Weigh THIS!

I was wrapping up my brutal hamstring workout today when a woman stopped me to compliment me on my physique. I was extremely flattered and was happy engaging in conversation with her, and then she said, "If you don't mind me asking, how much do you weigh?" I smiled and said, "How much do you think I weight?". She guessed 135. I smiled and said "actually I weight closer to 145 right now". She looked surprised and said, "WOW that much??"

Which got me thinking- about how OBSESSED society is with this concept of weight. We're counting calories, squeezing in and out of jeans, measuring food and spending countless hours on the treadmill all for the satisfaction of what- seeing the number on the scale go down? What is weight really? What does "bodyweight" mean to you? Have you ever asked yourself that? Why is the number so damn important?

In all reality the number on the scale has NOTHING to do with how you look. It has nothing to do with how you feel. It doesn't effect energy or your ability to hop into that coveted mini skirt confidently, it's simply, just, a NUMBER.

In my opinion, it's an over-rated number at that. We're all concerned about weight loss- but are you concerned about where that weight loss is coming from? Do you care if it's fat loss or not? I'm going to guess that the answer to that question is a resounding "YES". I know it's a yes for me! But losing fat is NOT the same as losing weight and I think that distinction needs to be emphasized here. Losing weight can mean a multitude of things- fat weight, water weight, muscle weight etc..... whereas fat loss means EXACTLY that- LOSING FAT. It means sustaining your lean muscle while effectively shedding body fat. Which option sounds better to you? Losing water weight and muscle, or losing FAT?

What does "bodyweight" mean to you? It's merely a number on the scale. A number that only reflects what you weigh as a whole. It doesn't detail the composition of that weight, nor does it break down how much of you is fat, how much is muscle etc. So why is the number so important to everyone? No one else has to know what you weight, but others can tell if you're physically in shape or out of shape. They'll notice if your jeans fit nicely, if your body is lean, if you have great muscle definition, and if you carry yourself with confidence, but they are not going to stand there and wonder "what does she weigh".

Yet I hear it all the time- "I want to lose 30 lbs" or "I want to lose 5 lbs". How about "I want to tighten up" or "I want to be toned" or "I want to feel better and get in shape"? Let's say you begin eating well and training hard and you drop 10 lbs. That's incredible, but what if that 10 lb weight loss also came accompanied with a muscle gain of 5 lbs? Muscle weighs more then fat so that MAY mean that stupid scale won't budge. Does that mean you're a failure? Does it negate the advances you made in your physique? Of course not. If you're tighter, more energized, more defined, or simply smaller and fitting into your clothes more comfortably, then how have you failed?

Bottom line in all this- YOU HAVEN'T. But you have to start re-examining how you measure success in health and fitness. Getting the scale to move is not where your focus needs to be- because if it is, ultimately you will feel you've failed. Focus on how you feel, how you look- let the mirror be you guide. How do your clothes fit? Do you look and feel tighter? More toned? GET AWAY FROM THAT SCALE and focus on the successes that are occurring for you daily in the way you look and feel. I can tell you from experience that two things make for happier, healthier, more physically fit and toned individuals: FAT LOSS, and MUSCLE GAIN. Neither of those are reflected in the number that scale will give you. Step back, step away, and step into the light! You'll be thankful you did!