Don't rely on the scale!

Don't rely on the scale as a means of your fitness progress. It may take up to four to six weeks to see a reduction in pounds on the scale, but you will feel a difference in how you feel and in how your clothes fit sooner.

This is why: A pound is a pound, but a pound of muscle is denser and will take up less space on your body than fat tissue, so your body shape may change but the scale may not budge. The good thing is muscle burns more calories than fat tissue, so you want to be building muscle by doing strength training. Fat tissue doesn’t turn into muscle, they are two different types of tissue, but strength training will help you lose fat and build muscle. This is why you see a loss in inches before a loss in pounds.

Muscles are metabolically active; let’s call them our fat burning machines. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn even when you're not working out. For each pound of muscle you add, you will burn approximately an extra 35-50 calories per day. For every five pounds of muscle added you will burn an extra 175-250 calories a day. (Calorie expenditure may vary with individuals)

Though my years of helping individuals improve their health, I have seen more motivation to stick with a fitness program by measuring success based on increased strength, flexibility, energy level, confidence, and better sleep than focusing on the scale.

So give it time and you will see body shape changes along with other improvements, even if the scale stays the same. Contact me if you need assistance to get started...I am here to help.