On to the
3rd installment of the
4 Pitiful Pitalls that people encounter and must overcome to be successful in losing weight and becoming healthy:
Impatience and Disapointment with Results.
You don't have to look through too many blogs to find someone who is somewhat stupified and dismayed at their weekly weigh in b/c they excercised all week, ate flawlessly and according to plan, and yet the scale shows little to no change and possibly even a gain! Shoot- you wouldn't have to go any farther than my own blog to find that! A couple of weeks ago I couldn't wait to get on the scale- I had joined the gym that week, worked out 5x's, ate SO well, and what did I see? That I had GAINED 4lbs! Immediately all of the happy feelings and thoughts that I had been having about the changes that I was making just went right down the toilet as if those good choices and sacrificies that I had made all week never even happened because the scale didn't reflect it.
Now we all know that there are a # of reasons that I could have gained 4lbs that week and none of them were that I had gained 4lbs of fat, who knows- it could have been that I had eaten too much sodium, that I was retaining water weight, gaining muscle, blah blah blah. But here is the truth- the scale doesn't lie. It can't. The scale will ALWAYS tell you 100% of the time what it is supposed to tell you- how much you weigh. The scale cannot tell you however what is going on in your body (like the above possible instances I just listed), it cannot tell you how many inches you are losing, how much stronger you are becoming, or even what you will weigh the next day- it is just your weight at one second in your life.
I know that it is easy to feel frusterated with how long it takes to lose weight and become healthy- there are days when I think that 2lbs a week is just too slow! But then I sit back and remember that it has taken me 23 years to put all of the weight on and if it takes me 1 year or 1 1/2 years to take it off then it is worth it to be able to live the 65+ years that I have left here on Earth healthy.
Am I saying that I think we should just say "to heck with the scale" and never look at it again? Um NO! The scale is a great at what it does- tell us how much we weigh- and clearly since one of my goals is to lose weight it is necessary. But it CANNOT, I repeat CANNOT be the SOLE indicator of if we are succeeding or failing on this journey.
But let's be realistic, if we are going to put in the effort that it takes to lose weight, we want to know if we are succeeding or not- that is totally reasonable and I believe necessary if we are going to be able to be successful in the long run. So... what are some other ways that are just as indicating, if not more, of how we are really doing:
- Losing Inches: This is by far the most accurate way to tell if your body is changing. I measure myself 1 time a month.
- How do your clothes fit? Maybe buy a shirt or pair of jeans from Goodwill in a size that you would like to be in in a few months and try them on periodically.
- How do you feel? I have gained a ton of energy since I began getting healthy 3 months ago- I really didn't even realize it though until I stopped and thought about it.
- Set small (non scale related goals) that you can meet each month. Need some ideas? Check out my February goals to the right.
- Progress Pics: Obviously it is awesome to see a physical change.
- Personal Evaluation: I have enjoyed doing a comparison between the way I used to eat to the way I eat now, how I used to handle cravings and how I do now, etc.
Now, I'm not stupid- I know that it is easier said than done when it comes to not allowing the scale to have such a powerful effect on how we feel and I for one have not completely arrived at that place- but I am going to. It is completely assanine for me (or you) to allow all of the empowerment that I feel from working out and making amazing choices to diminish in an instant b/c of a #!
So here is what I propose- and I would love for as many of you who would like to join me on this 1 Week challenge to as well- introducing: the I AM WORTH MORE CHALLENGE!
This challenge is to promote and remind you that while the scale is a tool that can be used on this journey- it does not define your success NOR does it define you! I PROMISE that if you can't love yourself for who you are as person at the weight you are at now, nothing will change when you reach your goal weight- YOU ARE WORTH MORE than what you weigh!
Wanna take the I AM WORTH MORE Challenge? Here's what you'll need to do:
1- Get post it notes.
2- Every day that you do something to take a step toward your goal, write it on the post it note. Some examples might be: I didn't get cheese on my sandwhich, I chose to park at the furthest spot in the parking lot to get in some extra walking, I skipped Starbucks, I worked out today, I ate a healthy breakfast, I read blogs that I know encourage and inspire me. Write down ANYTHING that constitutes a successful decision that shows the change you are making.
3- At the end of each day take the post it notes that you have written your successful steps on and stick them on your scale.
4- At the end of the week (on whatever day you weigh in) your scale should (hopefully!) be completely covered with the good things that you have done for yourself and have gotten you closer to reaching your goal and you shouldn't be able to see the # on the scale at all. You will completely skip your weigh in that week.
5- Post a pic of your scale covered in post it notes to celebrate with the rest of us all of the REAL accomplishments that you made.
When you are standing on the scale looking down you will be looking at all of the decisions that you made this week that should either make you feel proud or let you know that you aren't working hard enough- let it be THOSE decisions- not some # that fluctuates like the dickens, be what allows you to step off the scale with pride.
If you would like to join me in this challenge, just leave a comment letting me know and feel free to either post the I AM WORTH MORE scale pic on your profile if you'de like to.
I'll be starting this challenge on Monday (being that I weigh in on Sundays) and I can't wait to see all that I'll learn this week and to take back the power and "say so" I've allowed the scale to have in determining how I feel about my success.
Who's with me?
***Wondering when to weigh in? There is not 1 specific week or weigh in day that you have to do it. The idea is to miss a full weeks weigh in so whatever that looks like for you is fine. If you want to do it right with me, then I'll be weighing in this Sunday and then skipping my next weigh in (the following Sunday). Hopefully this isn't too confusing! :) ***
