From coaching many women through their weight loss journey, there are valuable lessons to be learnt. Weight loss is not linear. Many women overestimate how much weight can be realistically lost over a given period and the method used to lose weight should be chosen very carefully.

With this in mind and a 33rd birthday looming,  I paired up with Casi Australia and their YUNMAI scales to undergo my own transformation.

Over this 8 week period, I tracked a weight loss of 4.8kg was lost as well as over 15cm lost across multiple body parts.

Regardless of whether your goal is to lose a few kg’s before a special event or before summer hits, there are some common misconceptions and mistakes that get in the way of achieving your desired outcome.

Mistake No 1: Weight loss is not linear

Many women rely on bathroom scales as an indication of progress. Even I weigh myself every day. But this is where common sense and a little education must be employed. It is common to lose over a kilogram overnight or gain an equivalent and then some.  Having a decent set of digital scales that pairs with an app, like the YUNMAI scales and app, will alleviate some of this frustration because you are able to track your ups and downs, and come to notice overall trends in your body. If you look at my data below, you will see that my weight loss was anything but linear. A higher sodium intake, carbohydrate density, hydration or greater volume of food the day prior are all things that effect scale weight.

Mistake No 2: Underestimating the time required to transform

This is one of the most common mistakes. Many people fall into the trap of not giving themselves enough time. Unfortunately the rise of social media and an eye catching before and after transformation, presents the illusion that real fat loss and recomposition is anything but hard work. Understand this also, if you want to see long term results, be mindful how quickly you try to lose the weight. The faster you lose the weight, usually means the more muscle mass you lose, which can be at the detriment to your long term process.

Mistake No 3: Prioritising cardio over weight training. 

Cardio is a great tool for weight loss but it is not necessary. Tracking food intake is the best way to ensure that a a negative energy balance is achieved. Over this 8 week period I accumulated maybe 60 minutes of interval training across the week, but found that focussing on progressively overloading my compound lifts like deadlifts, squats, bench press and overhead press, helped me to feel strong, lean and invincible. And there is not better feeling than this!!!

Many people also think that when they see their scale weight go up, it must be muscle. Unfortunately, it does take a significant amount of time to build muscle. In the first few weeks of strength training, the gains are usually the result of neuromuscular adaptation rather then the building of new tissue.

Summary

Weighing yourself every day can be a divisive topic. But using multiple ways to track progress, is key. The YUNMAI scales by Casi Australia help you to automatically sync your information to an app. Do not be fooled to think these scale only measure body weight.

The YUNMAI scale uses BIA (bioelectric impedance analysis), which is a commonly used technology for estimating body composition, and in particular, body fat. BIA actually determines the electrical impedance, or opposition to the flow of an electric current through body tissues, which can then be used to calculate an estimate of total body water (TBW). TBW can be used to estimate lean body mass and by measuring the difference with body weight, body fat.

While these scales may not have the accuracy of a more expensive medical grade instrument, they will provide an overview of body composition and track trends over weeks and months.  This smart technology also allows you to synchronises with the Apple Health, Ftibit and Google Fit Apps.

To get your hands on your own set of YUNMAI scales use the code: twentythreew at checkout to receive 10% off your purchase. See Casi’s full range of products here.