2711: How to Easily Track Your Fitness and Weight by Marc Bilodeau of FitTrend on Health Tracking Tips

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Health Daily, how to Easily Track Your Fitness and Weight by Marc Bilodeau of FitTrend.com and I'm Dr. Neal.

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[00:00:16] This is kind of like an audiobook, but with articles instead, and articles from a bunch of different authors, and always with permission from the sites of course.

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[00:00:41] Alright and with that, let's hear today's article and continue optimizing your life.

[00:00:50] How to Easily Track Your Fitness and Weight by Marc Bilodeau of FitTrend.com

[00:00:57] One common piece of advice when embarking on any fitness or weight goal is to track your progress, yet recording your data takes time and requires you to remember to do it consistently to be effective.

[00:01:10] However, if you can make it part of your routine, you'll have a powerful tool to help you achieve your goals.

[00:01:17] Why bother?

[00:01:18] Why do you even have to track your workouts or weight if you already exercise and watch what you eat?

[00:01:24] You may think you have it well in hand. Unfortunately, you can't remember all your experiences from your workouts or every meal you've eaten.

[00:01:34] Can you list everything you've eaten and your workout sessions over the past week? If you can, awesome! Now go back another week, then another week.

[00:01:43] Tracking your workouts and weight will help you achieve your fitness goals. It lets you know where you were and where you are now, which is essential for making better decisions based on your actions and efforts.

[00:01:54] You can find patterns to help you adjust your behavior and workouts to keep you moving towards your goals instead of away from them.

[00:02:02] It's hard to know what's working and not working unless you track and monitor yourself.

[00:02:08] What should you track?

[00:02:10] Perhaps you don't track your weight or fitness routine because you're unsure what to track. You may have a vague idea such as tracking what you eat for your weight and what exercises you did for your workouts.

[00:02:21] On the other hand, you may not know precisely what you should track because you're unsure how to use the data once you have it.

[00:02:29] Only track what you need.

[00:02:31] For example, tracking what you're eating and drinking every day and your weight once a week isn't enough for you to make well informed decisions about your diet.

[00:02:40] It isn't necessary to count calories. However, if it helps you make better decisions, track your caloric intake.

[00:02:47] Your workouts are no different. Start with the basics, such as what exercise you did for how long and how you felt.

[00:02:55] As you find two in your goals, you can track more data as needed.

[00:03:00] When should you track your data?

[00:03:02] Tracking your fitness and weight is not hard, what's challenging is building the discipline to record your meals and workouts.

[00:03:10] It can be difficult to remember when preparing or cleaning up after a meal or finishing a workout at the gym or in an unfamiliar place.

[00:03:18] However, it's not hard to do if you include it in your current routine.

[00:03:23] Tracking your weight.

[00:03:26] The best time to track your weight is before eating or drinking, such as when you sit down for a meal grab a snack or drink a beverage.

[00:03:33] Why is this the best time? Because managing your weight also involves making better choices.

[00:03:39] When you write things down they become recorded, providing a sense of accountability.

[00:03:45] Secondly, it lets you contemplate if you're making good food choices.

[00:03:49] You have a moment to think about what you're about to consume and decide if it's helping you achieve your goal.

[00:03:56] As a result, you may substitute a cookie for an apple, eat smaller portions for your meals or skip dessert.

[00:04:03] Awareness can be powerful enough to help you manage your weight without counting calories.

[00:04:08] Waying yourself once a week is enough to track your progress towards your weight goal.

[00:04:13] To give the most accurate picture of your current weight, it would be best to weigh yourself around the same time each week.

[00:04:18] You can certainly weigh yourself more often, but no more than once a day. However, weighing yourself daily can cause unnecessary frustration as your body will naturally fluctuate.

[00:04:29] Smart scales can make tracking your weight easy as they can automatically track it over time.

[00:04:34] However, they can record a lot of data.

[00:04:37] Instead of focusing on all the data, focus on your overall weight.

[00:04:42] It does not mean you failed if your weight doesn't seem to move or only moved a little from the previous week.

[00:04:47] Instead of being frustrated, look at your weight over weeks or months.

[00:04:52] If your weight isn't moving, look at your food journal and adjust your diet.

[00:04:57] Tracking your fitness.

[00:04:59] The best time to track your fitness is right after a workout.

[00:05:03] This is the best time to add details about your workout and how you feel physically and mentally.

[00:05:09] In addition to recording what exercise you did and for how long you should note any aches, pains, lingering soreness,

[00:05:16] and how you feel overall.

[00:05:19] Fitness trackers and apps can make recording your workouts easy.

[00:05:22] However, they can also record a lot of data.

[00:05:26] Like your weight, focus only on the data related to your goals.

[00:05:30] The trends over weeks and months are your actual progress.

[00:05:35] One unfavorable data point from an off day does not mean you're failing.

[00:05:39] Instead of being frustrated, look at the data over time, which will likely show a different perspective.

[00:05:44] The takeaway.

[00:05:46] It's hard to know what's working or not working unless you track your progress.

[00:05:50] Tracking your weight and workouts is vital for reaching your fitness goals.

[00:05:55] However, tracking yourself will not be effective unless you consistently do it.

[00:06:00] Tracking your diet is the most effective before you eat or drink.

[00:06:03] Waying yourself once a week is enough to monitor your weight.

[00:06:07] Recording your workouts shortly after completing them,

[00:06:10] we'll ensure the most accurate information.

[00:06:12] It's helpful to know where you came from and where you are today,

[00:06:16] which can help you make well informed decisions regarding your overall health.

[00:06:24] You just listen to the post titled How to Easily Track Your Fitness & Weight by Mark Billado,

[00:06:30] a fittrend.com, and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:06:34] Dr. Neal here for my commentary.

[00:06:36] Do you know what many studies have found to be the most helpful habit

[00:06:40] for preventing a setback, relapsing back to old behaviors or getting back on track after a setback?

[00:06:48] No, it's not a miracle drug and I'll give you a hint.

[00:06:51] It was today's author's marks main theme,

[00:06:54] Fracking our behaviors.

[00:06:56] Anytime we want to break through a plateau,

[00:06:59] fracking what you eat and your workouts are your go-tooth.

[00:07:03] Have we been a bit off with our lifestyle habits?

[00:07:06] Write down what you eat and exercise habits.

[00:07:09] And magically we'll get back on track.

[00:07:12] And again, this isn't based on my opinion.

[00:07:15] Many, many studies have found that this is one of the most powerful tools for sticking to our habits.

[00:07:22] Alright, that'll do it for today.

[00:07:23] Thank you so much for listening.

[00:07:25] Thank you for being here every day.

[00:07:27] Thank you for sharing this show with someone.

[00:07:29] I hope you have a great rest of your weekend.

[00:07:31] And I'll be back here tomorrow as usual where your optimal life awaits.