How many times have you woken up in a perfectly happy mood? You swing your legs over the edge of the bed and stretch. This new day feels full of promise... and then you step on the scales. You didn't lose any weight this week or worse, your best efforts netted you a two pound gain. Suddenly the day is not looking so rosy.
That number on the scales has just influenced the outcome of your day. You're miserable. I know because that's happened to me many, many times during all of my weight loss attempts over the years. I'd feel great in my looser jeans but the scales said I'd gained a pound. Waaaaahhhhhh....what's the point in even trying? So off to the fridge I'd go to soothe my hurt feelings. Poor pitiful me.
I get on that thing, stand there naked and before I look down at that digital display, I swear to you that I send up a little prayer to the Fit Gods asking for a good number. Well the Fit Gods must be out jogging somewhere because prayin' ain't workin'!!
So, after repeating this cycle of elation (down a pound) and despair (up a pound) I've decided to not weigh myself for a while. The stupid contraption doesn't tell the whole story anyway!
Let's look at 2 women. Both are 5' 3". Both have similar medium frames. Both weigh 135 pounds. One wears size 6 the other wears size 12. How can that be?
The size 6 woman is very fit. She exercises moderately and lifts weights. She has displaced the fat pounds with muscles. Let's remember that a pound is a pound. 1 pound of muscle weighs the same as 1 pound of fat...but the fat takes up more space in your body than muscle does.
So when you gain muscle weight while getting rid of fat cells, it seems like you're not losing fat based on what the scales say. But wait a minute! Your clothes feel looser. So if you're "doing everything right" and you've incorporated exercise into your days, ditch the scales for a while and just measure your success with a measuring tape. You'll be a lot happier.
No comments:
Post a Comment