The scale won’t drop because you’re too focused on this one thing
The scale is a powerful object. It’s supposed to be a tool that helps you reach your goals but sometimes it’s the thing standing in your way. When stepping on the scale in the morning becomes the determining factor behind having a good day or a bad day, it means you’re too focused on losing weight.
Too focused on losing weight? It sounds contradictory coming from a nutrition and weight loss coach, right? But I see this happen all the time!
Women get so focused on the scale that it starts hurting them. If stepping on the scale becomes something that starts the dialog of “I’m such a failure,” or “Why can’t I just lose the weight already?” or “I hate myself,” then you’re way too focused on weight loss.
So let me ask you a question, mama. Why did you want to lose weight in the first place? Was it just to see a number on the scale? Is that what is driving you to work so hard?
I bet it’s not the real reason. You’re probably looking to lose weight to feel more comfortable in your skin, or to show your kids the importance of a healthy body. You might be losing weight to feel sexier or stronger.
You may think that those feelings will come when you hit that special number on the scale, but that’s not true. Those feelings should be part of your process, not just your outcome.
The biggest mistake I see busy mamas like you make is focusing just on the outcome, the number on the scale or the size of her pants, instead of focusing on loving the process. I want to show you two ways to start seeing the results you want without putting so much pressure on the scale.
Change your focus
I want you to think of a time when your kids bugged you day in and day out for something they wanted. My kids are in to shoes right now. They have to have all the latest shoes. They’re constantly telling me about what shoes they want and why they have to have them.
And it drives me nuts.
I get it, the shoes are cool, but I don’t want to hear about them for hours on end. Sometimes I get so annoyed that I never want to buy my kids shoes again! But, because I’m a loving mom, I don’t scream out “If you ask me about those shoes one more time I’m never buying them for you!” It would feel good to say, but I don’t do it because that’s not how it works.
Instead, I try to teach my kids how they can take control of the situation and buy their own shoes. They take on extra jobs around the house to earn money. They mow the neighbor’s lawn - or they would if we had more neighbors with grass lawns in Arizona, but you get the point.
They don’t get what they want by begging for it or whining about it to me. They get it by doing the work. And it’s the same for you and weight loss.
You’re not going to lose weight just by stepping on the scale and getting frustrated each day. You’re going to get it by doing the work, developing the habits, and enjoying the process.
So what is it that you really want? Do you want a number on the scale or do you want a healthy life and a body that serves you?
If it’s the latter, then let’s define what a healthy life and body means for you.
For me, healthy means fueling my body with adequate nutrients, moving my body, resting my body and being able to enjoy my body.
When I focus on making healthy choices (protein first, plenty of fruits and veggies) and having something fun each day I feel good! I’m not sluggish or starving! I have the energy I need to run my business, crush it in the gym, run my kids all over town and do anything else my life requires of me.
And when I consistently eat in a way that makes me feel healthy, I reach my goals! I tracked my macros for a long time, it’s what taught me how to know how much food I needed to fuel my lifestyle. Then, I took a year off from tracking and I didn’t gain any significant weight.
Yes, my weight fluctuated day to day, but I didn’t gain 15 lbs in a month because I went back to old habits. I stuck to the healthy habits I developed while I was tracking and I maintained my weight!
The results came because I learned to love the process more than the outcome.
Stop saying “but” and just acknowledge your wins
Every week in my Macros Made Easy program, my clients check in with me on how they’re doing. We start our check-ins with a win for the week. And one thing that I hear a lot is I had this great win (I ate within my boundaries, or I slept really well) BUT, I didn’t see the result I wanted from it.
Mama, stop with the but!! Let your wins be wins. When you add the qualifier “but” onto something you’re basically discrediting all the good that has come or all the work you put in.
Think about it this way, what if someone said “I love you, but;” would you hear the I love you, or would you just hear whatever came after the but? The thing that was “wrong” with you.
You’d probably just hear what’s wrong. So when you add a “but” on to anything you’ve done well in your health you’re forgetting about how far you’ve come!
One of the most important parts of weight loss is mindset. If you changed all of your habits, how you eat, drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, move your body, but you never change how you think about yourself, then you’re never going to get the feelings you associate with weight loss - feeling strong, sexy, confident, etc.
You have to focus on the thoughts that are going on inside your head. And the amazing part is that when you start focusing on your thoughts and how you talk to yourself. You can start feeling good before you ever reach the number on the scale that you want!
Mama, if all you focus on for the rest of your life is losing weight, then you’re going to be miserable. But if you focus on living a healthy life and making decisions that will help you feel good, then you’ll not only reach your goals but you’ll have fun doing it.
I help busy mamas ditch the guilt, shame and regret of dieting and step into living their healthiest life. If that sounds like the kind of thing you want, then let’s chat. Schedule a free discovery call today to see how you can enjoy the process and create a healthy life for yourself and your family.
