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Hey guys! I have been receiving a lot of DMs on instagram about sharing my work outs and diet habits. I will be sure to share on those topics in the next month! In my instagram stories last week, I had asked if “you weigh yourself?” on the scale and was blown away that 74% voted “no”. So many of you messaged me explaining why you do or don’t, why you used to and why you don’t anymore.
A lot of you expressed that seeing the number makes you feel bad about yourself and therefore, you choose not to weigh yourself. I think the scale is totally a personal thing and in everything in life, you have to make choices that are the best for you. The scale motivates me, if I don’t see the number decrease (when I am cutting- specifically eating/working out to lose weight) that it motivates me to try to do even better that day. I totally understand how the scale can have an opposite affect though. It took years, literally years, for me to realize that it is just a number. Just a number that no one else in the entire world has to see. My entire life I have weighed more than the “average” in my age group and out of my friends. I would say out of my friends, currently, I am easily 20 pounds heavier than most of them. I have learned that muscle weighs more than fat and really when someone says they are X pounds- there are so many contributing factors to that “X” number that at this point what does any of that mean or who actually cares?
I thought I would share 5 ways I keep myself accountable to my fitness goals:
#1 I weigh myself everyday: So this one may not be for everyone as I have said in the above but this scale is the one we use. You set up a profile with it adding your sex, age and height. When you step on the scale it recognizes your profile. The scale tells you your overall weight in pounds, as well as your weight from your bones! It breaks out water weight, body fat weight and muscle weight in percentage to your overall weight. This is incredibly insightful as you are able to see what is going on with your body. Do you ever weigh yourself and are frustrated because you have been working so hard at the gym and eating right but then step on the scale and don’t see any progress, or worst you see your weight increase? Well, this scale tells you that you gained in muscle, (muscle weighs more than fat) so while your muscle % increased, perhaps the fat % number decreased. Maybe yesterday you drank an abnormal amount of water, did the water % # increase? Then you gained in water weight. I don’t focus on the number my weight reads, it isn’t my aim to lose weight. I am focusing on converting fat to muscle and become leaner and stronger. MY goal is to decrease that body fat % # while increasing my muscle % # and maintain my water % #. I personally am striving for a leaner, stronger body and I would never want to lose my curves!
You’ll want to be sure to weigh yourself first thing in the morning, at about the same time every single day. This ensures an accurate reading of your body because if you weighed at night, what you ate that day and how much you drank varies. Weighing immediately after your body has been in “fasted” mode from sleep will get the best read. The scale sends an electrical current up your body to be able to accurately measure. You don’t feel this by the way! I keep a little notepad and pen next to the scale and record each day!
Again, if weighing on a scale isn’t for you then continue reading on for other helpful ways to keep yourself accountable!
#2 Create a progress photo diary. Stand in the mirror (with good lighting so you can see your body in detail) in your bra and underwear and take 3-5 photos of your body from different angles. Do this once a week, first thing in the morning and wear the same exact outfit. Create an album on your phone or on your desktop and store the photos there. You’ll have proof that you are seeing changes which can be so rewarding and motivating! I personally do this, not every week since I weigh myself every day, but I take photos about every month!
#3 Track your eating habits in an app like MyFitnessPal. I track calories & macros: carbs, fat, protein. I will certainly dive into this topic further soon as some of you have requested this. Macros are super personal to your body and your goals. A good starting point is to truly to track everything you eat to see what all you do eat (track everything, even one tiny Hershey kiss!) in a day and then aim to be in a calorie deficit. What your body burns in a day (nautrally & through exercise) has to be more than what you consume. More on this to come!
#4 Spend some money. You are more likely to stick with something if you spend money on it. Sign up for a gym membership, a work out program or an at home workout app. When you don’t feel like working out or keeping at it, remember sitting at your desk working, saving money to be able to spend on this. Remember your goals!
#5 Create a competition Again, this may not be for everyone but a healthy rivalry between a friend or spouse isn’t always a bad thing! Pat and I write out our financial goals, fitness goals, house goals, etc. every six months. When we feel like we are in a rut or unmotivated we will sometimes “bet” something. If you lose one % of body fat by x date then I’ll treat you to x. If you can lift x pounds by x date then you should reward yourself and buy x. For us, it works to motivate one another and hold each other accountable on the goals we have!
#6 (Bonus!) Reward yourself. Similar to #5, but reward yourself once you hit a goal. Eat three healthy meals that day and reward yourself with a “treat”. Go to the gym 5 days in a row and reward yourself with one dinner out. You are more likely to put in the work if you know you’ll get something fun or yummy out of it. At this point in my fitness focused life, I don’t reward on a daily or weekly basis but you have to start somewhere. Just keep challenging yourself and remember why you want to see changes with your body!
I think we all need to remember that our weight, fitness and health goals are all personal. I can not stand when someone thinks I work “really hard” at the gym to simply “lose weight”. I don’t feel I need to lose weight. I want to change fat to lean muscle but my “weight” isn’t something I really care about. It’s important to remember we all have different goals and we just need to encourage one another. All of our bodies are beautiful and as long as you are happy with the person you are in this world, that’s what truly matters.
I love hearing from you guys. Please always feel free to email me (brittanyanncourtney@gmail.com) or direct message me, leave a comment below on what you want to see from me, topics you want me to discuss or even simply to say hi! I love interacting with y’all!
Remember you can always find my other fitness related post here!
xx, Brittany Ann
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Insane!! Sexy girl!! What a body! Perfection!! Those legs!!!