Monthly Metrics
There's a saying in fitness, "What you measure, you can manage." Tracking metrics gives us information, and based on that information, we can fine-tune your training.
When it comes to making real progress, what you track matters, and how you track matters too - we want it to be doable.
The goal isn’t to obsess over numbers; it’s to use them as data points to guide decisions about your training and healthy habits. Seeing changes from tracking also helps you stay motivated and build consistency.
KEEPING TRACK
There are three ways to track your habits:
1) Online Clients - If you're an online training client who receives workouts in my app, we can add your habits to your training calendar and you can check them as done as you do them
2) Online Tracking Worksheet - go HERE and then click 'File - Make a Copy' to save a copy of this online tracker to your computer.
3) Pen and Paper - I still love a good old sticker chart, hung in the kitchen where I'll see it every day. Go HERE to download a PDF tracker that you can print!
REPORTING
Submit your metrics HERE. Each month, I'll send you a message that it's time to report your habits for the past month! I'll include this link where you can submit your information.
THE METRICS
Here’s a breakdown of the key metrics we can track, and how to use them effectively.
Let’s discuss which ones are right for you and your goals!
----------
BODY WEIGHT (But Not Obsessively)
What it tells you: Overall trends in fat loss, gain, or maintenance.
Useful for: Weight loss, gain or maintenance
How to track it:
-
Weigh yourself 3–5 times per week, at the same time of day
-
Focus on weekly averages, not daily fluctuations. Your weight will always fluctuate within a range; don’t worry about tiny changes.
Triggers to consider:
-
Expect normal ups and downs - weight is affected by many factors such as hydration, hormones, what you eat, stress, and sleep
-
If you’re building muscle in workouts, your physique and wellbeing can improve even if the number on the scale doesn’t go down.
-
Using scale weight alone is about weight loss; “being thin” isn’t the best metric when the goal is improved fitness, strength, endurance, energy and sleep
👉 The goal: Observe and assess if the trend of your weight range aligns with your health and fitness goals
----------
MEASUREMENTS (The Real Progress Indicator)
What it shows you: Changes in body composition
Useful for: Weight loss, body recomposition (visible muscle)
What to track:
- Waist
- Hips
- Chest
- Upper Arms
- Upper thighs
When taking measurements, keep the tape measure snug but not tight. Note WHERE to measure each body part. Generally, measure at the widest point.
If you don't have a soft tape measure, you can use string - then use a ruler or contractors tape measure to measure the length of string for each body part. It's also easier if a friend or family member helps!
How to track it:
- Measure every 6-8 weeks
- Take measurements under consistent conditions each time
👉 The goal: See changes the scale doesn't reflect.
----------
PHOTOS
What they tell you: Visual changes in physique over time in fat loss, muscle definition and posture
Useful for: Weight loss, body recomposition (visible muscle)
How to use it:
-
Take photos every 6-8 weeks
-
Use the same lighting, angles, and clothing
-
Snug clothing with no patterns or images and less coverage make it easier to see the changes in your body.
-
Take full-length photos of front, side, and back views
👉 The goal: Build confidence by seeing real transformation not reflected in weight or measurements
----------
DAILY STEP COUNT
What it tells you: How active you are throughout the day beyond structured workouts, reflecting your overall movement and lifestyle activity levels
Useful for: Weight loss, body recomposition (visible muscle), mental health, cardiovascular improvement, sleep, energy, overall wellness
How to track it:
- Wear a fitness tracker or smartwatch, or keep your phone on you at all times to use your phone's built-in pedometer throughout the entire day
- Check your step count each evening and log it in an app or journal
How to use it:
- Set and meet daily or weekly goals
- Observe weekly averages rather than stressing over single-day totals
👉 The goal: Build a sustainable habit of daily movement and hit a consistent baseline — typically 7,000–10,000 steps — to support fat loss, heart health, and energy levels.
----------
NUTRITION CONSISTENCY
What it tells you: If your eating habits support your goals
Useful for: Weight loss, body recomposition (visible muscle), metabolic functioning, energy, overall health
What to track: Varies
Options include
-
Protein intake
-
Daily calories
-
Any additional nutrition habits to support your health and fitness goals - portion control, replacing low-quality foods with healthier substitutes, meal planning, timed meals, reduce mindless snacking, etc
-
Consistency over time
How to use it:
-
Aim for consistency 80–90% of the time
-
Avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Don’t allow off-plan choices to derail you or impact your consistency
👉 The goal: Build nutrition habits you can actually maintain. Improve overall food quality and adopt habits that support your goals.
----------
RESTING HEART RATE
What it tells you: Your heart rate at rest is a measure of heart health and cardiovascular fitness. For most adults, a healthy heart rate is 60 to 100 beats a minute.
Useful for: Heart health
How to track it:
-
Do this when you feel you are truly at rest, and try to do it the same way each time.. Early in the morning is best. If you're doing this later in the day, do some quiet deep breathing for a few minutes beforehand to calm your nervous system.
-
Use a wearable monitor like an apple watch -or- take your pulse manually.
-
Two ways to manually check your pulse:
-
A) place your index and middle fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe, or
-
B) place two fingers on the palm side of your wrist below the thumb.
-
Look at your watch and count the number of beats in 15 seconds. Multiply this number by 4 to get your heart rate per minute. You might want to do it more than once to be sure you got an accurate count.
-
-
How to use it:
-
Look for your RHR to trend into a healthy range
-
Adjust training or nutrition if needed
-
Check your results HERE >
👉 The goal: Resting Heart Rate is in healthy range for your age and health
----------
CARDIO ENDURANCE TEST
What it tells you: If your training is working and your endurance is improving
Useful for: Heart and lung health, metabolic functioning, energy, overall health
What to track: How fast you can complete the test
Choose from the following options:
- 1 mile WALK
- 1 mile WALK / RUN INTERVALS
- 1.5 mile RUN
How to use it:
- Aim for gradual improvement over time. Use your results to inform your cardio training.
👉 The goal: Improve your performance time, improve heart and lung health, improve energy and endurance, feel stronger during cardio training.
----------
WORKOUT PERFORMANCE
Private Clients: I track this for you!
App Program Clients: Input sets, reps, weights when you log workouts so the app has a comprehensive history of your workouts
What it tells you: If your training is working - if you’re gaining or maintaining strength, mobility and flexibility, and endurance
Useful for: strength and endurance, body recomposition, energy, sleep, overall health
What to track:
- Exercises completed
- Dumbbell weights used in each exercise
- Reps completed
- Workout consistency
How to use it:
- Log your workout data: sets, reps and weight used. Also include comments like "tired today" or "felt great so added a 4th set."
- Aim for gradual improvement over time - one more rep, one more set, occasional “as many reps as possible” or “as long as possible,” ability to do different or harder variations
👉 The goal: Get stronger and more resilient, move better, feel better
----------
ENERGY, SLEEP & WORKOUT RECOVERY
What it tells you: How sustainable your plan is
Useful for: energy, strength and endurance, sleep, overall health
What to track:
- Energy levels throughout the day
- Sleep quality (not just hours)
- Soreness and ability to sufficiently recover after workouts
- Because the information is somewhat subjective, you might want to decide on an easy way to track these. For example, rate your energy each day on a scale of 1-5.
How to use it:
- Notice patterns (low energy = possible under-fueling or high stress)
- Adjust training or nutrition when needed
👉 The goal: Feel better, not burned out, and enjoy better sleep
----------
Let's talk about which ones are right for you!