How do you track your fitness progress?

• By the scale? Measurements? Body fat?
• By how much weight you can lift? Your flexibility? Your speed? Your heart rate? Your recovery?
• By how your clothes fit? Or how you look in the mirror?
• By your energy level? Or level of self confidence?

My answer would depend on my goals. But, trust me, I’ve used all of the above at one point or another.

What do you do when you reach a plateau? What happens when you can’t see or feel progress? My advice? Do not panic. If you are honestly working a healthy plan your body will still be working on changes behind the scenes.

My Precision Nutrition coaches recently shared a story from Dave Tate about body transformations that really hit home with me. Think about this:

If you look at a fertile egg and watch it over time you will not see anything happen. This goes on day in and day out. You expect to see something, anything, but nothing changes. Then one day the egg begins to shake and a chick pops out. While the egg sat idle things were changing under the surface.

We all spend too much time looking at the outside of the egg when we should stop and think about what is going on inside.

I know what works for me. If I consistently drink a lot of water, eat plenty of protein and vegetables, progress and change my training program every 4-6 weeks, and get plenty of rest, I know I will not only feel good, I will see changes in my measurements and in the mirror. And if I don’t? I only have one person to beat up!

Speaking of eggs and vegetables, here’s what I’m whipping up today (with a tall drink of water)…

Egg-stra Veggie Quiche

• 8 eggs (or 2 cups Egg Beaters)
• 6 oz of Chobani Plain 0% Greek Yogurt (NuVal score – 94!)
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs in a large bowl and stir in Chobani Greek Yogurt. Mix in vegetables and seasoning. Pour into an 8×8 inch pan sprayed with Pam Olive Oil and top with shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Now I really must go grab some more water and hit the gym because I have a plateau to crack!