Here is another post about my quest to lose weight

This one is about the importance of measuring. It applies to both loosing weight and to any other activity that you’re doing and expecting a certain outcome.

Although it may seem a no-brainer, I think I can turn out to be the difference between success and failure. Knowing where you are, what your goal is and how much until you reach it can help you remain motivated and continue to do things motivated.

As far as losing weight goes, here are the things that need to be measured:

• the weight – yes, that’s the main reason you’re doing it and it’s the ultimate measure of you succeeding or not
• the food – how much do you eat? how many calories does that mean? What’s the protein-carb-fat ration? How is your food intake distributed during a day?
• the exercise – Don’t fool yourself by thinking you can only lose weight by adjusting your diet. You may be able to trick your body in the short term, but in the long term you’ll start loosing muscle mass instead of fat and you won’t like it. Also exercising can help you burn more calories and make the calorie income – calorie burned balance tip over to burned side. Measuring how much calories you burn is the key.
• the non exercise – it’s what your body is doing during the day. Sitting at a desk, walking, watching TV or sleeping they all end up consuming calories which can help you with the calories balance. For measuring this, there is no straightforward method, but some have found that using a pedometer can help. Gives a new meaning to the expression “walk it off”

There you have it. Measuring for success.

Related posts:

1. Zig Zag (Losing weight saga – 9)
2. Calories. Counting. (Losing weight saga – 6)
3. The Burger Gym (Losing weight saga – 2)