How can I measure my physical progress if I am gaining muscle faster than I am losing fat?
I've been trying to build muscle/burn fat/generally get in shape for the past two months, but I have not been noticing much difference in my appearance. I don't expect to have lost 10lbs, but I can at least tell I'm making a bit of progress because I can lift a little more or run a little longer.
I don't bother weighing myself since I figure that, since I'm both trying to burn fat and build muscle, my weight may not be an accurate representation of progress. Some people might try measuring their waist and keeping track of that, but most of my excess fat does not actually sit on my waist.
Are there any other methods I can use to try to keep track of my physical progress?
Update:
Some new context is that I've realized that my insulin resistance can affect my ability to burn fat. So, I may be building muscle, but not losing much fat, making it hard to see progress. With this in mind, what can I do?
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Hydrostatic weighing is your best bet. For roughly the price of a massage (typically less) a company will tell you your exact BF %.
You will have to google around to see if there is a company near you but if there is you can at least get a baseline and then reschedule for a follow up.
Take pictures. I assume you're still a beginner, hence trying to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. This is only achievable by beginners because the body is not used to the exercising/weightlifting yet.
Take pictures once a week/month to keep track of progress. The reason you don't see progress in the mirror is because you look at your daily progression and compare to yesterday. If you compare to last month and you lost 5lbs, you see the difference 5lbs made.
Another way is to check if your clothes still fit. Muscle is denser than fat, so your waist line will be smaller and your pants should start to feel loose.
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