As a Beachbody Coach, I help people with their health and fitness goals.  I am going to post some of the more popular questions I get because if I get them a lot, odds are that other people have the same questions too.  Feel free to add your questions to the comment section.  I'll post about them!

WHY AM I NOT LOSING ANY WEIGHT?

I get asked this question weekly.  So picture this.... You decide to start a new exercise regimen and you are super excited and pumped to get going!  You buy healthy foods at the store, prep the healthy foods, and start your new workout on a Monday.   You workout every day according to your calendar and you have added all these healthy foods into your diet.  You get on the scale after 7 days and your shoulders slump, you put on your frowny face, you step off the scale in defeat.  "I've changed my diet, I've added in exercise, why am I not losing weight?  This doesn't work for me!"  

One of the first things I tell my customers is to PUT THE SCALE AWAY!  It is NOT a clear indication of your dedication and effort!  What they should do instead is take out a tape measure and measure themselves at certain areas of their body .  Write all that down and tuck it away in a safe place.  STAY OFF THE SCALE UNTIL INSTRUCTED.

Most people (like I was when I first started) are really excited to see the scale move!  You've seen all these amazing #transformationtuesday pictures online and they have committed to being one of them one day.  We all have high hopes when we start.  What's the one thing that will crush that feeling?  Stepping on the scale.  

What most of my customers don't understand is that a scale is not an indicator of how hard you are working, it doesn't show your determination, it doesn't tell you how well you ate that week, it doesn't monitor your sweat or your heart rate.  What it will tell you is that you are 156lbs at 7a, you might be 154lbs at 10:30a, and at night you can be 160lbs.  3 different numbers in less than a 12 hour period.  Are you following me?  

Everyone got to where they are at different times in their lives.   Someone might have been smoking and excessively drinking for 20 years before they started to workout, another person might have had a 1/2 way healthy diet before they started.  Someone else might need to lose 100lbs and the person next to them only needs to lose 7.  My point is that you shouldn't compare yourself to others.  

Here are some tips to help you understand why you should PUT THE SCALE AWAY!

1.  MUSCLE WEIGHS MORE THAN FAT.  FALSE.  Muscle and fat are pound for pound but muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less space.  If you replaced 10lbs of fat with 10lbs of muscle, you'd weigh the exact same but look leaner and feel better.  The number on the scale is lying to you.

2.  WHEN YOU START AN EXERCISE PROGRAM, YOUR BODY CAN BECOME INFLAMED.  TRUTH.  Swelling, water weight, fatigue can all be factors when you start an exercise program.  You are using muscles that you aren't used to using and they can become inflamed.   If that happens, your weight will fluctuate.  This is a natural response to exercise and decreases with consistency.  

3.  WEIGHT LOSS IS A POOR MOTIVATOR.  Because the scale will lie to you, (see #1)  it ends up being a terrible motivator.  When we see the number go down, we are jumping for joy!  If we see it increase, we are tempted to throw in the towel and resort back to unhealthy habits because "this healthy stuff doesn't work for me."  When we rely on it for daily motivation, we are setting ourselves up for failure.  

4.  LEARN TO RELY ON BETTER INDICATORS OF IMPROVEMENT.  When you ditch the scale, you are free to focus on how you FEEL.  The scale won't tell you if you have more energy or less aches or pains.  It won't tell you if your clothes are fitting better or if your skin is clearer.  It won't tell you if you feel more confident.  These are the things that you should rely on to keep you motivated.  

5.  AVOID THE "ALL OR NOTHING" MENTALITY.  Many of us tend to be "in or out" when it comes to health and fitness.  Ditching the scale will help you avoid this.  When you aren't eating healthy and exercising to lose weight but instead doing it to have more energy and boost your self-confidence, you'll be much more likely to sustain a healthier lifestyle.  

Trying to be perfect won't get it done.  Being consistent, day after day, will compound into something really great if you focus on your goal, keep your eye on the prize, and know that you will fail.  Failure is good.  It teaches us what to do better next time!  You just need patience.  You didn't gain weight in a week, you aren't going to lose it in a week either.   Don't compare yourself to the person next to you.  You don't share the same story.  You aren't the same person.  

The difference between successful people and those who aren't successful...  successful people fail and try again.  Unsuccessful people fail and quit.  

Now...for the last time.  PUT THE SCALE AWAY!  Grab and apple, lace up your gym shoes, and get moving!