So you’re making healthier food choices, prioritising sleep and are upping the exercise. You’ve got a goal in mind that you’re working towards and you’re feeling good. You jump on the scales for your daily weigh check and you don’t like the number that's hit back at you.
Sadly the number we see staring back at us can significantly impact our self-worth and can even demotivate us, causing us to give up on our healthy efforts.
We can get so wrapped up in seeing that number go down every day but the reality is that weight loss is not a linear process. Just because the scale isn’t always moving, doesn’t mean that you are not progressing.
What most people don’t know is that our weight fluctuates daily. Our is weight is not stagnant to the exact gram. Gaining body fat overnight is impossible. Putting on weight is an accumulative process that occurs by eating too many calories over time.
Where we are at in our menstrual cycle, how much salt we’ve eaten, the intensity of the exercise we have done and even if we have been to the bathroom or not that day all impact the daily number on the scale staring back at us. For this reason, it is better to work off a weekly average which is more important as it shows the trend of fluctuations.
It is important to also state that weighing yourself may or may not be helpful in your weight loss journey. It’s very individual and should be carefully decided with the help of a health care professional. For example, I would say only 60% of my weight loss clients monitor their weight using the scales.
Regardless of whether or not you weigh yourself, the first check you should do is with yourself - HOW DO I FEEL? How are my energy levels? How is my motivation? How confident do I feel in my clothes? Am I getting stronger?
As long as you are consistent and committed to the process, more often than not you will be getting closer to a healthier weight.
So be kind to yourself. Track your weight if you are in the right headspace to do so and feel it helps you, but don’t let the number staring back at you hold any power over your self-worth or determination.