What if I told you that you can FEEL GOOD about your weight loss journey, regardless of what the scale says?
Today’s topic has been inspired by a couple of clients I’ve spoken with in the past week. They’ve been focused on the number(s) on the scale, and had been getting discouraged when there aren’t consistent daily or weekly signs of progress being made. While weighing yourself is the most well-known basis of measurement for weight loss, it’s FAR from the only one, and is one you shouldn’t knock yourself over…
Your weight can be effected by a million different things. If you eat a fibrous or salty meal the night before you weigh-in, there’s a very good chance that you’ll see either stagnation on the scale, or a weight INCREASE. If you’re more stressed than usual, your body will produce excess levels of the hormone cortisol, which leads to inflammation, and thus, weight gain. If you’re a female and it’s that time of month, then yeah… I can continue to list all of the different things that can effect your weight, but you get my drift ;-)
Many of my clients come to me weighing themselves every single day at various times of the day. Some days, it’s first thing in the morning. Other days, it’s right before they go to sleep. And other days, it’s smack dab in the middle of the day.
Before I get into other data points to consider, from a pure logic standpoint, this is NOT a practice you want to partake in. Weighing yourself daily literally makes you a SLAVE to the scale. I know this because that’s what I used to do during my two year plateau. Imagine weighing in every day for 730 straight days, and not getting below a certain weight range.
Frustration doesn’t even begin to describe it…
It wasn’t until I decided to weigh myself once a week, every Thursday, first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and before eating or drinking anything, that I began to see more consistent results, and feel better about the whole thing.
Plus, while I’m sure you’re not a researcher or a scientist, the most accurate data is best collected under the most similar conditions possible. Weighing yourself every day at different times of the day just isn’t a great way to go about things, as your weight can fluctuate by up to FIVE POUNDS based upon when the weigh-in is being done!
Now, I want you to imagine a world where the number on the scale didn’t effect you very much, if at all! Imagine knowing that despite a lackluster week on the scale, you’re still losing inches, you’re still feeling more energetic, and you’re still leaning out and toning up!
Well, that world exists, and I want you to start participating in it RIGHT NOW!
How? Glad you asked :-)
There are other ways to measure your progress. I’m going to give you my Top 4 outside of the scale, but there’s even more data you can use to assess your progress. The good news is that you should have everything you need to do the four listed below, so let’s start small, and work our way up, shall we?
1) Body Measurements. Using a tape measurer, you can take your body measurements every Thursday, which is the day that I ask my weight loss clients to weigh-in, and keep track of their measurements and other progress data. The Weight Loss by Pete Fitness App has detailed instructions on how to do this, but if you’re not a current client, check out this video to help give you a starting point on how to do this: https://youtu.be/xvfjBkmfz_I
2) Progress Photos. Sometimes, when the scale doesn’t move, you can still see progress by taking weekly progress photos. Like with the body measurements, the Weight Loss by Pete App stores your weekly progress photos, so you can toggle back-and-forth week-to-week. If you’re not a current client, all you have to do is take a photo of yourself on your smartphone from the front, the side, and the back, and gauge your progress week-to-week. If you’re doing the right things nutritionally and fitness-wise, you’ll see some progress each and every week in the photos.
3) Try on that article of clothing you want to wear again. If you no longer fit into one of your favorite articles of clothing, whether it be a shirt, a dress, a suit, etc., then you may want to try those on every week when you check your progress. If it fits any better, or actually fits again, then you KNOW you’re on the right track!
4) Ask yourself, ‘How do I feel?’ on your Weigh-In Date. I have a couple of clients who REFUSE to weigh themselves. They feel better on my program, they know they’re doing the right things for their health, and thus, they can care less what some arbitrary number on their scale says. And it should be FAR from the only thing that you measure!
The Main Takeaway: If you’re looking and feeling better, that’s all that truly matters. Everything else, while certainly measures of progress, shouldn’t define your journey. You have to FEEL GOOD about things in order to get the most out of it!
So, there you have it! This Thursday, when you weigh-in and track your progress, remind yourself that the scale is just one of MANY possible ways to measure how far you’ve come. Don’t let it trap you, get you down or discourage you. Keep at it, and good things will happen :-)
Until tomorrow!
Sincerely,
Pete Weintraub
pete@weightlossbypete.com
P.S. If you’ve been a slave to the scale, and are looking to make a healthy, sustainable and PERMANENT change, then let’s chat!
I have some Strategy Call spots open this week for folks looking to lose weight once and for all, and take control of their health. To qualify for a spot, please fill out my brief Health Questionnaire by going to https://goo.gl/forms/pn6PugMixK74z5ip2. Upon your form’s submission, you’ll be redirected to a page where you can set up your FREE 15 minute strategy call.
I look forward to speaking with you soon :-)