Why You Should Ignore the Scale & Focus On This Instead…
Why Body Composition is a Better Indication of Health & Fitness Than Your Weight
By Ali, Novitsky, M.D., Life & Wellness Coach for Women Physicians
I have good news — the scale is lying to you! Whatever amount you weigh tells you absolutely nothing about how healthy, fit, or in-shape you actually are. And it definitely doesn’t tell you how you feel in your body either.
In this blog, I discuss how shifting our focus from weight loss to well-balanced body proportions allows you to feel empowered and comfortable in your own skin again.
Read below for some physician wellness tips and learn how to transform the way your body looks WITHOUT LOSING ONE POUND!
Focus on Body Composition, Not Weight Loss
Are you unsure how to change the shape of your body?
Obsessed with checking your weight and over-focusing on the number on the scale?
Don’t let the scale fool you — you can lose fat and still be the same weight, yet your body will look completely different.
Under the definition of “body composition” on Wikipedia, it says, “Two people of the same gender and body weight may look completely different because they have a different body composition.”
Healthy body composition is achieved when the percentage of lean mass is greater than the percentage of body fat.
See guidelines below for healthy body fat percentages for women:
Female Athletes: 14-20%
Optimal Fitness: 21-24%
Healthy Body Fat Average for all Women: 25-31%
As a life coach for women physicians, I’ve seen firsthand how, when you change your body composition, you may still weigh the same but have a completely different body.
Would it surprise you to know that while you get fitter you may actually GAIN WEIGHT? This is exactly why we shouldn’t focus on that number on the scale.
In this article, you’ll see how you can have the same weight at different body composition levels. These shocking transformation photos prove you may not actually change the number on the scale as you tone up, but you will be healthier, stronger, and feel more comfortable when your clothes fit better.
In G.O.A.L.S Society we don’t use a scale to measure results, we use real-life results like how your clothes fit. See transformation photos here.
But, how do you lose fat and gain muscle at the same time?
This article explains this Catch 22, “To reduce your body fat, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn. But to build muscle, you have to eat more calories than you burn. However, your body is smarter than you may give it credit for, and by keeping a close eye on your diet (specifically when you eat what) and your training, you can absolutely lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.”
Here is a list of more realistic ways to measure your body composition and determine your true level of fitness and health. But, all you really have to do is focus on how you feel, how your clothes fit, and how comfortable you are in your body. That is the true measure of success.
We use strength training in G.O.A.L.S Society, my coaching program for women physicians, and my Macro Nutrition Meal Plan with a focus on protein to rebuild lean muscle as you burn fat. The end result is a strong, toned body that you feel proud of showing off.
1. Stop Comparing Your Body to Unrealistic “Perfect” or “Ideal” Women
Many women want to know what it takes to go from an apple, pear, or rectangle shape to an hourglass shape, but we shouldn’t be focused on making our bodies fit into a mold that isn’t natural for us.
The unrealistic images in ads and online subliminally teach us that our natural body types aren’t desirable or attractive enough as they are, causing shame around our weight and issues with our confidence.
We are constantly fed images in the press of what a “perfect body” is supposed to look like. Social media feeds are full of overly-filtered influencers and magazine covers tend to only feature airbrush-perfect, photoshopped models whose bodies are touted as the “ideal.” Read more on how harmful this standard of beauty is here.
Yet, we often feel an overwhelming desire to look the same way as other women and we unfairly compare ourselves to unachievable images of “perfection” that aren’t even real.
Setting an arbitrary goal weight or trying to meet an imaginary standard that isn’t possible for your body type is only going to cause disappointment and frustration.
In G.O.A.L.S we focus on working with your body instead of fighting against it.
2. Learn to Love Yourself Through Body Positivity
I’m sure many of you have heard of the body positivity movement, but have you taken a minute to think about what that means and how it relates to you?
In reality, we are all built with different structures and have different genetic make-ups so it’s pointless to compare ourselves to other women and feel like our body has to look a certain way to be sexy, attractive, or alluring.
It is about self-acceptance and owning who we are and that is so empowering! Of course, we can work on how our bodies look by changing our diet and exercise plan, but we have to accept that we have certain limitations that affect us biologically, so we can have realistic body goals and expectations.
Read an inspiring example of body acceptance from Christine, D’Ercole, who overcame a lifetime of body image issues to become a Senior Peloton Instructor.
The research-based fitness plan I use in G.O.A.L.S can be a weight-loss tool for busy physicians, but that is not the focus. The focus is on feeling confident in how you look, accepting your body’s natural structure and challenges, and learning how to get stronger and fitter despite them.
G.O.A.L.S Society takes the pressure off you to reach some elusive “goal weight” and puts the emphasis back on looking and feeling great in your own body.
3. Discover Your Natural Body Type & Practice Self-Acceptance
This doesn’t mean we stay complacent and stop reaching for our goals, it just means we shift our mindset around them.
There are 3 main body types or “somatypes” called Endomorph, Mesomorph, and Ectomorph. Learn more about the 3 body types and take a free online quiz here to find your unique body type and learn how it affects you. Once you know which body type you are, you can learn what kind of fitness training your specific body type needs.
This is what we focus on in G.O.A.L.S Society, how to eat and train for your unique body type to get the results you want.
In G.O.A.L.S the emphasis is on body positivity and self-acceptance. We help you get out of the mindset that you have to fit into a cookie-cutter idea of what your body should look like.
Instead, we look at what your goals are for your body — whether that is to look fit and toned, fit into your clothes better, or re-shape your body composition so you look and feel more balanced.
G.O.A.L.S is not about getting to the smallest size or how much weight you can lose, it’s about being strong, healthy, and feeling good in your own skin.
This fitness and nutrition coaching program for women physicians helps you set realistic body goals and achieve them in an efficient, enjoyable way.
No one’s body is the same, so we give you a custom, evidence-based fitness and training plan that is unique to your body’s needs.
Learn more about G.O.A.L.S Society Physician Coaching for Women.
G.O.A.L.S. =
Get hungry first
Observe for fullness
Allow our feelings
Love to move
Stop perfectionism