Unravelling the myth that scale weight is everything.... 👀
One of the biggest bug bears I have with dieting clubs is the misbelief that scale weight is the be all and end all to success. That if you are looking to improve your health that looks like a linear 2lb loss on the scales each and every week, and if that doesn’t happen you have failed and messed up your entire week.
Its ludicrous and so far from the truth. Not only will you never linearly lose 2lb a week in a deficit, physiologically its not possible, but health is not just seeing the scale weight come down.
This (mis)belief can have a negative impact on many peoples body image, and relationship with food, 100% of clients I have worked with over the years have battled, at some point, with the scales, so if you relate to this please know you are not alone.
It becomes all or nothing, black and white, you’re “on it” doing so well or “falling off the track”
Worst still, peoples mood and mindset is then impacted by the scales and the number they see…
The scales have come down, lets party 🎉 feeling soooo good in myself, love myself, love ma body, I’m the best!
But the scales shift up, even by 0.5lb and 😫 I feel horrendous, I’m not doing enough, I’m rubbish, I feel fat, I GIVE UP!
The psychological battle is real,The lack of mind body connection is damaging,
The misinformation and understanding around the scales and what they actually represent is harmful.
There was a cool study that concluded;
“Those who are hyperfocused on weight and shape in a fat loss phase are more likely to regain their weight and more”
So why do we only associate success with scale weight? Because babe, its all you have been taught, its all you know, but that doesn’t mean its right, and here’s the thing, if you only associate success with the scale weight and that instils the all or nothing thinking and yo-yo behaviours you’re actually hindering your fat loss journey.
Why?
Well, buckle up sunshines, lets talk facts 👇
You can lose body fat WITHOUT losing scale weight
Fat loss actually is pretty linear but this ISN’T shown on the scales
The scales shown a collection of water, lean mass, skeletal muscle and bones, so many things impact acute changes.
Fat loss is a more specific and better goal than weight loss that that ISN’T shown on the scales.
Losing fat and retaining muscle mass is a better option when considering metabolic health, and visceral fat held around our organs.
You can lose weight and still have excess body fat, even at a healthy BMI.
Fat loss improves blood pressure, reduces risk of chronic illness, improves mobility, fitness, mood, but that ISN’T shown on the scales.
I could go on and on and on….
The scales show such a small part of your body, a fraction of the process, and interestingly your bmi isn’t directly responsive to body image, you can lose weight but still feel like shit in yourself.
How many times have you looked back at old photos of yourself, maybe smaller and thought “I didn’t like myself back then either” ….
Scale drops are not the same as fat loss, and this misunderstanding will leave you trapped, take a listen to the latest podcast to understand the real difference;
Sustainable fat loss doesn’t come from just implementing a calorie deficit, and stepping on the scales every Monday.
It comes from intentions, awareness and mindset, to achieve sustainable fat loss behaviour change has to be the forefront of your mind, focusing on the process, simultaneously enjoying and living your life, going forward from failures, growing, learning and adapting, understanding and learning, shifting your perspective with your success and looking at everything you are doing.
Your scale weight will NEVER stay the same, despite slimming world handing you out a gold star ⭐️ when you achieve your goal weight. Breaking free from the scales and building that relationship isn’t about fat loss, it’s steering a new direction of acceptance, body functionality and recognising all aspects of health.
It isn’t a sprint finish and if not done from a place of acceptance whilst nurturing your food and body relationship will only end in yoyo dieting and weight regain.
It’s not magic, but doing the work is magic if you do it correctly, because you do it right and you only do it once.
Here we do it once, with your commitment, we take you through the process of healing, understanding and developing sustainable habits.
We have two spaces open for coaching, ready to break free from all the nonsense thats held you back?
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