Imagine that time when you were in a motivated mood and have fixated on your scale. You focus? Shed some pounds.

Anxious to see the pounds melt away quickly, you got into a routine of waking up and jumping on the scale first thing each morning. A familiar trend followed. As each day and each week ticked by, you become increasingly depressed by the seemingly fixed numbers on the scale.

Will they ever budge?

After seeing no improvement in weight, you figure that your new exercise routine and clean eating habits are ineffective. How depressing.

But maybe you will see the scale shift tomorrow! You resolved to move forward.

However, the next day another discouraging weigh-in knocks you down one more notch.

You arrived at work and grab a pastry in an attempt to dull your frustration. At lunch you justified eating those chips and cookies because you already messed up your diet for the day. By 5pm your body crashed from all of the ingested sugar. At that point in the day, exercising sounded miserable. You skipped the gym. The next morning the destructive, depressing cycle continued.

KEEP THOSE HANDS DOWN

After a few weeks without seeing the scale shift, most people who are trying to drop weight throw their hands up. They figure they will always be stuck in this vicious cycle.

What’s the solution to this problem?

Reframe your goals. Change your mindset.

Also, break up with your scale if you’re in an unhealthy relationship with it.

A NEW WAY FORWARD

Start by throwing out your weight loss resolution. Replace it with a performance resolution, which will help shift your focus to getting healthy rather than obsessing over the scale’s daily report.

Here are some ideas for performance resolutions.

• Overcome your sugar addiction by going sugar free for 30 straight days
• Be able to complete 30 consecutive pushups
• Finish a mud run

PLAN FOR SUCCESS

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Count the costs of accomplishing your goal, write out a specific game plan, rope up with an accountability buddy for support, and visualize your success. For example, let’s say you resolve to do 30 consecutive pushups in 6 months. Your success plan may look like the following:

1. Count the Costs: Instead of jumping on the scale in the morning, you will roll out of bed and do 10 pushups each morning.

2. Game Plan: In addition to the morning pushups routine, you will go to the gym 3 times a week for 30 minutes and focus on building functional upper body and core strength. On the first of each month, test and record max pushups.

3. Rope Up: You write down and post goals in the office and on the refrigerator at home to act as a reminder and increase accountability. You ask Doug to be your workout buddy 3 times each week.

4. Visualize Success: You imagine yourself doing those pushups, thinking of how strong and accomplished you will feel. You visualize yourself sharing your success with friends and loved ones as they congratulate you.

Be aware of your increased strength, stamina, energy through the day, etc. and celebrate your small and large successes. In working on a performance goal, it is likely that you will consequently drop weight although your focus is improving a particular aspect of your health.

BALANCE FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Lastly, it is important to recognize that unwanted, excess weight accumulates on your frame when the body is internally out of balance in some manner.

How do you fix this?

Rebalancing your individual body chemistry through targeted dietary and lifestyle recommendations will result in weight loss and improvements in overall health. This is achieved by addressing the foundations of health, which include a properly prepared, nutrient-rich diet, adequate sleep, regular movement, proper hydration, daily fresh air, and stress reduction.

If you need support in this area, reach out to us by clicking here. We are here to help!