You  know how sometimes after you’ve been working really hard at a fitness goal like losing weight or toning up, you look in the mirror and you see…nothing? Like zero changes, no difference, the exact same thing you saw a month ago even though you’ve been busting your ass.  But then, lo and behold, you step on the scale and you’re down a few lbs, or you whip out that measuring tape and you’ve gained an inch on your formerly puny biceps.  You don’t catch it because you see yourself every single day.  But in truth, according to the numbers, you certainly have changed.

You mean not everyone checks themselves out wearing a leotard with feathered hair?

As many times as I’ve told my clients that it’s all about feeling a difference, sometimes, just sometimes, numbers really are the best indicator of progress. The trick to this one is focusing on one reliable set of numbers instead of trying to juggle a bunch of them.  So if you’re measuring your waist every few weeks, go by that, not the number on the scale, especially if you’re strength training (but for the record, after working out for a week your weight will not go up yet from muscle gain — takes a little longer than that, folks).  If you’re looking to lower body fat percentage, use the same handheld BIA device every time you test yourself and throw the BMI chart out the window.

For me, a huge measure of progress has been how I’m doing in the gym.  Despite being told by multiple people that I look like my training is paying off, the number on my scale is decreasing at an extremely disappointing rate.  So to stay upbeat about everything I’m doing, I’ve got to base my progress on another set of numbers — how much I can lift and how many reps I can eke out.  And as with other measures of progress, I keep it consistent and keep my routine the same every week. Like most people have the same weigh-in day every week, I do the exact same workouts on the same days of the week.  But in this case, I want to see an increase in those numbers.  When I look back to where I first started, I see how far I’ve come. I don’t just feel stronger the way you might simply feel better in your clothes — I can actually say that I am stronger.

In my case, one set of numbers is clearly working for me, and the other isn’t cooperating quite as well.  But what about you?  Do you base your progress on a set of numbers?  Which set(s)?  Why did you choose that one?  Is it more about a feeling for you?  Spill!