The Step of Doom
Any guesses for what the ‘step of doom’ refers to?
Yep.
Your scales.
When starting on your ‘health and fitness’ journey people tend to look to the scales for encouragement. They use it as a motivator tool (great) and a punishment if ‘goals aren’t met’ (not so great).
The problem I have with scales is that people become so dependent on what they say. As long as that number is going down, you’re doing something right. But as soon as that number stops, god help us all you’ve failed. It’s crazy to think how much power a small step can have over us.
The thing is, it doesn’t give you all of the information. Your bog-standard home weighing scales tell you your weight. That’s it. They quantify your relationship to the ground. That doesn’t tell you anything about your health. You could be the healthiest person in the world and weigh more than someone who is technically ‘obese’ by having a large muscle mass or dense bones (both good things!). Scales don’t give you the facts that you think you want.
They don’t measure fat mass.
They don’t measure muscle mass.
They don’t measure hydration levels.
The ONLY thing they do is give you a number based on gravity.
This means that if you start exercising and you start to lose fat and gain muscle the scales will tell you you’re gaining weight. Why? Because muscle weighs more than fat! You’re healthier than you were before but we’ve been conditioned to believe that less weight = success, so you get disheartened. It may knock your confidence or cause you to lose your motivation. I’ve seen it happen too many times and it’s so upsetting to see people stop trying because they think they’ve not improved.
So, why not get rid of the scales? They’re not doing your mental or physical health any good so why keep them? Change your goals from numbers on a scale to physical goals.
If you want to lose fat – use a measuring tape.
If you want to get stronger – see how much you can lift now and test again in a few weeks.
If you want to be able to run – run a little farther every time.
There are so many ways to track your progress without the need for scales. And any of these other methods are not going to trick you into believing you’ve failed when you’ve taken five steps forwards.
Most importantly, check-in with yourself and how you’re FEELING. Because honestly, that’s more important than any measurement ever will be.
Other things more important than your weight that scales don’t measure:
How kind you are.
How much love you have to give.
Your confidence.
Your loyalty.
Your compassion.
Your love of adventure.
The effect your smile has on the world.
Your self-worth.
www.taguafitness.com