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
I once was 155 lbs. Not fat, not skinny. Then I got really big into working out and went from a size 9 to a size 5. Unfortunately I twisted my ankle while working out and had to have surgery. It was about a year before I had surgery and a year since. Overall 2 years of physically unable to workout. I ended up gaining 30+. I’m since down about 10 but need some extra motivation to get back to that 155. Having you as a motivator would be one of the best birthday gifts for early November :))
After losing 70 lbs since March I have hit a plateau. I am so ready to see the scale change, but I know if I just don’t quit it will! Thanks for the encouraging blog post! I’d love to try the DietBet. I plan to keep working out hard during the holidays and schedule cheat meals instead of full on weeks of feasts!
Hi Heidi ~ I shared this on FB with #thanksgivingslimdown but can’t figure out for the life of me how to tag you.
To help me stay accountable I bought a Charge HR & I’m starting a fitbit challenge group for those of us attending Weight Watchers meetings in my town. It’s a private group because even though I’m okay letting everyone see my activity to help me stay accountable most overweight people don’t want the whole world seeing what they’re doing. This is a start to help my towns Weight Watchers members all be more accountable to each other & to cheer each other on.
I’m really liking my fitbit Charge HR because I can finally see the number of steps I take daily, my sleep patterns, & also my heart rate when I’m walking or doing any other exercise or hard work.
Since last year i lost about 25kg. The doctors told me that i have to lose at least an other 30 kg. The only thing i will change at least try, is to increase my metabolism. Because the medicines i am taking, make me eat less than i should my metabolism works slower, so i haven’t lost any weight the last 3 months. I will keep exercise as much as i can (i exercise 6 days a week) and since it’s getting colder, so for me it’s even harder to lose weight, i will include sauna in my program, 2 times a week.
I’m finally doing something for myself so that can feel amazing. I just want to play with my 3 beautiful children and not feel worn out after a few minutes.
I would love to join you all on the next dietbet game! To keep me accountable and on track with my goals I plan to keep a food journal, walk/run with a buddy 5x/week, and tell all my friends about my goals. I’m going to weigh myself daily for my own motivation (I tend to lose more weight if I do this and visually picture my goal for each week) If I tell everyone what I’m doing I’ll be less likely to cheat and my walking buddy will be relying on me as well as me with her. I of course plan to hang pics of #heidipowell and #chrispowell in my house for inspiration and motivation! #thanksgivingslimdown
As we’ve entered into the holidays of candys, cakes, and carbs(oh my!) I’m remembering what my grandmother preached. A little dab will do you. I don’t need a huge serving of potatoes or cranberry jelly or Halloween candy. A small serving, just a bite or two, gives me all the familiar flavors without all the calories and sugars I don’t need.
To keep myself accountable on a daily basis I am writing down everything I put in my body! I am drinking a gallon of water a day and working out 5-6 days a week. My fianc? and are getting married next May and we started a crossfit gym together as well as we are doing 30 run races before I turn 30! Both of those goals will keep us accountable not only to ourselves but each other too!
To keep my eye on the prize I’m making an accountability calender (something similar to what Bruce Pitcher made for himself). I’m going to put on there what my exercise is going to be for each and a diet box to make sure I stay within my goals. At the end of each day.. if I did good, I can check both diet and exercise off! I’m in my 3rd week of getting back into a fitness routine.. diet is the hardest! But I’m only learning from my mistakes. It will always be a struggle.
I love the blog Heidi because I am so obsessed with that number on the scale. I work out regularly but my eating habits have not been the best. I have noticed that my clothes fit the same so my lean muscle mass is staying the same which is good. Everyone says that it is too hard to lose weight during the holidays but it can be done because I have done it before.
I commit to continue with my exercise routine, start journaling again so I can better track what I’m putting in my mouth, menu plan and work really hard toward my big goal by breaking it down into smaller goals. I have always sabotaged myself when I get within that 5-10 pound range of my ultimate goal. Hopefully by posting and sharing will help me stay accountable and true to myself.