Eat & move: Simple ways to track your health progress
This week I’m chatting about ways to track your overall health progress. For my recipe, it’s melon wrapped in parma ham for starters plus a delicious paella main course.
Standing on the scales has become a ritual for many of us. It’s the main way most of us will judge our current state of health. It’s a method adopted by popular TV shows as well as many companies that focus on selling a product off the promise to reduce the number on the scales.
Unfortunately, diet culture has ingrained in many of us the idea that our weight is a measure of our worth and that gaining weight is one of the worst things a person could do.
While I fully accept that the scales is a useful way of monitoring progress, I think it’s important to remember that they can be deceptive. They don’t necessarily reflect changes in body composition or other factors.
With that in mind, I wanted to encourage you to take a step away from the scales and try alternative ways to measure your progress.
1) How do your clothes fit?
If you’re anything like me you have clothes that sit well on you when you’re fit and healthy. The same clothes also don’t fit so well when you’re out of shape. Tracking how you feel in a couple of outfits is a really interesting way to monitor your progress.
This allows you to feel positive changes in your body that the scales will not show. It can also be more reliable than the mirror. Our minds can play tricks on us and what we see may not reflect reality. We’re often our own worst critics.
Find that ‘in shape’ outfit and monitor how it’s fitting every few weeks as your efforts are beginning to pay off.
2) Do a benchmark test
This is a great way to see progress over time even if the scales don’t show it. I would advise picking a fitness challenge to complete, recording your results and then repeating that challenge in four to six weeks. You will be testing, retesting and seeing where you’re at.
I do various benchmark tests dependent on my health goal. They have varied from a 2km run to a standing jumps test to a weights’ test.
Honestly, fitness data is your friend when it comes to monitoring progress.
3) Track consistency
Above all else a consistent approach to your health goals will reward you. Consider picking three objectives each month and monitor how you are doing with them. Keep a diary and write each week on a scale of one to five how you did with each objective. At the end of the month spend a few minutes adding up the information and using it to help you progress. It’s okay not to nail everything but monitoring it gives you a realistic way to analyse it.
4) Measure other numbers
Tracking your body fat measurements can give you a rough idea of progress. Be mindful of who you are asking to measure and what their level of experience is. Also you need to be consistent in choosing the method you use and the person that measures. There is no point in different people measuring as there is too much room for error.
5) Keep it simple
You already have ways to monitor your overall health without even realising.
Don’t forget about using your mobile phone. Most mobile phones will track your steps per day. There are also ways for your phone to monitor your sleep habits.
Additionally, your phone can be set to prompt you to implement healthy habits like drinking water or going to bed early.
These are simple ways to check in on your health without ever stepping on the weighing scales.
Fitspiration: @laurathomasphd
Laura is fast becoming a favourite account of mine on Instagram.
She is a registered nutritionist with a PhD in nutritional science.
She practices using a non-diet approach called intuitive eating and doesn’t believe in food rules, restriction, diets or unqualified people giving nutrition advice.
Her podcast ‘don’t salt my game’ is well worth a listen too.
Recipe: Melon Wrapped in Parma Ham
Serves: 6, as a starter Prep time: 10 minutes Nutritional information (per serving):
Protein – 8.8g
Fat – 4.2g
Carbohydrate – 8g
Calories – 100
1 cantaloupe or honeydew melon
12 slices of Parma ham
Cut the melon in half and remove the seeds.
Cut each half into six wedges and carefully remove the skin using a sharp knife.
Wrap each melon wedge in one slice of parma ham and secure using a toothpick, if needed.
Place on a serving dish and enjoy.
Recipe: Spanish Paella
This may be one of my favourite recipes for feeding a crowd. I like to serve it in a big dish in the centre of the table and let everyone help themselves.
It’s delicious served with a green salad and is perfect summer eating.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Protein – 29.7g
Fat – 14.6g
Carbohydrate – 44g
Calories - 418
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
Half red pepper, finely chopped
Half yellow pepper, finely chopped
100g Spanish chorizo, roughly diced
1lt fish stock
250g paella rice
Half tsp turmeric
1lt water
400g prawns, peeled
100g frozen peas
200g cooked chicken, roughly diced
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry the onion, garlic and peppers for 2-3 minutes on a medium heat.
Add the chorizo, turn down fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Add the fish stock and turmeric to the pan and bring to the boil. Pour in the paella rice and reduce to a simmer.
Add the extra water as needed; the rice will soak it up as it cooks.
Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the rice is al dente.
Add the frozen peas, chicken and prawns and heat through until the prawns are cooked, about 2-3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and eat immediately.
