Lose the Scale First

Are you always on your scale at home checking if that next pound has dropped off? Stop weighing yourself. That is your first mistake.

Here's another way to check if you've lost weight:

• Try on something -- a pair of pants, shorts, a skirt, a dress -- that doesn't fit or is too tight.
• On a piece of paper, make some notes about where the clothing is too tight.
• Pin the piece of paper to the clothing and hide it in the back of your closet.
• After three to four months of consistent exercise and diet modification, try on the clothing.
• Now, check your notes to see if any still apply.

Weight training
Ditch the scale, especially if you are incorporating resistance training into your workout -- something you should be doing for multiple reasons. With weight training, you build muscle tissue. Muscle tissue is more dense than fat. For example, a piece of muscle the size of a softball weighs more than a piece of fat the same size. With weight training, you could actually gain a few pounds over time. But, your body composition will change, replacing fatty mass with lean tissue.

Body composition analysis
The most effective tool to measure your progress in losing the undesirable fat is body composition analysis. This can be done through many techniques including Hydrostatic Weighing (under-water weighing), Skin Fold Thickness and Bioelectrical Impedance. Be sure you measure using the same method each time for consistent readings.

For more information, please contact

30 River Park Place West, Suite 340, Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 459-1630   Fax: (559) 459-1710

 This information is made possible in part by gift from Cambridge Homes