It’s About Gaining Muscle, Not Losing Weight

There it is, just like that I was walking at the park, and I caught myself thinking without effort that I needed to lose weight or these last few pounds. You know, those last few that you’ve been fighting for months and months or even years without success.

When are we, as women going to stop saying this to ourselves? That we need to lose x amount of weight? Seriously, when? Are we going to be 80 years old and still talking about this? Surely not, right?

Then I had an epiphany that may not be earth-shattering to you, but maybe so since you’re reading this. It’s not about losing weight; it’s about gaining muscle. At that moment, I thought YES! It is about muscle, not the negative notion of losing weight, which implies that we are unhappy with how we look or are better if we weigh less. That we are associated with numbers on the stupid scale.

Part of what triggered this thought was that I want to increase my stats on Under Armours Map Your Walk (follow me or friend me on the app, Jennifer Cardenas Houston, TX) and Arboleaf (pictured below), where I track my body fat, etc. It does include weight, but I found that I’m more driven with the other stats than on the weight. So really, when I thought I needed to lose weight, I realized that my results didn’t add up with the weight on the scale or with what I was saying.

According to my stats, my body fat is in the Fitness percentile; my body type is muscular, subcutaneous fat is low, muscle mass is high, and many other stats that I track are positive. My goal is to get to the Athlete percentile in body fat. Not necessarily losing just “weight” as building muscle will increase the scale, so looking at that overall number will not show me what I’m looking for.

Seriously, why am I still thinking that I need to lose weight when I’m not even basing my fitness on the overall number on the scale? It was like an automatic thought that I caught myself having. Lol, You know what I’m talking about; your mind goes off on its own, but then you snap and think… wait, what? No, stop the automatic negative self-talk you have been programmed to believe.

Focusing on that overall scale number can hinder you. You look at overall weight loss, but are you also gaining muscle to offset that number? How much of your weight is muscle, fat, etc.?

If you use an app like Arboleaf, you can get more details about your body composition. And yes, you do need the smart scale to go along with it as it links via Bluetooth. But it is totally worth it. (I’m not an affiliate for Arboleaf, but I do use their app).

Changing your mindset from something that implies a negative feeling, “I need to lose weight.” Just think about it for a minute, say that to yourself, and feel how that makes you feel about yourself. I’ll wait…

Now say I need to gain muscle. How do you feel about yourself now?

Do you feel like you’re ready to get out there and get to building some muscle? Do you feel stronger already and more powerful? I know I do, and I bet you do too. It’s more motivating to say that than to say you need to lose weight.

By focusing on building muscle, the inevitable happens, you build muscle, your body sheds unnecessary fat by default, you become healthier.

So please focus on the positive and more self-empowering thoughts when it comes to building your health and wellness journey. If these statements don’t work for you, we all respond to different things, then find one that does resonate with you. Make sure it makes you feel good about yourself and ignites positivity. And then use it to motivate yourself.

You can do the Under Armour Map Your Walk.

I wish you peace and guidance on your journey. Take care and be well.