what you need to know about your scale!!!!

Have noticed a lot of people getting freaked out and obsessing on the fluctuations on the scale. I used to do the same, as it is so hard to deal with the scale not moving or even going up when you are doing everything right. Took me 6 months of weighing myself daily to realized that the scale messes with you head if you let it. DON"T LET IT! These are some things you need to know:

-my weight has gone up 3 to even 5 pounds before and during that time of the month (females), and it has lasted from days to weeks. It always went back down and lots of times I showed a large weight loss afterwards (lower than start weight)

-on the days I splurge and eat more calories, espeically going out to eat where the sodium is high, I have been 2 up to SEVEN pounds higher the next day and it would often taken up to a week for the excess water weight to go down. I spike calories every Saturday, so this was a weekly occurrence.

-when I started lifting weights, I always weighed more in the days following a tough workout because repairing muscles hold water. It can be a real bummer when you work your butt off and the scale shows a gain!

-if you are weight training at all, then your body WILL change, and lots of times the scale will not. In fact, you could even gain some weight. Let me tell you, the difference between 137 lbs for me when I did not work out at all, and 137 lb now with daily workouts including weight training is HUGE! I was a size 12 at 137lbs when younger, and my 137lbs now is a size 8.

-you will stall at times regarding weight loss, but that does not mean that nothing is happening!!!!

-to gain or loose a pound you HAVE to eat or burn 3500 calories!!! This is hard science, and logically you have to keep this in mind!!

My point in posting this is that you have to learn to stop obsessing about the scale and let your logic override your emotional side that is locked into that number. Essentially, that number is often meaningless! Don't get me wrong, accountability and weighing yourself is a good tool, but keep this all in mind.

Focus on how you feel....Focus on how your clothes fit......Focus on the fact that you can carry out all your groceries with one hand and do not need a cart or the bagger to help you!!! Focus on the fact that you can walk the stairs at work and you actually prefer to do this rather than take the elevator. Focus on the fact that you can carry your child on your back during a hike and find it to be a great challenge. Focus on increased time or endurance running, walking, lifting, swimming.....whatever!

FOCUS ON BEING HEALTHY!!! FOCUS ON BEING STRONG.....NOT SKINNY!!! :-)