7 Surprising Ways to Measure Progress Without Stepping on the Scale
By Adrian| August 6th, 2023
In most situations, the bathroom scales determine whether or not you’ve hit the milestones along your path to building a fitter, healthier & more athletic body.
The problem with this is we’re putting all our self-worth into the outcome – a number on the scale which can drastically fluctuate on a daily basis.
For instance, your weight may swing depending on your current hydration levels, your sodium intake, when you last ate, when you last went to the bathroom, time of the month, etc.
There are so many variables that can influence it.
I’m not saying weight on the scale shouldn’t be used as a metric of progress, I just don’t advise you to use it as your only metric of success.
It certainly can be beneficial (particularly if you do have a lot of weight to lose) but I would recommend you have other measurable forms of success because otherwise, you might be making progress you’re not even aware of.
Below are seven other alternative ways to measure your progress without stepping on a scale.
1). Improved Body Composition
Your body composition is the ratio of muscle:fat your body has while your weight on the scale is literally just a number showing how heavy you are.
I much prefer using your bodyfat percentage (which is an indicator of your body composition) as a measure of your progress. Why?
Your body composition tells you how much of me is useless fat I need I need to get rid of and how much of me is useful muscle I need to keep?
This is a much better metric.
You could start and finish a training program the exact same weight with two different bodies.
Remember, a Kg of muscle and a Kg of fat still weigh the same, they just look very differently.
Lean muscle is much denser and smaller in size than bodyfat.
Progress pictures are a non-standardised way of analysing your body composition.
If you wanted something more measurable, you can use tape measurements or a calliper to measure your body composition from home (just be sure you measure the EXACT SAME points each time). If you wanted to get it done professionally (and more accurately) a dexa-scan would be optimal.
Clothes fitting better might just be the number one “aha” moment most people encounter when they realise they’re on the right track and their making notable progress.
For a guy, this might mean being able to fit into shirts which previously you couldn’t close because they were too small for your frame.
It may also mean that you’re now able to fill out your t-shirt, a jersey or a nice new jumper because you’ve built muscle and your chest, arms, shoulders and back are all filling out.
For girls, it may mean having the confidence to wear clothes that fit that are true to your size or not feeling like you have to ‘cover up’ any specific areas because you now feel better and more confident in yourself.
These moments of realisation make the whole process of training consistently and eating well worthwhile and it’s not something a number on a scale alone can reflect.
If you’re initially overhauling your nutrition and doing more workouts, they may feel extra-challenging at first.
Push-ups start to get humbling after a few reps or the dumbbells start to feel heavy very quickly.
However, over time you’re noticing a big improvement in your strength levels.
Maybe now, you’re able to lift more weight than at the start.
Or you’re able to do more reps (more push ups for example) than previously.
You hit a new PB in a run.
You’re not as sore after your workouts than at the start because you’re able to recover better from then.
Or maybe you’re just moving better with more range of motion and you’re now pain free.
This all comes down to following a structured training program and having a solid nutrition plan to back it up.
If you’re currently feeling exhausted all of the time or if you can’t get through the morning without a caffeine and sugar hit, chances are you’re relying too much on stimulants to get you through the day because you’re likely deficient in certain nutrients from your diet.
Coffee & sugar will give you a short-term energy burst but relying on them is not a good long-term strategy.
A good measure of progress is when you feel yourself having more energy throughout the day and this often comes from starting the right training and nutrition protocol.
It may sound counterproductive – you’re exercising more, moving more yet you have more energy than when you previously would’ve rested more. How can this be?
The right dose of training will increase your work capacity and fitness levels.
Your body will become accustomed to being able to do more with these newfound fitness levels and you will feel yourself waking up more alert, moving more and not crashing all the time at 2pm or dosing off to sleep when you get home from work.
This comes from a good nutrition plan which will give you constant, steady state energy backed up with a suitable training program for you.
It’s only when your energy levels increase that you realise how much you were leaving on the table prior to not eating right or exercising properly.
Nutrition and training can play a big role in improving your sleep quality.
