Ditch the Scale…Lose the Weight Obsesssion.

One of the things I did not like when I used to train clients at the gym, was when they would constantly go over to the scale to see what they weighed. Mostly this would be after each workout, but even some would go during a workout! Like they wanted to see a 2lb drop to keep them going on the treadmill?

I’m here to give you permission to THROW YOUR SCALE OUT!

Yep, you heard me correctly.

Toss it! Ditch it. Give it to a neighbor. Or put it in the trash bin. Just get it out of the house. Not tomorrow…today!

Let’s get real. Do you honestly know if you are losing fat? How about just water weight fluctuation? Your body is roughly about 60% water after all.

Ever wonder where all the quick weight loss comes in the first 7-10 days on some strict diet? Mostly water, not fat.

With every emotional “high”, there is always a low period to come (as that high never is sustainable in the long run).

Imagine one week you feel great with a 3-5lb weight loss, only to somehow gain back 1-2lbs the next week. It could of been water weight, but you really don’t know. However are you still riding the high from the first week or are you now upset/depressed?

I even had some clients in the past who were upset because they initially had little “weight” loss, but yet their clothes were lose fitting! Even after trying to explain that they can lose fat and gain muscle, they were still attached to a number. They were upset yet they knew they looked and felt better!

How silly is it to have your emotional well-being connected to some number? It is one thing to lose 30+ lbs over a year and know it, but to keep stepping on a scale seeing if you are 1-2 lbs up or down day after day is just being obsessive.

Does that mean you should get a scale with a bodyfat analyzer? No, as that is a 2-for-1 obsession now! Not only can you stress over your weight, but you can also get upset at some bodyfat % number that is no way accurate with those scales.

Drop the mental baggage, or you will carry it with you for a very long time. I have seen so many people (even other trainers) in great shape obsessed with what they weighed. Most people would pay anything to look like them, yet they are depressed and unhappy. All because of some number.

We all like to see progress, right? I get that as it can be motivating. But can you tell me that you can’t notice an improvement in body composition through how your clothes are fitting? Jeans not so tight anymore? How about just by looking in the mirror? What about by your daily energy, performance, or strength gains? Why not use those instead?

As the increasingly popular saying for women and training goes, “Strong is the new Skinny!”

I also like how Leo at Zen Habbits puts it in his own list of weight loss tips: “Derive your self worth from something other than a number on a scale and instead gift yourself a body that will function well to serve your noble life’s goals.”

If you want to still keep knowing what you weigh, do it over the long run. Once every couple months. Only at the doctor’s office for your physical. Just don’t keep checking it daily or even weekly. If your happiness is attached to what the scale is going to say, you are not allowing yourself to be free from it.

What you are attached to, you carry with you.

I haven’t stepped on a scale in over a year. I don’t care what it says anymore and so much happier for it (although I’m not letting myself go in the process).

Just throw it out today…as you can’t step on it if it isn’t in your house. You won’t miss it soon enough.

Stop fueling your obsession.

Let it go.

Don’t delay, do it now!

*Additional Note: You can also apply this if your goals are to put on more muscle. Forget the number you think you need to be in life, and opt for something with deeper meaning such as health, strength and performance.

Get Your Free Course Today!