I stepped on the scale this morning and I did exactly what I coach so many strong, amazing women not to do... I said WTF?
I use the scale every once in a while as a metric. I usually can guess my weight within a pound because I know my body fairly well. Today I was off and I literally said out loud to myself F$%!.
I move. I nourish and choose better for me options most of the time. I sleep fairly well. I'm not on any medications. I have no reason why I should have gained weight. But I did. So now what?
Here are my options:
IGNORE - Nothing to see here folks. Quickly step off and go along with my day like nothing happened! This can be a great option. But if I continue to ignore for weeks, months, years and then get on that scale again and it's up 10, 20, 30...#, then I'm really going to be annoyed that I ignored it for too long.
PUNISH - Restrict calories, deprive myself, sweat more... "burn" off the excess. Complete opposite reaction of ignoring. This one involves fixating and stressing and encourages an even unhealthier mindset than gaining some pounds. No thanks!
STAY CONSISTENT with my HEALTHY HABITS! Ding Ding...we have a winner!
As part of my nutrition coaching education I was taught to encourage clients to:
Be CURIOUS, Be KIND and Be HONEST.
Be Curious! What have I done differently lately? How have my habits changed? Does a few extra pounds really matter? What is my normal range? Am I within a healthy range? Am I trending or just ebb and flowing? How many is too many? Am I happy and confident in my body? Can I do things that I like to do? Do my clothes still fit?
Be Kind! Does this affect my worth as a human? Am I still strong, capable, happy, enjoying life? How would I talk to a friend that had gained weight? Do I give myself the same grace and love?
Be Honest! Have I truly been consistent in my healthy habits? Hmmmm. It's winter, I tend to move less. I tend to snack more. I like to layer up and sit on the couch more. Lately I've been watching people workout more than I have actually worked out.
Curious, Kind, Honest.
Here's the actual scale results over the last year. It helps to look at trends over time vs the current day.
Over the last year, body weight and body fat are within a healthy range and tends to be higher in winter. What I should take note of is the lean muscle mass declining...that's something I can focus on! Because I'm not getting younger and lean muscle mass is critical as I age and doesn't just appear without action.
My Plan of Action - Schedule 3 focused strengh sessions per week over the next month (less cardio that just makes me snack more and more strength training with longer term benefits). Drink water before every meal. Make hot tea before grabbing a snack at night on the couch.
Simple habits that contribute to my overall health!
So what should YOU do if you're saying WTF to your scale lately?
If your relationship with your scale isn't healthy, ditch it. There are so many other metrics you can use!
How does your body feel?
How do your clothes fit?
Progress photos (hide them on your phone - they don't have to be shared on social ;).
Are you able to do the things you want to do?
Measurements
Lab results - blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar...
Be CURIOUS, Be KIND, Be HONEST and make a healthy habit plan that you can maintain. Check in once a month with your preferred metric and track your progress so you can watch for trends over the year.
The Goal isn't a specific number on the scale, it's to stay #healthyforthelonghaul and be CONFIDENT in your body and all it can DO.
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