You can only perform as good as you can recover and if you couple the right nutrition plan with a specific training program, you will find your sleep will naturally improve.
Why is this?
From a training standpoint, your body will need to rest in order to recover.
From a nutrition point of view, if you’re eating foods with a good combination of protein, fiber, healthy fats and slow-digesting carbohydrates, you will find these foods keep you satisfied for longer and help stabilize your blood sugar levels.
A good night’s sleep is much more optimal when your blood sugars are stable compared to being excessively elevated from eating too much sugar.
Sleeping better is something the scale does not show yet, coincidentally can have a HUGE impact on your body composition.
We all know we’re not our best selves when we’re “hangry.”
This is more common when we deprive ourselves of important nutrients and you can literally feel yourself boiling up inside and crashing!
Studies have shown that eating too much sugar can make you depressed while having more trans fats (commonly found in takeaways) may worsen our mood.
When you change your nutritional & exercise habits, you’ll notice you feel much better, much more confident and much happier in yourself.
What this might look like for some of my clients might be walking taller, feeling more motivated and excited to make more progress, being more positive on a daily basis or even being more open to changes such as going for promotions at work.
When we try and succeed at something, you get more encouragement to keep going (warning, it can become addictive!).
I have never liked the word “diet.”
It implies being restrictive, rigid and following one is like a chore.
We’re either “on the diet” or we “fell of the wagon.”
A lifestyle change is different.
There’s no “on” or “off” switch, it’s just your new way of living.
The longer you do this, the more you will naturally gravitate towards eating whole foods.
You choose the bowl of porridge over the cereal because you enjoy it and you like the way it makes you feel afterward.
You eat the birthday cake or have a couple of drinks and you don’t feel guilty or think that you’ve screwed up because you’ve found a way to enjoy yourself without ruining progress.
There’s no “getting back on track” because you were never off it!
When a client tells me “It doesn’t feel like a diet,”it’s really rewarding for me to know they have made a lifestyle change which is sustainable for them.
At the moment, I probably fall in the 10% bodyfat category and find this very easy to maintain
I have built up good habits over time and I enjoy exercising for the mental benefits as much as the physical benefits.
I don’t feel like I’m “on a diet”, rather it’s more of a lifestyle for me.
IIn the past I have been leaner.
While I wasn’t nearly lean enough to step on stage (nor was this a goal of mine), I likely feel around the 9% bodyfat percentage mark.
It can be difficult sometimes looking back at older pictures wishing I could get back down to those levels again but everything comes at a cost.
I’m not willing at the moment to track nearly every calorie to the gram 7x a week like I used to.
Nor am I willing to give up my Saturday and Sunday pancake stack! So that’s an agreement I’m willing to make with myself.
Currently, I’m not going to be as lean as I was previously but I’m also not as rigid – I have much more flexibility and I’m happy to live like this.
What about you? What are you ready, willing and able to do?
By having these alternative metrics of success rather than just the scales, you will build more small wins and give yourself more credit for your progress than you are rewarding yourself for.
These include:
-Body composition
-Clothes fitting
-Strength levels
-Energy levels
-Quality of sleep
-Mood and happiness
-Confidence in being able to sustain it for life
Depending on your goal, I have some free resources which might be of benefit to you.
If you’d like a copy of my free, 3-day Total Body Transformation Program click HERE! (Enjoy the core finisher!).
If you’d like a copy of my Free Living Lean Cookbook to prove to you that it’s possible to eat foods you enjoy and get results, click HERE.
(Try out some EPIC protein pancakes!).
And if you’d like access to my Free 7 Day Fat Loss Accelerator (which has helped some members drop up to 7lbs inside 7 days),
click HERE and it will be sent straight to your email.
I hope these free resources help you!
IIf you’d like a coach to help get you out of a routine that isn’t currently working for you and into one that will , then book your
free consultation call today to see if you’d be a good fit for my Online Coaching.
This is where having the structure and accountability of a coach comes in. I’ll help you get the results you’ve always desired and
make your journey much easier and quicker than doing it on your own.
