post on nicshealthylife.co.uk then please get in touch!