Where is Your Mindset Now?

It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about fitness or business, you need a starting point. Or, in other words, you at least need to know where your starting point is.

This is crucial in the whole mindset equation. If you don’t know where you’re sat, how are you going to progress? Some people have referenced this part to a roadmap. You might know where you want to get to (we’ll talk more about this later), but if you don’t know where you are starting from how are you going to plot a journey? The answer is you can’t.

We have therefore put together two ways in which you can identify your current mindset. Let’s take a look at both.

Photographic evidence

As this guide surrounds fitness, you’ve probably been expecting a reference to photographs at some point. In truth, the whole industry has become engulfed with the likes of Instagram which has added a lot of glamour – but this suggestion doesn’t have anything related to this specific app. Sure, you might want to add your photos to it, but it’s by no means a requirement.

Even if you are camera-shy, it’s absolutely crucial that you jump on board with this. It’s one of the biggest clichés out there, but a picture really does tell a thousand words and will help you determine your progress more than anything else.

Therefore, get your camera or phone ready and start snapping away. To give some guidance, you should be aiming to take a photo of your front (straight on), back, left and right side.

There’s absolutely no need to sweat about making these photos picture-perfect (unless you are focusing heavily on Instagram). These are for your reference only and can be hidden away, completely out of sight, once you have taken them.

Something else that a lot of people tend to query when met with this task is their clothing. It really doesn’t matter significantly, although try not to wear something which is going to really disguise your body. Wearing something comfortable is the best piece of advice, and the more insight it can give in relation to your current condition the better.

A lot of people may also just question ‘Why?’ at this point – and in some ways it’s perfectly valid. After all, if you can look at yourself every day, why do you need photos to remind yourself of your body image?

Well, it’s all because despite what some experts might tell you, the scales can lie. They might tell you that you’ve lost weight, but have you really lost fat? By monitoring your body through photographic evidence, and making note of the changes, you can easily see the changes your body is making and if you really, and truly, are on the right pathway.

Hard and fast numbers (AKA measurements)

As we’ve already point out, the scales can lie – and they very often do so. However, if you combine photos with measurements, the results can be as clear as can be.

Nobody would doubt that measurements are a more scientific way of tracking progress and particularly when they can combine with photographs, you can gain solid insight into your current position and just how you progress.

At this point a lot of you might be thinking along the BMI-lines. For years, this was a term that was regularly branded about (it stands for Body Mass Index for those unaware).

To say that this measurement had its pitfalls would be a gross understatement though; it’s based on your height and weight and as such, can paint a completely inaccurate picture. Just because someone short falls outside the recommended BMI level, doesn’t mean to say that they are overweight.

You can check your BMI right here.

This might be due to their immense muscular content, which is a different story in its entirety. There might be the odd occasion where it has its uses but for now, it’s time to stop and just take note of the measurements that we’re about to delve into.

Unfortunately, this section is a little more complex than going snap-happy with the camera as well. Instead, you’ll need to take numerous measurements and to make matters even more complicated to understand, there are all sorts of ways to do this. Bearing this in mind, we’ll firstly take a look at what you need to measure, before then getting into the ins and outs of how to achieve this.

Your starting weight

There’s a huge caveat to be had with your starting weight; it’s not the be-all and end-all. You most certainly don’t have to jump on the scales twice a day; in fact, once a week or even once a fortnight is more than sufficient to gain enough information about your body.

Some may even suggest completely abandoning this piece of equipment until your fitness regime is in full flow.

Unfortunately, it’s still necessary for the very start of your journey. It’s never going to tell you that all-important body fat percentage, but it’s still an extra metric that you can take into account and this shouldn’t be ignored. Therefore, before you go anywhere, weigh yourself now and at least note the figure down.

Your body measurements

Something that’s slightly more accurate than the above are specific measurements of your body parts. For this part, you will need an extra piece of equipment – a measuring tape that is soft so it can easily measure your neck, biceps, chest, hips, waist, thigh and calf.