You’re just one click away of becoming a success story.
IAdrian McDonnell is a highly specialised Personal Trainer & Online Fitness Coach from outside of Tuam, Co.Galway, Ireland.
Previously a primary school teacher for almost 5 years, Adrian followed his passion and pursued a career in fitness after seeing first hands the results he could achieve with himself.
Although Adrian is a Personal Trainer & now Full-Time Online Transformation Fitness Coach from outside of Tuam, Co.Galway – he not only coaches clients locally, but also nationally and internationally.
Adrian specialises in helping working professionals:
- Be confident in themselves·
- Feel more comfortable in their clothes·
- Look better in the mirror·
- Increase their energy and go for more promotions at work·
- Get fitter, leaner & stronger without following rigid meal plans·
- Go on more dates (this is a common one)·
- And feel proud of themselves for doing something they never thought was possible!
To date he has helped Transform over 500 Clients into fitter, more toned & confident individuals.
Transforming people’s lives through proper fitness, sustainable & enjoyable nutrition practices & mindset mentoring is something Adrian is truly passionate about and this is his mission in life.
Want to find out more? Contact me today & I’ll answer any questions you have.
While the above three relate specifically to training and nutrition, this final topic related to mindset. In the past, I’ve fallen victim to the test of success. What’s the test of success?
You know that feeling of accomplishment you get when you put a few “good days” back to back? For instance, Monday - Friday you’ve been eating really healthily and so you feel like rewarding yourself at the weekend? Or that sense of achievement you feel when you weigh yourself and see the scale move down and you now look forward to treating yourself.
I love those feelings too - everyone loves to win. But a mistake I made in the past was to let these wins give me a false sense of security. I justified these wins to allow myself to go binge-eating at the weekend and reverting back to my old habits. I would eat portions of food way bigger than normal. This all came off the back of getting a false sense of security from encountering a small win.
I let the test of success get to me - that temptation to “take the foot off the gas” when you experience a win instead of striving for better. It’s a fine line. So, while I’m not saying you shouldn’t take time to celebrate the wins, I am saying it’s important not to let complacency kick in when you do win. Not to allow yourself to lose your momentum and revert back to old habits.
I have lost weight before and rebounded so I know what it feels like. However, this year, I managed to lose weight and keep it off forever by focusing on the fundamentals and handling the test of success. So when you experience a win, when you start making progress, are you going to become comfortable and coast? Or are you going to continue to do the fundamentals that led to your success in the first place? This has been one of the biggest changes I’ve made this year – in my mindset.
Remember, losing weight is one skill to master, but creating a lifestyle change where you can learn how to sustain it and keep it is another skill entirely in itself. Being aware of the test of success and following the fundamentals is the final (and perhaps most important) way to stay lean year round.
Thank you for reading – I hope you learned something new and got some value from this.
If you did get value from it, please pay the fee. What's the fee?
If you find this content valuable (maybe you learned something new or are going to implement a new practice) then please share my blog post with a friend or on your social stories and tag me on Instagram (@McLifestyleFitness).
For such a small act that doesn't cost anything, it really helps me reach more people and spread the word on how to optimise your health and fitness.
I don’t run ads towards my blog posts, everything I’ve done to date has been done organically from people like you reading spreading the good word. I’d appreciate your continued support.
While the above three relate specifically to training and nutrition, this final topic related to mindset. In the past, I’ve fallen victim to the test of success. What’s the test of success?
You know that feeling of accomplishment you get when you put a few “good days” back to back? For instance, Monday - Friday you’ve been eating really healthily and so you feel like rewarding yourself at the weekend? Or that sense of achievement you feel when you weigh yourself and see the scale move down and you now look forward to treating yourself.
I love those feelings too - everyone loves to win. But a mistake I made in the past was to let these wins give me a false sense of security. I justified these wins to allow myself to go binge-eating at the weekend and reverting back to my old habits. I would eat portions of food way bigger than normal. This all came off the back of getting a false sense of security from encountering a small win.
