Getting started · 1 min read · Updated
Tracking progress: scale, mirror and logbook
The scale lies day to day. Use a weekly average, your lifts and a few photos to see what's really going on.
Your weight can swing a few pounds from one morning to the next: a salty dinner, a big carb day, a hard leg session, all of it moves water around. If you judge yourself by one weigh-in, you'll quit a plan that was working.
Weigh in the smart way
- Same time, same conditions: first thing in the morning, after the bathroom, before food.
- Look at the weekly average, not single days. The Gains tab charts the trend for you.
- Give any change 2 to 3 weeks before you judge it.
Watch your lifts
If your weight is steady but your lifts keep going up, you're very likely building muscle. That's a win even when the scale doesn't move. Log your sets and reps so you can see it.
Photos and a tape
Take a front and side photo every 4 weeks in the same light. A tape measure around the waist is also a great fat-loss check: waist down while lifts hold steady is the dream.
Safety first: If weighing yourself makes you anxious or pushes you to skip meals, stop weighing and track your lifts and habits instead. Weigh-ins in Gainsville are always optional.