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

Want more awesome tips just like this? Check out Choose More, Lose More for Life, now available in paperback!