I let the test of success get to me - that temptation to “take the foot off the gas” when you experience a win instead of striving for better. It’s a fine line. So, while I’m not saying you shouldn’t take time to celebrate the wins, I am saying it’s important not to let complacency kick in when you do win. Not to allow yourself to lose your momentum and revert back to old habits.
I have lost weight before and rebounded so I know what it feels like. However, this year, I managed to lose weight and keep it off forever by focusing on the fundamentals and handling the test of success. So when you experience a win, when you start making progress, are you going to become comfortable and coast? Or are you going to continue to do the fundamentals that led to your success in the first place? This has been one of the biggest changes I’ve made this year – in my mindset.
Remember, losing weight is one skill to master, but creating a lifestyle change where you can learn how to sustain it and keep it is another skill entirely in itself. Being aware of the test of success and following the fundamentals is the final (and perhaps most important) way to stay lean year round.
Thank you for reading – I hope you learned something new and got some value from this.
If you did get value from it, please pay the fee. What's the fee?
If you find this content valuable (maybe you learned something new or are going to implement a new practice) then please share my blog post with a friend or on your social stories and tag me on Instagram (@McLifestyleFitness).
For such a small act that doesn't cost anything, it really helps me reach more people and spread the word on how to optimise your health and fitness.
I don’t run ads towards my blog posts, everything I’ve done to date has been done organically from people like you reading spreading the good word. I’d appreciate your continued support.
While the above three relate specifically to training and nutrition, this final topic related to mindset. In the past, I’ve fallen victim to the test of success. What’s the test of success?
You know that feeling of accomplishment you get when you put a few “good days” back to back? For instance, Monday - Friday you’ve been eating really healthily and so you feel like rewarding yourself at the weekend? Or that sense of achievement you feel when you weigh yourself and see the scale move down and you now look forward to treating yourself.
I love those feelings too - everyone loves to win. But a mistake I made in the past was to let these wins give me a false sense of security. I justified these wins to allow myself to go binge-eating at the weekend and reverting back to my old habits. I would eat portions of food way bigger than normal. This all came off the back of getting a false sense of security from encountering a small win.
I let the test of success get to me - that temptation to “take the foot off the gas” when you experience a win instead of striving for better. It’s a fine line. So, while I’m not saying you shouldn’t take time to celebrate the wins, I am saying it’s important not to let complacency kick in when you do win. Not to allow yourself to lose your momentum and revert back to old habits.
I have lost weight before and rebounded so I know what it feels like. However, this year, I managed to lose weight and keep it off forever by focusing on the fundamentals and handling the test of success. So when you experience a win, when you start making progress, are you going to become comfortable and coast? Or are you going to continue to do the fundamentals that led to your success in the first place? This has been one of the biggest changes I’ve made this year – in my mindset.
Remember, losing weight is one skill to master, but creating a lifestyle change where you can learn how to sustain it and keep it is another skill entirely in itself. Being aware of the test of success and following the fundamentals is the final (and perhaps most important) way to stay lean year round.
Thank you for reading – I hope you learned something new and got some value from this.
If you did get value from it, please pay the fee. What's the fee?
If you find this content valuable (maybe you learned something new or are going to implement a new practice) then please share my blog post with a friend or on your social stories and tag me on Instagram (@McLifestyleFitness).
For such a small act that doesn't cost anything, it really helps me reach more people and spread the word on how to optimise your health and fitness.
I don’t run ads towards my blog posts, everything I’ve done to date has been done organically from people like you reading spreading the good word. I’d appreciate your continued support.
While the above three relate specifically to training and nutrition, this final topic related to mindset. In the past, I’ve fallen victim to the test of success. What’s the test of success?
You know that feeling of accomplishment you get when you put a few “good days” back to back? For instance, Monday - Friday you’ve been eating really healthily and so you feel like rewarding yourself at the weekend? Or that sense of achievement you feel when you weigh yourself and see the scale move down and you now look forward to treating yourself.
