(BlackDoctor.org) — Does seeing a higher-than-you’d-like-to-see number on the scale make you crazy? Many people find that a “bad” weigh-in ruins their mood and saps their motivation, making it difficult to keep doing what they know they need to do.
Things don’t need to be this way. You can learn to use the scale as a helpful tool, instead of giving it the power to dictate your feelings and your actions.
Do You Really Need A Scale At All?
Many experts and experienced dieters will tell you that the only realistic way to take the stress out of your weigh-ins is to skip them altogether—or at least keep them to a bare minimum. After all, there are many other ways to measure the progress of your health and fitness goals, especially since weight loss is rarely predictable.
Yes, we talk about weight loss in terms of numbers, but your body is neither a calculator or a checking out. A number of things (like fluctuations in water weight, increased muscle mass, and your body’s anti-starvation mechanism) can and regularly do conspire to make the number on the scale one of the least reliable measures of weight loss success.
And if you’re the type of person who needs to see that number coming down on a regular basis in order to avoid frustration, despair and panic, frequent weigh-ins may be exactly what you shouldn’t do.
The Point of Using A Scale
But let’s face it. Expecting yourself not to weigh-in frequently is like expecting yourself not to scratch when you’ve got an itch. Plus, there are some good reasons to track your weight frequently — watching the numbers can be an important part of the dieting process as you experiment with what works best for you.
So, maybe the real issue here is how you can have your cake and eat it, too. Here are three things you can do to make sure your love-hate relationship with the scale doesn’t cross over the line and become part of the problem instead of part of the solution.
4 Ways to Take the Stress Out of Your Weigh-Ins
The Scale: A Love/Hate Relationship was originally published on blackdoctor.org
