Health By Nature…Where Clean Meets Green!

It’s morning, and you step on the scale. The number you see is your reality of how unhealthy you’ve become. This number sticks with you from the moment you wake up in the morning until the moment you get back in bed to go to sleep. It’s also the number used to signify the beginning of your weight loss program. But, what you need to remember is, that number is not the most important way to weigh your weight loss success. Why? Because your body is made up of mostly water and body-water levels can fluctuate from day to day. The numbers you see on the scale can move up or down from day to day anywhere from 3 to 5 lbs. If you’ve stepped on the scale and have gained 3 to 5 lbs. in a day or two, there’s no way you’ve gained that weight from fat. It takes eating an extra 3500 calories more than your body needs to gain a pound of body fat.

So how do you measure your weight loss success? Well, the true measure of how well you are doing with your new eating and exercise program is the size of your body. Using your  tape measure, measure the circumference of your waist, hips, arms, and thighs before you get started and then again every week or two thereafter. This is an excellent way to monitor a change in your body size. It is these numbers, the inches lost, that will keep you motivated when it seems like the scale won’t budge in the right direction.

Another way to measure success is to have your body fat percentage measured. A number of methods are available, from hydrostatic weighing to electrical impedance and skin fold calipers. Hydrostatic weighing is one of the most accurate ways to measure percent body fat, but it is often expensive and a bit invasive. It has to be done in a facility that has the equipment and requires that you to be submerged in a tank of water, a process that’s not for everyone. Bioelectric impedance is another method that’s available at some fitness centers. It’s noninvasive, but not quite as accurate as hydrostatic weighing. Another method, which is also available at many gyms and fitness centers, uses skin fold calipers. This method uses calipers to measure a pinch of skin at sites on the body. These measurements are then placed in a formula to estimated percent body fat. This method is not entirely accurate either; results can vary depending on how well trained the person taking the measurements is. If you choose this method make sure the person who initially measures you is the same person who conducts subsequent measures. Any of these methods can provide an initial estimate of body fat and more importantly, show positive changes over time.

And lastly, don’t forget to notice and acknowledge other measures of success: improvements in your energy level, performance, self esteem, the way your clothes fit, and many other benefits you’ll gain from a healthier lifestyle. Those benefits include improvements in health-risk factors and medical conditions, improved quality of life and mental outlook, healthier eating, and enjoyable physical activity.

So don’t forget to actively find ways to measure your success with your weight plan. It not only will help you stay on track with your healthier eating and increased physical activity goals, but will keep you motivated until you fit into your skinny jeans. Just remember, if the numbers on the scale aren’t moving in the right direction, it’s not a necessarily a reflection of how healthy you are or the progress you’ve made.

My weight management plan is clinically proven to be effective.  It’s powered by leucine, a naturally-occuring amino acid that makes your body keep its muscle and burn the fat you don’t want.  Other diets cause the body to go into *starvation mode* and store fat, which means muscle loss.  We are so certain that you will succeed with this program that we have a 100% unconditional guarantee–if you don’t like them for any reasons, you can return them for your money back.  What have you got to lose?  Just fat!

For more information, visit my weight management site at www.cinchplan.com/healthbynature

While you’re there, be sure and click on *free analysis*.  You can obtain your BMI (body mass index), which is a great indicator of how to set your weight loss goals.