10/24/15: The winner of our free DietBet game entry is…Lisa!!! And since I had several Lisas enter, the winning Lisa’s email address has something to do with stars. Lisa w/ stars, please check your inbox for instructions on how to claim your free entry. And for everyone else, thank you so much for entering! You have set some amazing goals for yourselves?you got this! 🙂
Here?s a question I?m asked frequently: ?Heidi, I?m following my diet so carefully, working out hard five days a week, and the scale is not budging! What am I doing wrong??
My answer? Nothing…You?re very possibly not doing anything wrong! In fact, you?ve been doing so many things right. It?s kinda? sad how we let that dumb number on the scale make us feel either over-the-moon elated or like a total failure.
Here are seven ways you can tell that all your hard work and dedication are paying off?no matter what number is on that darn scale:
- Do your clothes fit looser? If so, you’ve changed body fat into lean body mass (muscle) which will burn more fat. That?s a win!
- Have you lost inches? If you haven?t taken your measurements yet, go do it right now! And retake your measurements each time you weigh. You might be surprised at the results. 😉
- Do you just feel better? Do you have more energy? These are sure signs of a healthier body.
- Are you sleeping better? Again, another sign of a healthier body.
- A small weight gain or no weight loss could be due to what you ate recently. Sodium and carbs (yes, even the healthy ones) can cause water retention, so keep that in mind.
- Ladies, is it around that time of the month? Along with all the other ?lovely? things we get to experience during this time, temporary weight gain can be one of them. Remember, the key word here is temporary.
- Only weigh yourself once a week. I know. It?s so tempting to step on that scale more often just to see…but…if that number on the scale is not what you’d hoped, it can be pretty disappointing and lead to making some not-so-great choices. Your weight naturally fluctuates from day to day, so why set yourself up for some totally unnecessary frustration? If you?re carb cycling, weigh yourself weekly on the morning of day 6 for most cycles (most number of days post Reward Day and after the most number of low-carb days).
And here’s a bonus tip: Chris and I are hosting another DietBet game?”Thanksgiving Slim Down”?that begins on October 27th, and I’m giving away one free entry right here! To enter, leave me a comment below telling me one thing you’re going to do to keep your transformation goals front and center during the holidays AND share this post on social media. And I want to be able to find you, so please tag me and use the hashtag #thanksgivingslimdown. You have until midnight, Friday, October 23, to enter, and one winner will be randomly chosen and announced right here on Saturday, October 24. And don’t forget to sign up for our game: DietBet.com/ChrisPowell.
So there you have it…my sure-fire tips for winning that battle with your scale. 🙂
Xoxo,
Heidi
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186 Responses
Thank you for the reminder that weight loss is not just a number on the scale.
One thing I will do to keep my transformation (not just weight loss) goals front and center during the holidays: Partner up with a friend or two to help support each other by being accountability buddies and help each other with meal planning/prep.
After losing 50 pounds from late February through June, I have plateaued these last three months. Honestly, it is due to poor food choices. I have fallen off the wagon on my food prep/planning. I need to get back on board and I have a few friends that will join me on my journey.
You and Chris are amazing. I keep saying I wish you would do a spin off of your EWL and do it with people in their natural environments that still have to work all day- start on a weekend, and show them how the two of you work, take care of family, work out and make good choices!
I would love to earn the free spot on the transformation diet bet…. I know I need to drink more water and I need to stop giving up on before I see results. I quit so I don’t fail. SO I would actually stick with it for the entire time and give myself a chance to see success 🙂
One thing I’m going to do to keep my transformation goals front and center during the holidays is fix fun but healthy holiday foods. Drink PLENTY of water before and during my meals. And instead of after holiday feast nap, like the norm, I plan on walking.
I really hope that these ‘plans’ become reality and I just don’t stop and think its too hard for me, like I have done on everything in the past. The scale keeps going up and I hope I can find a way to back that up. This contest winning a free entry will help me by putting me on the right foot forward. No backing down if I do start this. I don’t think I’ve ever finished a lot in my life. Which is sad and pathetic. With help from my friends, family, and the encouraging words with strangers maybe I too can become the once confident person I once was and dream of being again.
I helped fund a Kickstarter campaign for a goal-driven planner called the Commit30 planner – the special thing about this planner is that it focuses on short-term goals to affect long-term change. You set 30-day goals and write lists and ways to attain them so that you see them front and center every time you open your planner (since seeing it in the mirror wasn’t enough, apparently!). We all know it takes about a month to establish new habits, so while I wait for my December ship date to arrive, I’ve printed out the pre-order copies and am working on getting my gallon-a-day of water in me. With that under my belt, I’ll be able to focus on a new 30-day-goal for December.
My husband has diabetes and the the doctor has been on him for years to lose weight, but we couldn’t get it together. He finally came to the point of insulin, so we went on a diet program. He has lost 65 lbs and cut down on meds, and as I have to cook for him I have lost 25 lbs. we are still wanting to lose more and have kept eating smaller portions and better selections of foods. We haven’t had fast food in 3 months!
To make it through the holidays I have decided to track my food and macros. I have started seeing a personal trainer 2 times per week and have found I love to box so now I’m even going in my own. My mom and I have been compiling healthy versions of our favorites and learning to substitute ingredients. I feel more ready to conquer this one day at a time even when I’m celebrating with family!!
I am going to meal prep better. I am working out ok, but I struggle with prepping for the week and find myself grabbing bad stuff because I am not prepared. One other thing for this holiday season is that I am going to say no. There are so many parties, invited to activities and other things that I can get overwhelmed and forget to take care of me. I am limiting my yes answers to 5 this year.
MEAL PREP!!!! I tried it for 2 weeks and it was one of the best things I have done. Being a mom and working 50 + hours a week it’s hard to make a meal when you are dos tired. So you eat bad because it easy. This week I didn’t do it and I’m so stressed to cook every day that either I don’t eat or eat bad. I’m also adding crossfit every morning. 5 am. Wow it tuff but so far results are good. Scale is not going down so I need to focus on my intake. I’m also doing a half marathon in 3 weeks. All of these factors I should be able to hit my goals of health lifestyle with looking like a hot momma!!!! ?
I had pneumonia a couple weeks ago and was put on bedrest got a few days. I was doing ok until then. Not being able to get to the store or work out has really put a damper on my weight loss goals. I’m ready to get back on the horse!
Lots and lots of meal prep. Of course the usual working out and eating healthy! I have found in the past if I don’t meal prep I am so much more tempted to eat like absolute crap! I also need to make sure my family and friends support me in this. Without support it is SO much harder. #thanksgivingslimdown