Suppose you pick up a new diet book that includes a week’s worth of menus. As you plan a grocery list for your program, you are horrified to see that Monday’s menu contains spinach, which you hate.
Would you throw the book across the room or yell about the stupid meal plan that contained spinach? Of course not. When Monday came, you would substitute a different vegetable and continue to follow the plan.
Discovering you don’t like something on your meal plan probably doesn’t stress you very much. So why would you throw your scale across the room because you don’t like today’s number? What if you could just substitute a different response and go on with your day?
Joyce never got very far with her weight-loss efforts. Whenever her scale number went up instead of down, she felt devastated. Her conclusion each time was, “Why bother?” And instead of looking at her recent actions or patterns, she let the scale decide it was time to quit her program.
Your scale is not your enemy!
Instead, it’s only one of the many tools in your weight-management program. Just like adjusting to a new diet menu, you don’t need to let the scale determine whether or not you lose weight. But sometimes, years of habits can get in the way.
Jackie knew she was a slave to her scale. Here’s how she described it.
When I was losing weight a few years ago, my husband thought I was becoming obsessed with the scale, so he put it in the trunk of our car.There were many times when I sneaked into the garage on a cold morning, barefooted and wearing only my bathrobe, so I could weigh myself naked. Not my finest moment!
Here’s an interesting thought. What if changing your relationship with the scale actually worked? How would it feel to be comfortable and peaceful about your scale reading instead of distraught by it?
Starting today, I want you to eliminate the drama around your scale. Instead, I want you to lay out a scale management program and figure out how to approach this diet tool in a positive light.
Your Personal Scale Plan
As you go through this book, I’ll help you rethink every aspect of how you view your scale. One of the first questions we’ll look at is whether you should actually use your scale or whether you should throw it away. You’ll quickly learn the answer is not the same for everyone
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If you conclude you want to keep your scale, I’ll help you decide how often you should get on it. We’ll evaluate whether your best approach is to weigh yourself daily or only at intervals. I’ll also help you figure out what the scale reading actually means. (It’s not always what you think.)
The Scale Trap
If you’re like a lot of dieters, your problem with the scale started many years ago. Think back to your first attempt at losing weight. You ate everything on your food list, did lots of exercise, and then ran to the scale to see if your efforts had worked.
In the beginning, your scale appeared to be providing great feedback. Most of the time, the numbers seemed to match your actions, and you felt encouraged to stick with your efforts. In fact, when the scale numbers went down, you celebrated because this proved you were on the right diet plan.
But on days when the number didn’t move, or worse yet, it went up, your self-esteem took a beating. At some point, you concluded either something was wrong with you or that your diet program had stopped working.
When Carol called me, she sounded extremely upset. “The scale just won’t move!” she cried. “How can I be doing everything perfectly and still not be losing weight? What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I do this right?”
At this point, Carol had lost her ability to be logical around her scale. Instead, she assumed she had a personality defect that was causing her weight to be stuck day after day. She even wondered what she had done to make her scale hate her so much.
Trust me! Your scale doesn’t care about your weight- loss efforts. It knows you will hesitantly step on it each morning, then let the numbers determine many aspects of your day, including your confidence level about life. And sometimes, it will cause you to walk away from a really good diet or exercise plan.
Don’t get caught up in crazy drama around your scale. Instead, focus on learning how to view your scale as a powerful tool that will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight forever.
Because my book Friends with the Scale is going out of print next year, I am posting it one chapter at a time. This was Chapter 3.
Friends with the Scale
How to Turn Your Scale into a Powerful Weight Loss Tool
Based on stories and examples along with scientific data, this book shows you the weight-loss power that lies within your scale when you simply make it your friend.
Learn more about Friends with the Scale. Click Here.