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 have a visual goal poster hanging up in my bathroom with milestones to hit. I also have a full marathon in January to keep me on track!
Thanks for this post! I am going through this right now. In order to keep my goal front and center I am reflecting on how GREAT I feel after I exercise and make good choices! I feel phenomenal after going for a run, so reflecting on that motivates me to make good choices the next day.
We are going to plan healthy versions of our favorites for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am also going to eat before holiday parties so I can stay on track. #thanksgivingslimdown
I am going to keep practicing mindfulness when eating! I will also continue to log my food to keep me on track… Every bite, lick, and taste!
Hey Heidi ! I would like to start this with you cause you truly are inspiring ! I’m french and have already been so blessed by your husband and you only through tv… I’ve lost 90 pounds and need another 45 to be Healthier… I’m planning to stay comitted to my goals, to eat right and to allow one reward day each week… And above all, to stick to my sayings cause it’s now the harder for me cause as you said in this post, the number on the scale wasn’t dropping anymore and it lead me to some very bad choices ! This DietBet seems to be the kick in my ass i’m needing ! 😀 bye and kisses ! Blessings xoxo !
Hi there, this is a great website I am very glad I found it!
Will definitely get in action and follow your blogs!
I find it hard to resist deli foods, fresh breads and cookies and all the yummy stuff that awakens the nose when walking past a bakery section! It is good to see that there are other people out there that also has the same issues when it comes to indulding. My problem definitely is not over indulging, its just that I do not make enough time for exercise. I am very shortly starting a new job with a gym literally just across the road! I am ooooober excited to get going there and to get my figure to where it should be! Thanks for your inspiration all!
I’m going to focus on happiness. I get so upset with myself not looking a certain way, during the holidays I need to just slow down, try my hardest on obtaining my goal but not lose sight of the beautiful life I have and the people who love me. I want to be healthy for them and happy for me.
And nothing is wrong with a little mash potato and gravy reward. 😉
I live in SE Asia where I work for a small non-profit organization. Living in a country full of people half my size is a constant reminder that I need to make my health a priority. Since everything is so different, food is totally my comfort when I’m missing home! The holidays are definitely the hardest time to be away but I logically know that making healthy choices helps me feel much better than eating comfort food. My plan is to make a habit of walking around town to run my errands (totally doable where I live) and keeping my fridge stocked with fresh fruit and veggies ready for snacking. Being part of the diet bet would definitely add to my motivation!
I’m so excited to start the Thanksgiving Slimdown! I’ve had so much success so far with carb cycling, but reading this post was motivating because I had a bit of weight gain around my cycle (3 lbs), so I know having additional points to measure will be my focus moving forward.
I plan to use MFP to track everything that I put in my mouth. I plan to get my 10000 steps in every day.
#thanksgivingslimdown