Have you ever looked at the scale and been confused on how that number is still the same or close to what you began at, but you’ve been consistently going to the gym, eating the right things, and being in a calorie deficit?
It’s tough to work so hard towards fat loss just to see almost the same number you started with or the exact same number you did start with.
After years of working with men and women who had this HATE relationship with the scale and assumed fat loss was directly with fat loss, I have found a way to show you how those two things should be held loosely together. Fat loss is not determined by the scale and the scale does not determine fat loss.
I’m talking to you about the –
PERFECT FAT LOSS JOURNEY
Okay, not necessarily ‘perfect’. Here is what I am meaning…
Consistency
This mean that whatever calorie deficit you are in, you maintain that the ENTIRE course of your fat loss journey. You stay the course and continue to do what your plan says to do.
I want to help you understand the concept of what’s actually going on when you are losing fat, what’s happening with your body, and what’s going on with the scale.
Although these are similar, the scale is just a tool for us to use during this journey. If you live or die by the number you see on the scale every day, you WILL drive yourself crazy.
Treating the scale like a piece of data is the helpful way it is supposed to be used.
Example
Let’s say someone is going to lose 50 lbs. over the course of 24 months. They are going to go from 200 lbs. to 150 lbs. in two years. Let’s assume they have been maintaining 200 lbs. for a month and then they start their fat loss journey.
I know some of you are thinking, “that’s too slow”, “I want to lose it in 12 months”.
This process is different for EVERYONE. It could take 6 months to 48 months depending on your consistency and how you handle the curveballs life throws at you.
Over their journey, we are assuming they eat the same number of calories and partake in the same amount of exercise. If they are in the correct calorie deficit that is going to make them lose X number of lbs. a week, they will be able to ride that wave for a while.
As they are on their journey from day 1 to day 389, if they are in that same calorie deficit, they are losing the EXACT same amount of fat every day no matter what the scale says. If their behavior is the same throughout the journey, fat loss is perfectly linear.
If you lose a substantial amount of fat, you will have to bump your calories down a little or up your amount of exercise by a small amount.
HOWEVER, these changes are not as severe as most people talk about them. You will not be losing fat for 3 months and then hit a wall. It’s just not true – something else is happening if that happens to you.
When you first start, there will be a big drop on the scale. This is due to eating less – less foods that let you retain water – and eating healthier foods – these cause less bloating and less water retention as well.
Whatever your weight is after a week or two of dieting, that is your new weight, your new base line. From there, you should see a consistent average of weight loss every 3-4 weeks.
BUT, it is not uncommon to have that weight fluctuate. Day to day and even week to week can vary. You may be super high one day, and super low the next. You also may maintain a weight for 2 or 3 weeks and then you weigh again week 4 and you’re down 4, 5, 6 lbs.
We see this with our clients that are on their fat loss journeys so, I promise this is not uncommon.
You want to get set up with a calorie deficit that will get you results. Utilizing a personal trainer or nutrition expert – like those at Steel 😉 – is recommended, but if you can find what will work for you, you can be 110% confident that you will lose fat as long as you maintain that behavior day-in and day-out.
You HAVE to maintain your behavior and calorie deficit to see your results.
How To Know You Are Making Progress
Take your weight every single day. As long as you see a drop every 14 days, you can note that you are losing fat.
Even if you only notice a new low every 21-28 days, you can still be sure that you are losing fat.
This doesn’t include when you are sick or crazy things are happening. If you are healthy and everything is normal, you can be sure you’re making progress as long as you see a new lower weight every 2-4 weeks.
You HAVE to give yourself time horizons. I know it is addicting and exciting to see the scale go down, and many people want to see it go down every day. You must observe the scale but detach. Now, if you see your scale going up 5 lbs. a week, quit hitting up McDonald’s and the buffet down the road lol.
Consistency is key. I’ve seen many people freak out after 2 weeks because they saw an initial big drop in weight and then it averages off. That initial drop is a ton of water weight, but they were still losing fat the entire time.
Their impatience restricted them from seeing the scale drop over time.
You can be 100% confident that with a calorie deficit, your fat loss is linear. You are losing the same amount of fat every single day. You just need to stay consistent.
If you are in a calorie deficit and you’ve been stalled for a month, you most likely need adjust things.
It is not uncommon to maintain a weight for a few weeks and then wake up the next week and be down 4, 5, 6, 7 lbs. We’ve seen it at Steel with our own clients!
Stay the course, trust the process, and you will see your fat loss results!
If you are wanting guidance on how to enter into a calorie deficit, we want to help you at Steel! Our team of experts is there with you every step of the way.
