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Weight Loss Exercise

Is a Measuring Tape Better Than A Scale?


The need to lose weight is something that many of us have. The truth is, however, that we should be seeking to lose fat specifically. Muscle weight is fine, but weight from fat is not.

The problem is that it can be hard to measure your progress when you’re making effort to lose weight. This is especially true if you work out regularly as part of your weight loss process. If you incorporate strength training three to four times a week, you may gain muscle, which will add to your weight. This is not a gain in fat, but in muscle.

The Problem With Scales

If you use a scale to measure your progress, you can never tell the difference if the weight you lost or gained is water weight, fat, or muscle. This is why a measuring tape is more appropriate to track your weight loss progress. By using a measuring tape, you can see if you are losing inches off your body. When you lose inches, chances are you are losing fat. And ultimately, that’s the whole point of losing weight.

Does this mean that you should throw away your scales and rely completely on a measuring tape? Not necessarily. Use both to measure how far you’ve come with your weight loss efforts. Use the number of the scale to see if you are heading in the right direction, and reconfirm whether it is fat that you are losing with a measuring tape. This way, you get a way better picture of how things are with your weight loss. Weight varies from day to day, but fat loss is less variable.

Go Beyond The Measurements

Besides the scale and the measuring tape, what else can you use to measure your weight loss? Well, you can judge by whether your clothes are becoming looser, and whether you feel lighter and fitter. These may be more subjective, but sometimes all you need to confirm that you are losing weight is the fact that you can fit into your old jeans.

Many people also report feeling more energetic, and generally happier and more confident in themselves. So, even if the scale shows slow progress, don’t discount this kind of evidence when it comes to motivating yourself by knowing that your efforts are paying off!

If you want the most accurate measurements possible then there are more ways to measure body fat – calipers, for example. Just know that, by tracking your progress every day or every week, you’ll help keep yourself motivated to continue.


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Where to Find Support For Your Weight Loss Efforts


Losing weight is not an easy thing to do, especially when you’re tackling it by yourself. With some support from people around you, you’ll be more likely to help yourself to get through the tough points, and you’ll have someone else to show you how far you’ve come.

Humans are naturally social and generally rely on each other for their wellbeing, whether it’s completing a task together or just giving emotional support to one another. This applies even more when you’re trying to lose weight. It’s not easy at the best of times, let alone when you’re trying to do it alone. So where are the best places to find support?

Friends And Family

Friends and family are the best people to get support from when you embark on your weight loss journey. After all, they’re the closest people to you and can understand you the best. You may also feel more comfortable sharing your weight loss experience with them.

Make sure you look for someone you trust and are close to when you ask for their support. This can be anyone, for example your best friend or a sibling. You can tell them about your goals and plans for your weight loss efforts so that they can keep you on track. You can also share your difficulties with them when you bump into a wall during your efforts.


If you are not content with just telling your family or friends about your weight goals, you can also get them to actively participate in your efforts. You can ask them to play some sports with you on the weekends, or join you when you go for a jog. Having an exercise buddy is always a good motivation!

Whatever you do, don’t ask someone who doesn’t believe in you and tells you that you can’t do it. Although some people are motivated by negativity, you’ll be far more likely to succeed if you have some positive encouragement from those you know and love.

Weight Loss Clubs

If you’re not very comfortable getting support from your friends and family, you can always join a weight loss club or fitness club. By joining a club like this, you can meet others with goals similar to yours. You can befriend many people who go through the same experiences you do, and all of you can encourage each other on your weight loss journeys. It can also be fun to share experiences and ideas on how to lose weight.

Besides getting support from club members, you can also get to know the gym instructors and ask them for guidance on effective weight loss.

The most important point is that you get health and motivation from somewhere. Numerous studies have shown that people are more likely to see success in their weight loss efforts when they track their progress and take advantage of the support of others.


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How Fast Should You See Results When Trying To Lose Weight?


Losing weight is no walk in the park. You probably already know that it is a difficult process, one that requires willpower, patience, and determination. We all know that we need to weight, but we all want to see results yesterday! The main question people have when they first set out on a weight loss journey is ‘How long is this going to take?â? The answer to that is complicated, to say the least.

How Your Metabolism Plays a Part in Results

Your metabolism is the key determinant in how fast you see results when you try to lose weight. Some people have faster metabolisms than others; men generally have faster metabolisms than women. Similarly, younger people tend to have faster metabolisms than older people, and more muscular people have faster metabolisms than their less muscular counterparts.

Therefore, your individual metabolism is what decides how fast the weight slips off. This is also the reason why you should not compare how fast you lose weight to other people. They may have a faster or slower metabolism than yours, so what works for them may not work for you (yes, that super skinny friend of yours who swallows down meals in large quantities but never gains weight probably has a much faster metabolism than yours).

Is There Nothing You Can Do?

running-beachWell, don’t lose all hope if the pounds seem to be slipping off you at the rate of a snail trying to run 100 yards. There are several things you can do to keep your metabolism running much more efficiently (read: faster).

Firstly, it’s important to avoid diets that restrict your calories too much, as this will slow down your metabolism in the long run. Also, exercise regularly and incorporate strength training into your workouts so that you can increase muscle mass, which will rev up your metabolism as well. Keep your body guessing by constantly mixing up your workouts and mealtimes, so that your metabolic fire will be running at full speed all the time.

So, don’t worry about how fast you can see results. Just focus on your weight loss efforts and see to it that you are dieting and exercising effectively. If you do everything right, you should see some progress over time.

Note that it’s healthy to lose around one or two pounds a week on a proper weight loss program, though you may lose much more initially if you have a lot of weight to lose. Also, if you only have a little bit of weight to lose, it will be much harder to see results, but don’t give up. Keep at it and you’ll see the results you want sooner or later.