The scale doesn't lie...or does it?

To my delight, a number of my friends and clients have started emailing me with interesting articles pertaining to "alternative" health and fitness ideas. This one was sent to me a couple of weeks back and is definitely worth taking a look at.

It makes me happy to think that we, as a society, are finally becoming acclimated with the idea that weight and even BMI may not be the most accurate (or encouraging!) measures of our health. I've been something of an evangelist for these ideas for quite some time--it's a lot harder to deny when you've seen both ends of the spectrum, from a "healthy weight" man with high blood pressure, chronic fatigue and constant back pain to a "clinically obese" woman who can jump rope faster than most of the athletes I've trained.

Especially appreciated is the idea that fitness level be used as a more accurate assessment of overall health. One of the most difficult hurdles I face as a personal trainer is the new client who comes to me motivated, committed and hardworking with the declaration, "I'm ready to lose weight!" It's always a struggle to explain that the vast majority of weight loss (especially initial weight loss) is commonly connected to changes in diet and nutritional lifestyle.

Obviously, I don't see this as anything even resembling an excuse not to exercise--if I did, I'd be completely out of the job. What I suggest instead is that we learn to see fitness--our goals, our challenges, our achievements--as separate from our weight loss/weight management endeavors. Our fitness related accomplishments aren't any less important than weight loss. In fact, research is now finding that they may be MORE important! Best of all, fitness related results happen faster and (let's face it) are a lot more fun to work towards than weight loss.

Update your mentality this week: choose a fitness related goal and use it to measure your health. If weight loss is your aim, continue to monitor and strive, but be aware of the advancements you make in the fitness realm and congratulate yourself--they're not to be taken lightly. (ha.)