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The Evil Scale

Have you ever noticed how people obsess over their weight? They may weigh themselves many times a day! But like money, body weight isn’t everything! Let’s put it all into perspective. Look at a beach ball. It’s somewhat large and appears to be very light. Now look at a softball. It appears to be somewhat small and heavy. But they both weigh the same! Perception is everything!

If we were to put away our scales and be more concerned with inches rather than pounds we would have a much healthier society! Body weight as a sole indicator of health has always been a misconception. For example, a man who is five feet nine inches tall and weighs 175 lbs with a 31-inch waist is likely in good physical shape. But a man who is the same height and weight with a 38-inch waist is likely in poor physical shape! Body weight should never be your only motivation to be healthy. You must take into consideration your overall health. What kind of aerobic shape are you in? Are you mindful of what you eat? Do you perform any weight resistance exercises?

Starting in their mid-30’s, women tend to lose about 1/3 to 1/2 pound of muscle each year while gaining a pound of fat. How much of this can be prevented with exercise? You can prevent all of the muscle loss and fat gain that occur in a perimenopausal woman, as long the exercise program includes strength training at least twice a week with heavy enough weights to fatigue the muscles. Any type of aerobic exercise can help prevent fat gain but it is not sufficient for maintaining muscle mass. After menopause, some muscle loss and fat gain may be inevitable due to hormonal changes, but experts believe strength can keep those changes to a minimum.

Remember - the only person you have to compete with is yourself! Do not set yourself up for failure by comparing your weight and measurements with someone of similar height and age. We are all different in many ways. Find a weight that is comfortable for you and learn to be content with it. Contentedness is not complacency or “settling.” The fact is we were not all born with the terrific genetics of the fashion model, man or woman. And you might be surprised at what punishment some of those people inflict on their bodies through smoking and taking various drugs to maintain their appearance – not to mention the magic of cameras and plastic surgery!

Remember that being mentally fit is just as important as being physically fit. Your body will go where the mind tells it to go!

Having a positive mental state is directly linked to wellness. Understanding your emotions, controlling personal feelings and maintaining emotional stability are all part of health. Laughing, enjoying life, coping with stress and maintaining balance are necessary parts of optimal living, although these can be challenging. But whether you laugh with and at life or become depressed, what has changed about the circumstances? Why not choose to enjoy life as much as possible even in bad circumstances rather than continually mourn bad fortune? It might not be easy, but your body will thank you!

Back to the scale - when we become consumed with the numbers on the scale the mind is already beaten. This is a major cause for psychological disorders. Eating disorders stem from weight obsession and then the physical obsession soon follows. Having a positive and clear vision and taking the necessary action steps to accomplish it is all part of the goal. Let go of the idealized picture of the fashion model!

One of the action steps we advocate is weekly goal setting. Pick a total amount of time to plan for exercise that week and as the saying goes, just do it! Also, set up weekly menu goals for yourself. Cut out all sweets for the week and then reward yourself with something small and sweet one day on the weekend. It’s very important to reward to good behavior. But if you find yourself obsessing over Saturday’s sweet reward, choose a reward other than food! Examine what you like to do and reward yourself with that certain something. It’s also wise to remember to approach everything in moderation. You might want to break down your goal setting to daily goals as well, and doing this consistently will produce a 180 degree turn in your lifestyle. Once you have developed a sound base to work from, achieving your desired results will be easy.

Let’s take a look at food logs. This will make you conscious of all the empty-calorie food you’ve been eating. Soon, the artery-clogging foods that you used to eat will have lost their allure. As you transform your eating habits I recommend tracking your progress. This will help you build on the good habits that you’ve already developed. A food log also helps you focus on small, concrete, realistic goals, such as eating several servings of fruit a day for one week, rather than the more obsessive long term goal of losing 10 pounds. Focusing on just the weight and not the inches is a mistake. Let your clothes be your judge. The tale of the CD will be your best barometer, and if you achieve your daily goals the fat loss will follow.

An exercise log is also just as important. This will hold you accountable to doing something physical on a daily basis. Even walking just 45 minutes a day will help to speed up your metabolism. Leading a sedentary life and cutting calories just to lose weight will lead to health problems down the road. There must be balance to insure success. Once you have been able to look at all areas of your life - physical, mental, and spiritual you will have grasped the brass ring of life!

People come to me all the time wanting to lose weight for a reunion that’s coming up or a trip to the tropics that’s just down the road. They’re always looking at the short term fix rather than creating a lifestyle change. I was always led to believe that lasting change takes place over a period of time. I have since adjusted my thinking and believe that change can happen in a split second. Think of all the people that have had near death experiences and made a lifestyle change then and there. Why must it come to that? Why can’t we see the train coming? If we would just take the time to read and educate ourselves a little more our state of health would reap the rewards. There is so much information available to us today via the internet and magazines like this one!

The one consistent thing I have found by being in the health industry for over 25 years is that I’ve never met a person that was out of shape and liked being that way. We all have aspirations about what we would like to become, but few take the action steps needed to attain it. Write down your action steps now after reading this article and begin your journey. Success is just a few strokes of a pen away!