When we are trying to lose weight it is perfectly natural to want to hyperfocus on that number on the scale.
We do all of the things to eat well and ride our bikes a bunch and then we expect that that number will go down!
The problem though, is that when you hyperfocus on the scale you are bound to be very disappointed.
Weight loss is never linear for anyone. Our weight fluctuates and goes up and down depending on an endless number of factors.
When you do all of the right things and that number goes up? And that is the only metric you are using to track your weight loss? You are going to be SO discouraged.
You might even give up.
And I do NOT want that for you. The only difference between a woman who loses weight and one who doesn’t is that the woman who loses weight doesn’t give up.
So, what SHOULD you pay attention to as well? Read on for 3 things that are WAY more important in weight loss than the actual number on the scale.
#1: Your Overall Mindset And Outlook
Here’s the deal. Weight loss isn’t a “be good for a little bit” and then get permanent results kind of thing.
You need to be in it…well…forever. And if that sounds daunting to you, then you are probably approaching weight loss in a completely unsustainable way.
I tell people in the Lose Weight Biking Program that you can’t expect to temporarily restrict all of the things, lose weight, go back to your old habits, and keep the weight off.
I know you are sitting there agreeing with me right now. Of course. That makes complete sense.
So then, why have so many of us (hand raised over here too, my friend), for so many years, been on this weight loss roller coaster? We go all in, lose weight, feel awesome, but then gain it all back.
It’s because we want results, and we want them FAST. It’s why we sign up for all of those diet apps and programs because they promise that we will lose x pounds in the first month.
And I am not denying that for some people they do provide this result! However, at what cost? Are you really, truly doing things that you are willing to do for the rest of your life? If not, then you are likely to gain that weight back, quit the diet, and feel awful.
Instead, it is way more important to approach weight loss from the mindset of “I am making small, doable changes that will lead up to big results over time.”
If you are focused only on how quickly you can lose weight, you are so much more likely to do desperate things to get there (ahem like cutting out all carbs) that just aren’t sustainable. Or even healthy.
#2: Shifting Your Focus From What You Look Like to How You Feel
It feels so good to take care of yourself. When you wake up in the morning after an awesome nights sleep, it feels good.
When you go to a bed after a day of making healthier choices and not overeating, you feel proud of yourself for listening to your body and doing right by it.
When you get on your bike and have an awesome ride, or lift some heavier weights in your strength training than you ever could, it feels amazing.
Getting your good feelings from your actions instead of what you see in the mirror and the number on the scale is SO much more fulfilling long term.
This shift in the way that you are thinking and feeling about your body in general, and focusing on what it can do, it absolutely pivotal to long-term weight loss.
You see, that number on the scale becomes less and less important, and is filled with so much less drama, when it is just one of many things that you are considering in your weight loss journey.
#3: How Your Clothes Fit
After losing 50 pounds four years ago, one of the biggest things that I have learned is that the way my clothes fit is a much better measure of my progress than the number on the scale.
Case in point, I gained almost 10 pounds this past summer because I made a conscious choice to NOT use the scale as a metric for progress.
In fact, I actually didn’t weigh myself at all for two months.
Generally I am a huge fan of weighing myself every day. I think it’s fun to see what the number is up to!
BUT this summer I switched my primary health focus from biking to strength training.
I was bound and determined not to let anything get in the way of my strength workouts. I am working with a coach, and have been training three days a week, and have not missed a single workout.
I did not want the mental chatter of what was going on on the scale to interrupt my strength training progress.
My goal is to be the oldest woman in the weight room, not the youngest on in assisted living (just heard this on a podcast and was like YES!). This means that I need strength training, and I want to develop the habit NOW.
Now that I have the habit and am confident in the habit I am starting to bring more riding back into my day to day, focus on nutrition more again, and weigh myself every day.
Maybe the number will go back down. I bet it will! Maybe it wont. BUT my clothes fit AWESOME so I know that shifting my focus away from the scale was absolutely the right move.
A Final Note
The number on the scale is truly just a number.
It’s a snapshot in time.
You can look at it, and get curious about it, but do NOT let it be the be all end all of your weight loss journey.
It’s just not that important.
What is important is how you feel. How your clothes fit. Knowing that these are changes that you are making that feel good and sustainable long term.
We don’t want to make temporary changes and get temporary results. That sucks!
We want to feel good in our bodies, feel good with the choices we are making and feel good in our clothes.
When you start to make these shifts in how you think about that number on the scale, it goes down. At least it most certainly did for me. And guess what? I didn’t really even care. Because I already felt great.
I cannot tell you how much I want this for YOU. It is absolutely possible for you to stop this cycle of gaining and losing weight today. I am here for you, and cheering you on, every single step of the way.
Ride on!
xoxo
Stacy
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