It may come as a surprise to many people when they are told that the scale has caused more people to abandon their weight loss journey than any other problem. Weight loss is a mental game and not a physical one.
Contrary to popular belief, most people are motivated enough to start exercising and eating better in hopes of losing weight. All these efforts are carried out in the hope of seeing the numbers fall in the balance.
But what if the numbers don’t change?
They then become disappointed and feel that their efforts are in vain. Some people make the monumental mistake of weighing themselves daily hoping to see weight loss.
By doing this, they are getting on an emotional roller coaster ride that wreaks havoc on their mental game. On a day when they see a drop in numbers, they are ecstatic. On a day when the numbers go up a bit, they hate their lives and feel like quitting.
Don’t trust the scale
The truth of the matter is that a scale NEVER gives the whole picture. You may have lost a pound today and the next day find it back. What you think is a pound of fat could just be the body retaining water that day.
Your body weight fluctuates all the time due to a variety of factors. Ideally, you should only weigh yourself once a week, and even then, you should take your numbers with a grain of salt.
If you’re training hard and doing weight training, your body could gain 2 pounds of muscle over 3 weeks while losing around 5 pounds of fat. However, on the scale, it will only show a 3 pound drop.
You’ll feel down because after all your hard work, all you’ve lost is a measly 3 pounds. What you don’t realize is that you lost 5 pounds of fat and gained muscle, and that’s fantastic.
If you judge your progress based on the numbers on the scale, you won’t have the full picture.
Patience is a virtue
Beyond that, during the first 30 days, your body is still adjusting to exercise and diet. It will take time for the weight to come off. Obsessing over numbers will put unnecessary pressure on you to see quick results.
No hurry. You are trying to make a lifestyle change and not just a weight change. Give yourself at least 90 days to stick with the plan. 90 days of caloric deficit, clean diet and a regular training program.
You will be surprised how you look after 90 days. Depending on your weight, you may be thin and looking good by then. If he were morbidly obese, he would have lost a great deal of weight and would look and feel much better.
Look towards the future
You may still be overweight, but that’s okay. You’ve made a lot of progress. Give yourself another 90 days to lose the rest. Continue until you reach your goal weight.
The scale should only act as a general mileage marker on your trip. It shouldn’t decide if you stay the course or not. You don’t even need a scale.
As long as you eat right and burn more calories than you take in, weight loss is inevitable if you continue. Three months from now, you’ll thank yourself. Stay on the road.