Most everyday people aim to lose weight when engaging with a Personal Trainer.
But here are #4 reasons why you shouldn't be setting weight loss goals in the gym and why we don't focus on weight loss at Physique Performance Specialists.
#1: Obsessing over a number on the scales
Our body weight fluctuates daily due to the amount of food we eat, hydration, daily activity and hormones, making it hard to gauge progress when measuring ourselves once or twice weekly.
Scales also don't measure changes in body composition (muscle mass and body fat). By measuring our body composition, not just our body weight, we can see positive changes even if our body weight doesn't change.
#2: Bad Relationship with our body, food and exercise
People who focus on weight loss goals are more likely to develop body dysmorphia, which also leads to an unhealthy relationship with food (yo-yo dieting, binge eating, calorie-restrictive diets) and exercise (overtraining, excessive cardio and a focus on calorie burning).
#3: The Goal Posts always shift
"I'll be happy when I am 'X' body weight."
But we are never happy when we reach this magical number, as being a certain body weight isn't solving our actual problem.
As we shift the goalposts to find the number on the scale that will make us happier, we also find more extreme methods to get there, becoming a vicious cycle.
#4: The results never last
People who focus on weight loss goals are more likely to focus on unsustainable methods to reach their goals.
Such as extreme dieting, over-exercising, detoxes and other 'magic pills'.
Although these methods can help with weight loss, we rebound and regain all that weight when we revert to old habits.
Instead of focusing on a specific outcome-based goal, we should build healthy habits and create a lifestyle change.
As body transformation coaches, this is advice on what to do instead of setting weight loss goals:
Set measurable goals that focus on body composition, gym performance and forming healthy habits.
Focus on other non-measurable progress like increased energy, improved confidence, fitting better into clothes, what your body can do and feeling less pain.
Remember: Do not rely on the scales to measure your self-worth.