A lot of methods to track your progress
You have decided to join a gym or get active and started following a diet plan. Things are going just fine and after sometime you want to see whether you have made progress. But there are a lot of methods to check the progress and people often get confused in choosing between them. Following are the common ways of measuring your progress and we will list the pros and cons of each method.
Weighing Scale
A weighing scale is the most common tool which is there in almost each and everyone”s house. People often use it to keep a track of their weight. Though it gives a rough idea about the progress made, but it can sometimes demotivate you. Sometimes, people lose body fat but gain muscle. When they weigh themselves, the scale instead of going down remains constant or sometimes even go up since muscles add to body weight. So in spite of making progress, a person may feel dejected as they would have expected the scale to go down.
Body Mass Index
Body mass index is yet another common way which people use to determine if they are underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. But now more people are questioning the use of BMI to determine body fat.
The good news is that BMI is a fast and simple way to determine whether a person is at a healthy weight. In under a minute, doctors can determine whether a patient is underweight, normal, overweight or obese.
But as experts explain, BMI may be too simple. Since muscle weighs more than fat, BMI isn’t accurate in patients with extreme amounts of muscle. And this can cause unnecessary concern or a faulty sense of security for many adults. For example, a fit person with dense muscle could be categorized as overweight based on BMI.
Both of them have same BMI
Measuring tape ( measure waist circumference)
Measuring waist circumference can be an ideal and convenient way to measure your progress. Women are supposed to have a waist of less than 35 inches and men should have waist less than 40 inches to prevent obesity. Measuring tape gives reliable information since less abdominal circumference means good health for most persons.
Body Fat Calipers
Skin calipers are the most accessible method in measuring body fat percentage. A technician uses the device by pinching a layer of skin to get any underlying fat. Calipers are easily accessible and are a convenient way to track progress. A benefit of using skin calipers is that it gives you a bigger picture of the subcutaneous fat/visceral fat convenient way to track progress.
Cons- Skin calipers require a lot of accuracy, and usually the technician has to go through rigorous training to be certifiable to use one. As for the formulas don’t vary with individuals, they remain constant. This can lead to false results.
Body Fat Scales
Body fat scales are also called bioelectrical imedance scales, which is quite similar to a normal weighing scale. The only difference is that there are electrodes under your feet or where you places your hands on the hand-held device. A small electrical impulse gets sent through the body, and the rate of the impulses are measured. Lean tissues conducts electrical impulses quicker than fat.
Pros- they are affordable and most gyms have these with them. It only requires you pressing a button, making it user-friendly.
Cons- Accuracy is the biggest down fall of this method because readings can be impacted by hydration levels, meal times, and workout sessions.
Calorie and weight tracking apps
There are a lot of apps which allow you to enter all the food items you consume and show their calories. Along with it you can enter your weight every week to keep a track and check progress made. These apps are very useful and can give you a good idea of the progress made since the time you started your exercise and diet regime. One such app is Daily Dieto which gives the nutrition facts of various food items and keep a track of how much you weigh.
Pros- These apps are generally free and all it takes is click of a button to download them.
Cons- you have to enter every food item you consume which can be troublesome for some people.
Health and fitness 