I love those feelings too - everyone loves to win. But a mistake I made in the past was to let these wins give me a false sense of security. I justified these wins to allow myself to go binge-eating at the weekend and reverting back to my old habits. I would eat portions of food way bigger than normal. This all came off the back of getting a false sense of security from encountering a small win.
I let the test of success get to me - that temptation to “take the foot off the gas” when you experience a win instead of striving for better. It’s a fine line. So, while I’m not saying you shouldn’t take time to celebrate the wins, I am saying it’s important not to let complacency kick in when you do win. Not to allow yourself to lose your momentum and revert back to old habits.
I have lost weight before and rebounded so I know what it feels like. However, this year, I managed to lose weight and keep it off forever by focusing on the fundamentals and handling the test of success. So when you experience a win, when you start making progress, are you going to become comfortable and coast? Or are you going to continue to do the fundamentals that led to your success in the first place? This has been one of the biggest changes I’ve made this year – in my mindset.
Remember, losing weight is one skill to master, but creating a lifestyle change where you can learn how to sustain it and keep it is another skill entirely in itself. Being aware of the test of success and following the fundamentals is the final (and perhaps most important) way to stay lean year round.
Thank you for reading – I hope you learned something new and got some value from this.
If you did get value from it, please pay the fee. What's the fee?
If you find this content valuable (maybe you learned something new or are going to implement a new practice) then please share my blog post with a friend or on your social stories and tag me on Instagram (@McLifestyleFitness).
For such a small act that doesn't cost anything, it really helps me reach more people and spread the word on how to optimise your health and fitness.
I don’t run ads towards my blog posts, everything I’ve done to date has been done organically from people like you reading spreading the good word. I’d appreciate your continued support.
While the above three relate specifically to training and nutrition, this final topic related to mindset. In the past, I’ve fallen victim to the test of success. What’s the test of success?
You know that feeling of accomplishment you get when you put a few “good days” back to back? For instance, Monday - Friday you’ve been eating really healthily and so you feel like rewarding yourself at the weekend? Or that sense of achievement you feel when you weigh yourself and see the scale move down and you now look forward to treating yourself.
I love those feelings too - everyone loves to win. But a mistake I made in the past was to let these wins give me a false sense of security. I justified these wins to allow myself to go binge-eating at the weekend and reverting back to my old habits. I would eat portions of food way bigger than normal. This all came off the back of getting a false sense of security from encountering a small win.
I let the test of success get to me - that temptation to “take the foot off the gas” when you experience a win instead of striving for better. It’s a fine line. So, while I’m not saying you shouldn’t take time to celebrate the wins, I am saying it’s important not to let complacency kick in when you do win. Not to allow yourself to lose your momentum and revert back to old habits.
I have lost weight before and rebounded so I know what it feels like. However, this year, I managed to lose weight and keep it off forever by focusing on the fundamentals and handling the test of success. So when you experience a win, when you start making progress, are you going to become comfortable and coast? Or are you going to continue to do the fundamentals that led to your success in the first place? This has been one of the biggest changes I’ve made this year – in my mindset.
Remember, losing weight is one skill to master, but creating a lifestyle change where you can learn how to sustain it and keep it is another skill entirely in itself. Being aware of the test of success and following the fundamentals is the final (and perhaps most important) way to stay lean year round.
Thank you for reading – I hope you learned something new and got some value from this.
If you did get value from it, please pay the fee. What's the fee?
If you find this content valuable (maybe you learned something new or are going to implement a new practice) then please share my blog post with a friend or on your social stories and tag me on Instagram (@McLifestyleFitness).
For such a small act that doesn't cost anything, it really helps me reach more people and spread the word on how to optimise your health and fitness.
I don’t run ads towards my blog posts, everything I’ve done to date has been done organically from people like you reading spreading the good word. I’d appreciate your continued support.
While the above three relate specifically to training and nutrition, this final topic related to mindset. In the past, I’ve fallen victim to the test of success. What’s the test of success?
