Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar to you:
You’ve been working hard for weeks doing all the “right things” – balancing your meals, being mindful of portion control, drinking your water, eating your veggies, working hard in the gym. You’re feeling stronger, have more energy, and are sleeping better.
You then go to weigh yourself . . . and the scale hasn’t budged. Bam! Your whole day is blown, and you feel like a failure. You want to give up.
OR, maybe you weigh yourself . . . and your weight is down. Voila! You’re on top of the world!!
But wait – in both scenarios, you are feeling stronger, have more energy, and are sleeping better. But in the first scenario, you’re depressed and wanting to give up. The second one you’re on cloud nine! What changed? The number on the scale.
Why are we placing so much value on that darn number on the scale? What about all of these awesome, non-scale victories?? Why don’t we celebrate them?
As a nutrition coach, even though I love helping clients reach their weight loss goals, I have to say that some of my proudest moments come not from these quantitative results, but from the qualitative, or non-scale victories.
Why? I love hearing that people are feeling good! That they now have the energy to keep up with their kids, they can finally wear their favorite pair of jeans again, that they feel more confident in their food choices, feeling stronger in workouts, stress levels are down. . . the list is never-ending! To me, this gives way more information than just a number. Who cares if my weight is up, when I just supported my body weight for the first time upside down against a wall, I am off my blood pressure medication, or my kids just asked me for VEGGIES for a snack??
Non-scale victories are improvements that result from small lifestyle changes. And when we shift our focus onto them, and celebrate them, this can actually help people lose weight in the process.
While losing weight is a health goal for many, and it’s perfectly fine to measure your weight from time to time, we do not need a scale to measure our success. When we take the focus off the scale, and notice and celebrate these non-scale victories, we are more likely to stay motivated long-term.
So take note of the small lifestyle changes you’ve made. Note how you feel both physically and emotionally. Appreciate the effort you’ve invested in becoming healthier, and keep going!! When you take the time to celebrate these small wins, you are on your way to living that happy, healthier life you deserve!
Kristen Van Hull
Prowess Fitness + Nutrition
Nutrition Coach