Before you start to fret that all of your time is going to be consumed in measuring these areas of your body, fear not. Once again, this needn’t be done frequently – it’s just being recommended so that you can gain an accurate understanding on where you’re currently at in relation to your mindset.

Of course, most people at this point will be asking themselves how they measure these areas – it’s not something that tends to be done on a regular occasion. It’s for this reason that we have compiled a few techniques that can help you along your way:

• You’ll immediately notice that your body is far from symmetrical. In other words, while your right side might be at one measurement, your left side is completely different. This is normal and the only way you can account for it is to measure and document both sides of your body.
• Consistency is also key here. Firstly, you should aim to measure the widest part as you’ll find that this is the easiest to record. To be even more accurate, try and find a point on each body part (such as a birth mark) that provides a reference each time you measure. Finally, even though flexing your muscles might prompt bigger results, it’s harder to stay consistent with this approach.
• Tightness is something else that’s key. To gain an accurate measurement, always make sure that the tape measure is as close to your skin as possible – ensuring that there is absolutely no gap there.

Your body fat levels

Perhaps the most important way in which you can find where you’re currently at is through your body fat percentage. Unfortunately, while it’s utterly useful, it’s extremely difficult to obtain. Try not to let these difficulties put you off though; remember that body fat is much more valuable than just your basic weight and gives a better insight into your overall condition.

You can use our Body Fat Percentage Calculator right here.

The easiest method to measure your fat is through calipers. These are small devices, that aren’t expensive by any stretch of the imagination, and will effectively pinch your skin in a bid to find out how much fat is there.

It has to be said that this approach is by no means fool-proof and it’s not going to provide your fat levels to 100% accuracy. However, it is the easiest way to measure and for the purposes of your journey, will suffice nicely.

Of course, there are some caveats to be had. Firstly, you should always stick with the same set of calipers. It has been found that deviating between different models can skew results by as much as 8% – which tells its own story.

Secondly, you need a measurement strategy. One of the most established around is the three site method and as this suggests, it involves measuring your fat in three different areas. Perhaps surprisingly, the measurement sites are different between sexes.

For example, in the case of men, it’s generally recommended to measure the fat levels in the chest, abdominal and thigh areas. For women, the triceps, suprailiac area and thigh are the most advisable.

While the caliper method is the most recommended, as we have also alluded to there are other options.

One of these is DEXA scanning, but the fact that this is performed on an X-Ray table should probably highlight how expensive it can be. Sure, it’s much more accurate than anything else, but whether or not this is worth the possible $150 that it can sometimes cost is another matter.

If you’re looking to half the cost of the above, the Bod Pod might be a solution. This method takes advantage of air displacement to calculate various metrics, including your body mass, volume and density, before eventually concluding with your fat percentage. It’s accurate but at $75, you would expect so as well.

Perhaps one of the more innovative solutions comes in the form of BodyMetrix testing. In scientific terms, this is effectively ultrasound testing and because it is provided at your gym, it’s unlikely to cost a small fortune. Initial studies have suggested that this is almost as accurate as the DEXA option so if you have a facility nearby, this could be worthwhile.

We’re also going to mention body fat scales. In some ways, these are ideal, as they are the same as standard weighing scales but also provide a standard body fat percentage.

The way in which they work is by sending an electrical current from your body, and calculating the fat through anything that the current dissects as it transfers through. While this might sound an ideal solution due to the simplicity, there are question marks raised over whether it is accurate.

Some sources believe that it can vary considerably based on the water content in your body, so you should exercise caution if dealing with these results.

As you can see from the above, calculating your body fat is almost an exact science. Every method has its pitfalls and unless you are willing to throw big bucks at it, you are going to run into inaccurate results. The best advice we can say is to stay accurate. Always use the same equipment, test under the same conditions and go from there.