Whether you’re working toward an athletic endeavor, improving overall health, or looking to lose some body fat, tracking progress in some manner is an important part of helping you achieve your goal. But what should you track? How often should you track it? And what happens if the results show that progress has stalled or maybe even slipped a little?
Without tracking, it can be hard to tell if you are indeed making any progress, especially when it comes to something like losing body fat. When you see yourself every day and the process of change is gradual, you likely won’t see much of a difference from one day to the next. Others may be able to see it, but how many times have you felt that sinking feeling as if nothing is happening and all those positive comments you’re receiving are people just trying to be nice?
Choosing the right metric or metrics to track is the key. For example, we all know that the scale is a fickle beast and weight can fluctuate from day to day influenced by an entire host of factors that have nothing to do with actual body fat gain. So rather than getting hung up on a number, try thinking about how much energy you have, how clothes feel, or take measurements or pictures once or twice per month. If you’re working towards an athletic endeavor such as a 5K run, rather than just focusing on the time it took you (which could be influenced by the weather, your sleep quality, current stress levels, or nutrition), consider tracking your rate of perceived exertion or how quickly you recovered after the run.
Tracking metrics should provide you with helpful feedback that you can use to assess any adjustments that may need to be made. There will always be days when you feel like you’re crushing your goals and days when those same goals feel like an impossible task. So before making any adjustments to your training or nutrition plan, consider the bigger picture first.
– On a scale of 1-10 how stressed am I? (Anything 8 or higher and cut yourself some slack.) – How well have I been sleeping recently? – Have I been eating healthy meals consistently? – Am I properly hydrated?
If you find that the data you’re tracking is causing you any degree of anxiety, then it is time to change things up. There is no such thing as failure – just feedback! If you want to step on the scale each day, then take an average for the week rather than focusing on each day. Any wild swing in the number is a fluke and not representative of wild body fat gains or losses. If you’re working toward a run distance time or are looking to lift heavier weights for a personal record, consider your starting point. An experienced and highly trained athlete will only see very slight increases in times or top-end strength numbers, whereas a beginner will likely see fast progress. If you’ve been on the upward trajectory and suddenly it slows, then remember to consider that bigger picture. Perhaps you’re reaching your strength potential and from here on out gains will be much smaller.
Whatever you decide to track needs to be data that you understand, something that you find helpful, and always taken in context of the bigger picture. There are so many wearable devices and smart scales that it is easy to become overwhelmed in a sea of numbers which in itself can be stressful! If in doubt, keep it simple. You don’t actually need a smart device to tell you how you feel. If you’re not sure of what to track, what is useful, or what is superfluous, then try reaching out to a coach or personal trainer that specializes in helping people reach their goals.
So, pay attention to how you feel about what you’re tracking. Does it provide you with useful information or does it stress you out? What else might be better to track? And always consider the bigger picture and the contributing factors that play a role in what affects the data.