It has been documented that 90% of Americans are not happy with their bodies. Out of dozens of clients I have worked with, I would say that 100% want to change their bodies in some way (duh! Why else would they come and see me?!), and 90% of them list weight loss as their #1 goal. Most are taken by surprise when I tell them we aren’t counting calories and that they should stay off the scale. I’m not concerned with how much you weigh and neither should you…..
Let me explain-
‘Making better choices for a healthy lifestyle’ is my tag line for a reason. Helping people find a sensible, realistic path to better health is my goal. Understanding that there are a million ways to do this, I start by eliminating some of the typical barriers.
First, I help my clients understand that the scale and measuring tape are just two of the many tools we can use to track their progress. Some have adopted the use of ‘non-scale victories’ as motivation to keep moving forward.
Second, I explain that we won’t count calories, followed quickly by the….
Third guideline, learning to make and keep (reasonable) promises to ourselves each day, week, and sometimes, month. Obviously, these promises need to be based on them, they are expected to be very individualized. However, there are a few very basic ones we start out with that are habits that fit everyone’s set of healthier habits. The first promise or change we make is drinking more water.
There are tons of articles (including some on this website) describing the benefits of drinking water, so most of us are on board pretty readily with this new habit. The aspect I stress is the reality of hydration. A pint (2 cups, 16 oz., 2 glasses) of water weighs a pound. Yep, a pound! This fact is part of the reason I stress removing the barrier that emphasizing weight and the scale provides. Your body weight can go up and down in a short period of time based on how hydrated you are. Keep in mind, you could weigh yourself, drink a pint of water and weigh yourself again and you’d be a pound heavier! Not fatter, but you’d be less thirsty and weigh more!
Did you know that a pint (16 oz glass) of water = 1 pound?!
Another way water effects your body and your weight is when you increase exercise – which is pretty automatic and expected when you begin your journey to better health. As you increase your activity level your body begins to store more fuel (glycogen) in your cells. This ‘fuel’ is so concentrated that your body has to store water along with the glycogen in a 1:3 ratio (3 molecules of water for each molecule of glycogen). Remember, water weighs a pound per pint and along with the weight of the fuel molecules, you are likely to gain weight at the beginning of your journey as well as at other points along the way when you challenge your body with increased activity.
All of this leads to finding more individualized ways of tracking your progress and setting realistic goals. One common method is tracking your Body Fat Percentage. You can achieve this in several different ways, which I will discuss in a future post. For now, start with:
- Ditching your scale (temporarily),
- Tracking and celebrating those ‘non-scale’ victories like drinking more water and upping your activity level, and
- Making simple, realistic and attainable promises to yourself (that result in those non-scale victories) –
Do these three things and I guarantee that you will feel better and build a foundation that is stronger for a long and healthy life ahead!
Until next time, be well~
Your Bff
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