Why it takes a while to see results

[Guest guest]

This is a repost of an article on the Transformation.com that I

wanted to share........

Okay, guys, here is a good explanation of why it takes a while to

see the results. Hope this helps!

It's true that percentage-wise, the fat on your body comes off

fairly evenly.

That's important to remember when you measure your progress. See,

one of the first places you're probably looking for fat loss is on

those areas of your body that you think are " too fat. " But in fact,

that's the last place you should look, because I can guarantee that

those areas are still going to look " too fat " for a little while.

Think of it this way. If you have a roll of paper towels (or a

cassette tape), and you start to unravel it, you can get a good

amount off of the roll before you really see a visible change. But

as you get further down that roll, even taking off a little more is

very apparent.

The same is true with your body. The first place you're going to see

greater definition is at those areas where the fat deposits are

relatively thin already. For most people, this is around the

shoulders and clavicles. Another reason why this is important is

that advertisers often prey on the belief that fat can be " spot-

reduced. " All the twisty ab-crunchers on the market are perfect

examples. Basically, these companies get a fitness model that has

followed months or years of weight training, aerobics, and proper

nutrition, and have them roll back and forth in one of these things,

as if they actually got in shape that way.

Or look at all the books promising to help you lose fat " for your

type " - pear shaped, apple shaped, dodecahedron shaped - you name

it. It's true, for example, that people who are insulin resistant

tend to store more fat in the midsection, and that women tend to

store more fat in the thigh area. But so what? If you lose the fat,

it comes off EVERYWHERE. If a problem area looks " too fat " , training

that area with exercise may very well improve the definition of the

underlying muscles and the overall form of that area. But it will

not accelerate fat loss relative to other parts of your body.

If the body didn't lose fat uniformly, we'd all wobble around like

Weebles because our relatively fixed bone and muscle structure

wouldn't be able to tolerate the variation. The best way to change

the size of your body is through caloric deficits. The best way to

change the shape is through resistance training. The one thing you

need to achieve a total physique and fitness transformation is to do

EVERYTHING - aerobics, intervals, resistance training, cross-

training (physiologist Covert calls these the " four food

groups of exercise " ), small frequent meals, high-quality protein and

carbohydrates, low-glycemic nutrition, proper supplementation,

water, and rest.

So again, if you're looking for results in the mirror, look for the

first signs of improved definition at those areas where muscle is

relatively close to the surface. For most people, this is the upper

chest and shoulder area. You should definitely be keeping track of

how your clothes feel. Go to the closet and pick out an outfit

that's just a little too tight. Put it aside. Waist measurements can

also capture fat loss that isn't necessarily evident in the mirror.

Day by day, you're trying to measure your progress in the mirror, on

the scale, with calipers, and so on. The problem is that all of the

changes are taking place under the skin, along with a lot of other

things you can't see, like increased blood volume and fluid

retention. Don't place too much emphasis on numbers such as scale

weight, fat weight and estimated muscle gain until the changes

become significant as a proportion of your body weight. Until then,

it's just next to impossible to get a reliable reading, because the

tools you are using all have measurement error. A meaningless two-

millimeter caliper error translates into about 2.5% bodyfat, and can

drive some people to tears. And as I explain on my Q & A page, the

muscle gain figure can easily be off by 4% of body weight.

If you're easily frustrated, brace yourself when you step on the

scale. Just on the basis of water retention, digestive contents and

other factors, your scale weight is going to fluctuate by as much as

3-4% of body weight almost on a weekly basis. If you've eaten a lot

of carbs, you'll tend to retain a lot of water for a couple of days.

People often freak out about this, thinking they've " gained " 5

pounds because of a single free day. Conversely, people often get

excited that they've lost 5 pounds over a few days, and think it's

all fat. Then the scale jumps up again, and they get upset and give

up on their programs. Please don't take these fluctuations

seriously.

Think of it this way. A woman doing relatively well on her fitness

program might be losing over 1 pound of fat a week, while gaining a

fraction of a pound of muscle. So while she might be on track to

lose 12-15 pounds of fat and gain a few pounds of lean muscle over

12 weeks, by the 5th week she might be looking at a scale change of

less than 4 pounds. And since that's about the weight of a meal and

a couple of glasses of water, she may not even see the scale move at

all. This is especially true at high bodyfat levels, where shifts in

water retention over a monthly cycle can be quite large. But

gradually, the changes are happening anyway, as long as she doesn't

give up. For women at high bodyfat levels, progress may not show for

weeks at a time. The reason is that your readings will zig-zag

within their downward path. If you measure from a peak in weight to

a recent trough, you'll be elated at the " jump " in your progress.

But other times you'll get a trough-to-peak reading and be totally

frustrated. Don't extrapolate either of these impressions. Chart

your numbers and measure progress from peak-to-peak or trough-to-

trough.

Why measure waist circumference? Well, insulin resistant individuals

often have significant visceral fat deposits in the abdominal area

(fat around the organs). This depot is reduced somewhat faster than

subcutaneous fat. Often neither the scale nor caliper measurements

will capture the full extent of fat loss, and tracking waist

circumference using a tape measure can indicate fat loss that may

not be apparent otherwise. You might also keep a tight fitting skirt

or pair of pants in the closet and just try putting it on every

couple of weeks.

Bodyfat percentages of 6-14% for men and 12-18% for women are

generally considered " lean " . Those lower bounds should be respected.

Women with significantly less than 12% bodyfat typically wreak havoc

with their estrogen regulation, and put themselves at risk for

osteoporosis. Below 6% for men and 12% for women is not healthy (a

lot of nutrients rely on fat-solubility to be stored in the body).

Conversely, bodybuilders only have to gain a few percent in fat in

order to look unfit.

Men generally need bodyfat at about 9-11% to look " cut " . That's

really when you'll see that " six-pack " in the abdominals (you

actually already have a six-pack - everybody does - it's just that

you may need some fat reduction to show it). The percentage is

closer to 14-16% for women. Physiologist Covert notes that in

women, the thighs typically begin to slim noticeably at about 18%

bodyfat. Think of a roll of paper towels. As you unroll it, you can

take off a lot of paper and not see much effect. But as you get

further along, even taking off a small amount of paper from the roll

will thin that baby down to the cardboard. Depending on where you

started, it may take more than a few months to get there (which is

fine ).

How much muscle gain is reasonable? In general, even a fraction of a

pound a week is great, and a pound a week is outstanding. If you

calculate that you've gained several pounds of muscle a week, with a

similarly dramatic fat loss, you've probably either overestimated

your initial bodyfat level, or underestimated your current bodyfat

level. As Lee Haney (who has won more consecutive Mr. Olympia titles

than anyone in bodybuilding) states " The first year you train

steadily, you might be fortunate enough to put on 20 pounds of

muscle, but the second year it may be only 10, the third only 6, and

the fourth only 4-5. Since it gets harder and harder to make gains

in lean body mass, I'm happy with an average of 2-3 new pounds

yearly. " Muscle gains can be unusually fast for beginners, but be

realistic in your goals and progress estimates.

How much fat loss is reasonable? Well, as noted in the calories

section above, it's not unreasonable to target fat loss of as much

as 1 to 2 lbs a week for women, and as much as 2 - 3 lbs a week for

men. But be honest with yourself. You'll only get those kinds of

results with planned discipline of your food intake and exercise

habits.