Why don’t scales work for weight loss?
Last week I wrote about the woman who was feeling tired, unsexy and lethargic. She felt invisible to her husband and ashamed of herself.
And you know what she was doing?
She was weighing herself daily and gaining more weight.
Do you think it’s because she is lacking in motivation?
Do you think it’s because she doesn’t have the nutrition knowledge?
Maybe it’s just her gene’s?
Hmm. Maybe, but it’s unlikely.
I’m going to share why in a moment.
But first, here is what I’ve learned as a practitioner and life coach… there is something much deeper that holds us back when it comes to the scale.
And, this isn’t just for people who need to lose weight, this is for the health coaches who are knowledgeable on nutrition and exercise and also for folks struggling with eating disorders too.
It’s something that can be fixed quickly too and I’m going to share how, but first, I have a story of another client.
About 8 weeks ago, I had a client begin working with me and like many, she wanted to lose weight and had some drama around the number of pounds she needed to lose.
At around week 5, she was feeling great, happy and full of energy. She was so happy to share with me about the pair of jeans that fit her better. And then week 6 arrived….
She decided to weigh herself. The scale read that she gained 1 pound.
(Enter: emotional breakdown, freakout followed up with depression and binge eating)
How could this be… she was feeling so great, her clothes did fit better but she gained a pound…technically, she hadn’t lost any weight!! (she was so upset)
So after I got her calmed and reassured, I gave her an assignment to retest her body fat and muscle mass.
The results?
Her body fat decreased by 7% (awesome) and her muscle mass increased greatly (can’t remember that number), but it was awesome too.
And when she checked in with herself, she was feeling hydrated, happy and full of energy. We also determined that she sped up her metabolism.
The goal is not to lose weight at first, it’s to burn fat.
Once you turn your body into a fat burning machine (versus sugar burning), then you’ll lose the weight.
I know that many of you think that you have to track and measure your progress daily. Below, I’ll explain a better way on how to do that.
Here is what you need to do next:
1. How to get rid of your scale. Donate it, give it away, sell it or at the very least put it out in the garage, in storage or up on a shelf where you will not see it.
Because you will think about it.
Scales are addictions.
Weighing yourself is addictive because you are waiting for the outside number to determine your actions , how you show up throughout the day and specifically, your happiness.
That is the definition of a dependence.
2. Use your inner compass, a camera and a mirror every day.
Your body will tell you, what you need to know and you’ll also be able to tell the difference by looking in the mirror and at the pictures you take of yourself each day.
3. Focus your attention on what you want.
The scale literally forces chemical shifts in your brain and triggers stress.
Stress tells your body to store fat, literally.
What you want is to feel happy, healthy and full of energy. You want to feel seen and loved. Even if the scale gave you a burst of joy from a positive number, then it’s still artificial happiness that is outside of you.
If you take away one thing from this, remember…
It’s NOT outside of you.
You must focus your attention on how you want to feel right now and live into that right now.
This is exactly what I help my clients with. If you want more information about the transformational intensives I’m doing in August, email liz@reneeheigel.com for details.
Leave a quick comment below on your relationships with your scale… how’s it going?
With love,
Renee
PS. Next week, I’m going to be sharing the superpower that is the key to finally getting you unstuck in health, life and relationships. See you then. xoxo
