Measuring progress

gaidiesr
gaidiesr Posts: 13 Member
in Chit-Chat
I have never been one to track calories or my level of physical activity.
This is strange for me because during my career I was a proponent of measuring anything I could on the manufacturing shop floor that would show areas for improvement. Quality, productivity, absenteeism, health and safety etc. etc. etc.
My mantra was " If you don't measure something you can never improve it to its maximum potential".
Now I am taking my own advice and applying it to my health.
I am starting out slow and using the basics such as calorie intake physical activity expenditure and will be analyzing for trends and what works for me.
I would like any input that people may have on what types of vital statistics they measure for self improvement.
I even purchased a wearable physical activity tracker that I am learning "with frustration" how to use. :

Replies

  • sdenness9925
    sdenness9925 Posts: 254 Member
    gaidiesr wrote: »
    I have never been one to track calories or my level of physical activity.
    This is strange for me because during my career I was a proponent of measuring anything I could on the manufacturing shop floor that would show areas for improvement. Quality, productivity, absenteeism, health and safety etc. etc. etc.
    My mantra was " If you don't measure something you can never improve it to its maximum potential".
    Now I am taking my own advice and applying it to my health.
    I am starting out slow and using the basics such as calorie intake physical activity expenditure and will be analyzing for trends and what works for me.
    I would like any input that people may have on what types of vital statistics they measure for self improvement.
    I even purchased a wearable physical activity tracker that I am learning "with frustration" how to use. :

    Hey, i hope that everything is going well, can be pretty daunting when you first start counting.
    I think the trick is to not get too anal over it, remember we are our own worst judges and yet we see ourselves everyday.
    I used to be hung up on whether i had gained any muscle, gained weight or lost weight, now i am lucky if i weigh myself once every fortnight, and when i do its a massive surprise with results.
    Its the same with looking in the mirror and working out, i have no skin exposed in the winter months, rarely look in the mirror without bwing covered up. The results really are worth it when you look every other month...... you will get there, just takes time and patiences
  • gaidiesr
    gaidiesr Posts: 13 Member
    I agree with you, this is new to me so I want to see results because of being so anal on calorie intake and my workouts. I'm sure it will subside "slightly" once I know what affects me and what doesn't. Thanks for the encouragement.
  • sdenness9925
    sdenness9925 Posts: 254 Member
    Anytime, listen, seriously, dont get hung up on mirrors and looks, its how you feel and youre dead right, you will learn what works for you and what doesnt as well. It will all come good i promise, just have to stick at it. Its like a sculptor and you are a just moulding and shaping each time you work out, rest and eat.

    God bless
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,840 Member
    Obsession is never a good thing, but some people are more into data than others.
    Personally:
    - I weigh myself every day and track it weight in excel (also using averages to smooth out the fluctuations)
    - I keep track of my calorie intake (MFP logging) and burnt calories (through my activity tracker)
    - I compare both to check if I'm losing weight at the expected rate
    - on top of that I keep track of my daily steps

    Regularly taking measurements can be interesting too, since the scale doesn't show the whole picture. Waist, chest, hips, arm, wrist, neck, calves,...

    For health and fitness, monitoring your BP and/or resting heart rate can be interesting too.
  • isalsayourface123
    isalsayourface123 Posts: 2,153 Member
    I like data and measurable goals.

    I use a garmin to track progress on runs.
    I take measurements on how many inches lost.
    I take progress pics.
    I keep a log on lift days how much weight lifted per set
    I weigh myself daily.
    I keep a calendar of runs, lifts, weigh ins.
    I track calories and macros on mfp


    Is this obsessive? 🤷‍♀️

    Like you, my job depends on measurable goals and growth.

    I felt good eating bad foods and drinking all the wines too. So going by how I feel is not always accurate data. That's just me. The whole picture for me is important.
  • gaidiesr
    gaidiesr Posts: 13 Member
    LOL I have even kept my old belt when my waistline hit 46. I dated each hole when i needed to add holes to reduce the size to fit my waist. Its now at around 40" I still kept the belt although I don't wear it I do put it on and add the holes needed to adjust to the right waist size. Hows that for being focused? LOL.
  • gaidiesr
    gaidiesr Posts: 13 Member
    I have continued my regimen of daily workouts M-F 30 minutes cardio on elliptical with 45-60 minutes weights and a 30-45 minutes swim. I also swim Sat & Sun for 60 minutes As of the last week I have added a 5:00 AM swim for 60 minutes 3 x week. I dropped to 231 and seemed to have plateaued. I have to get into the 220 s soon I hope. That will be a major achievement for me, as at my heaviest in 2015 I was pushing 298 pounds.

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