M6:D70 (D548) Using Your Results for the Future

You are tracking your results, right?  What are you doing with those results you are tracking? 

• Monitor calorie intake vs. fat loss/gain. Fat loss isn't really rocket science. In his book, The Body Fat Solution, Tom Venuto tells us that fat loss is all about taking in less calories than we expend. He tells us it really is that simple. It isn't about eating low carb. It isn't about low fat. It is all about monitoring how many calories you take in and comparing it to your fat loss/gain. If you are losing fat, stick to the calorie level you are at, but if you are gaining, start to make small adjustments to your caloric intake. Continually monitor this area of your plan and you are bound for success.
• Monitor your recovery time. If you see that you are taking longer to recover, beware of overtraining. Most people think that overtraining involves a loss of muscle, but that isn't the only indicator of overtraining. If you are not mentally up for a big lift, it might be because you are overtraining. If you have been extremely consistent with your workouts and suddenly you just don't feel like hitting the gym, you are probably overtraining. If any of these things are happening, do something about your recovery time. Get more rest. Take more time off. If you haven't had a break from training in many weeks, take a week off.
• Monitor your scale weight vs. fat loss/gain. I am not a big fan of people who focus alot of energy on their scale weight. With that said, I believe that the combination of your scale weight and your body fat percentage is a huge indicator of how you are doing. If my scale weight is staying the same, but my fat percentage is going down, I am extremely happy because it means I am growing a larger engine. That's a key to me. If, on the other hand, my fat percentage is staying the same, but my scale weight is going down, I am immediately concerned because I am clearly losing muscle. Changes would then be required.
• Monitor your mental attitude. If you are positive, you are bound to produce good results. If you are negative, you are bound to produce bad results. Watch what your mental attitude is and adjust it. Your mental attitude is a choice, so choose to have a good one.
• Monitor the intensity of your training. We need intensity to produce growth. You need to go beyond. Only when you develop the discipline to go beyond will you see consistent growth in your body. Pain is just a state of mind. You have to push through it–go beyond–in order to see the gains you wish.