You know that feeling of accomplishment you get when you put a few “good days” back to back? For instance, Monday - Friday you’ve been eating really healthily and so you feel like rewarding yourself at the weekend? Or that sense of achievement you feel when you weigh yourself and see the scale move down and you now look forward to treating yourself.
I love those feelings too - everyone loves to win. But a mistake I made in the past was to let these wins give me a false sense of security. I justified these wins to allow myself to go binge-eating at the weekend and reverting back to my old habits. I would eat portions of food way bigger than normal. This all came off the back of getting a false sense of security from encountering a small win.
I let the test of success get to me - that temptation to “take the foot off the gas” when you experience a win instead of striving for better. It’s a fine line. So, while I’m not saying you shouldn’t take time to celebrate the wins, I am saying it’s important not to let complacency kick in when you do win. Not to allow yourself to lose your momentum and revert back to old habits.
I have lost weight before and rebounded so I know what it feels like. However, this year, I managed to lose weight and keep it off forever by focusing on the fundamentals and handling the test of success. So when you experience a win, when you start making progress, are you going to become comfortable and coast? Or are you going to continue to do the fundamentals that led to your success in the first place? This has been one of the biggest changes I’ve made this year – in my mindset.
Remember, losing weight is one skill to master, but creating a lifestyle change where you can learn how to sustain it and keep it is another skill entirely in itself. Being aware of the test of success and following the fundamentals is the final (and perhaps most important) way to stay lean year round.
Thank you for reading – I hope you learned something new and got some value from this.
If you did get value from it, please pay the fee. What's the fee?
If you find this content valuable (maybe you learned something new or are going to implement a new practice) then please share my blog post with a friend or on your social stories and tag me on Instagram (@McLifestyleFitness).
For such a small act that doesn't cost anything, it really helps me reach more people and spread the word on how to optimise your health and fitness.
I don’t run ads towards my blog posts, everything I’ve done to date has been done organically from people like you reading spreading the good word. I’d appreciate your continued support.
While the above three relate specifically to training and nutrition, this final topic related to mindset. In the past, I’ve fallen victim to the test of success. What’s the test of success?
You know that feeling of accomplishment you get when you put a few “good days” back to back? For instance, Monday - Friday you’ve been eating really healthily and so you feel like rewarding yourself at the weekend? Or that sense of achievement you feel when you weigh yourself and see the scale move down and you now look forward to treating yourself.
I love those feelings too - everyone loves to win. But a mistake I made in the past was to let these wins give me a false sense of security. I justified these wins to allow myself to go binge-eating at the weekend and reverting back to my old habits. I would eat portions of food way bigger than normal. This all came off the back of getting a false sense of security from encountering a small win.
I let the test of success get to me - that temptation to “take the foot off the gas” when you experience a win instead of striving for better. It’s a fine line. So, while I’m not saying you shouldn’t take time to celebrate the wins, I am saying it’s important not to let complacency kick in when you do win. Not to allow yourself to lose your momentum and revert back to old habits.
I have lost weight before and rebounded so I know what it feels like. However, this year, I managed to lose weight and keep it off forever by focusing on the fundamentals and handling the test of success. So when you experience a win, when you start making progress, are you going to become comfortable and coast? Or are you going to continue to do the fundamentals that led to your success in the first place? This has been one of the biggest changes I’ve made this year – in my mindset.
Remember, losing weight is one skill to master, but creating a lifestyle change where you can learn how to sustain it and keep it is another skill entirely in itself. Being aware of the test of success and following the fundamentals is the final (and perhaps most important) way to stay lean year round.
Thank you for reading – I hope you learned something new and got some value from this.
If you did get value from it, please pay the fee. What's the fee?
If you find this content valuable (maybe you learned something new or are going to implement a new practice) then please share my blog post with a friend or on your social stories and tag me on Instagram (@McLifestyleFitness).
For such a small act that doesn't cost anything, it really helps me reach more people and spread the word on how to optimise your health and fitness.
I don’t run ads towards my blog posts, everything I’ve done to date has been done organically from people like you reading spreading the good word. I’d appreciate your continued support.
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