Even though many people join 24/7 Health Club to lose weight, dropping numbers on the scale may not actually give you what you are looking for.� There are better ways to track your fitness success than just weight.� By realistically viewing your accomplishments beyond weight loss, you are much more likely to be satisfied in the short term - which may make you more likely to continue with your program until you actually achieve the longer term results you are looking for.
Here are some of the best ways to track your fitness success:
BODY COMPOSITION
A person’s percentage of body fat is one of the best indicators of overall health and fitness.� Not only does it give you the most accurate picture of your overall health - if you are overweight you may be delighted and motivated to learn your overall health picture is better than you realized - it also helps you to track your progress effectively.� The problem with just measuring weight loss is that it doesn’t provide any information on what is being lost. Dieting alone, for example, can lead to muscle loss with limited health benefits.�
Tracking body composition and weight allows you to develop a dietary and training program that can lead to more muscle and less fat.� In some cases, people entering a fitness program initially gain weight which can be discouraging and send the wrong message.� Showing that the gain in weight is due to more muscle and less fat can overcome this concern.� Monthly body compositions provide great motivation and is probably the best way to track your progress.
Many of the trainers at 24/7 will do body compositions for a small fee.� Check with the trainer of your choice or stop by the front desk to get a list of trainers willing to perform body comps for you.
ENDURANCE AND STAMINA
Once you begin exercising, you may not see results right away but you start to feel them early on.� One of the most immediate effects of exercise is the ability to make your exercise sessions last longer the more frequently you do them.� You may not see immediate weight loss but you can feel almost immediate physical improvement.
Compare your performance week-to-week - how much longer can you workout?� How much easier is it to do your workout as the weeks go by?� The more you acknowledge the positive results, the better you will feel about your progress - and you will be more likely to stick with your workouts until the weight loss you are looking for really does start to happen.
OVERALL HEALTH
One final check would be to get regular health checkups over the course of the year because you are likely to see results that will keep you motivated.� Studies show that regular exercise can lower your resting heart rate, improve your cholesterol levels, reduce your risk factors for conditions including heart disease, stroke and diabetes and otherwise positively impact overall health.
“Losing weight” tends to be most peoples goal when they join 24/7. Although you can expect the weight loss to happen, it would be a GREAT idea for you to throw away the scales and use other tools to measure your success.�
Those of you who have not visited 24/7 Health Club lately have not had the privilege of seeing the wonderful BEFORE and AFTER photos of our members. It is so inspiring to me to get the opportunity to read about people’s struggles with their weight. To feel their disappointments when their efforts failed to produce the desired results. And, finally to experience their jubilation when they finally found the right solution for them. It is especially inspirational when I am able to look around the gym and see these people actually walking around and putting their words into ACTION. It is so exciting to me that all of the people on the banners and photos on the walls are all REAL PEOPLE who achieved REAL RESULTS. If they can do it, I know that I can, too.
Myself, I have struggled with my weight since my mid-twenties. Due to the complications of Fibromyalgia and the havoc it reeks on your metabolism, I often feel like I am trying to push a pile of molasses up a hill on a hot day. It often seems like I am spinning my wheels and often wonder why I bother. However, I have been inspired by the success I witness on a daily basis. I am determined to write my own Success Story! With that thought in mind, I am commited to keep on pressing forward and trust that I will reach my goal.
I would LOVE to hear YOUR success story. I would love to know what finally motivated you to take action and what the magic ingredient was that helped you finally obtain success. Did someone hurt your feelings and you promised yourself you would never put yourself in that situation again? Did someone elses success inspire you to step out and make the effort? Did a health crisis finally call you to action? How did you do it?
If you are having trouble getting started, I would love to hear from you, too. Hopefully someone out there can offer you the encouragement you need to put a plan in place. You can certainly take comfort in the fact that we all have been there and that there is a promise of finding a way out. If you need a little motivation, visit this site: http://www.getfit24-7.net/WINCHESTERROAD/storiestoinspire.html.