Like most people, when I started working out I wanted to lose weight and gain muscle. I started watching what I ate and I began a good fitness regiment. I went a week and hadn’t lost any weight at all. I went a month, nothing… 2 months nothing… 6 months nothing. I got to the point to where I seriously questioned whether or not it was worth it.
That was until I came across a picture of myself that was about 7 or 8 months old at the time. It seemed like I looked fatter and less tone, so I compared it to a recent picture and I was AMAZED! I couldn’t BELIEVE the difference!
It made me realize a few things that I believe to be VERY important for anyone who is just starting a fitness regiment.
1. Muscle weighs more than fat! – If you’re doing ANY amount of increased activity including exercise, chances are you’re building muscle, whether you realize it or not. This means that if you weigh yourself frequently you may not lose any weight at all (the confidence killer.) Wouldn’t it be horrible if you quit because of that? MANY people do!
In some cases you may actually GAIN weight. BUT that’s not necessarily a bad thing! There are several benefits to increased lean body mass (muscle.) The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn and the better you will look (in most cases anyway, you get the point I think.)
2. Take “before and after” photos! – I say this primarily due to #1 and because it’s hard to see a difference when you see yourself in the mirror every day. The same goes for people around you. They see you everyday, so it’s hard for them to see a difference, when in fact, there could be a big change!)
It’s not arrogant to want to look good. Instead of weighing yourself, take a picture of yourself when you first start your fitness kick. Then take another picture every month or two and compare (the confidence builder.) There’s a good chance you’ll see a difference, which will give you even more confidence and motivation to make next month’s photo even more drastic!
photo credit: AndyNoise.com
2 Responses to “Gain Confidence: It’s about Appearance and Health, not Weight!”
Josh, this is so true. I remember many years ago when I went into bootcamp, I weighed 127. After training was done, I weighed 135 but was in the best shape of my life. It was the lean muscle I put on that added the weight.
Josh, this is so true to the majority of people, but we have to teach people to stay off the scale. The most inportant thing is how we feel, and how we present ourselves. People want to look good in there cloths, so stay off the scales and concentrate onhow you feel and the body will catch up.