So, we had our 2nd weigh-in of Operation Transformation Rathdowney Errill last night and with that brought relief, joy, anger, disappointment and upset depending on peoples results and also their mindset. So, as we face into another weekend I thought it was important to give ye a quick pep talk if you were upset or disappointed so that you don’t let the whole project de-rail after a stellar effort thus far.
Lets be frank, in all reality the number on the scales is just that, a NUMBER. I’m not a big fan of weigh-ins as I feel we can obsess over those few digits and let it control our mood and our also our effort. What we are really trying to achieve by doing this transformation is adopting a better and healthier lifestyle, one that promotes fat loss. Weighing scales cannot measure fat and therefore fat loss they can only measure weight. Remember that!
So some weeks things have been good, we exercised, we’ve eaten well yet the figure stays the same or only just budges but there are other factors to consider including the big one – water retention. You may have experienced one or two pounds healthy fat loss in a week but this can be masked on the scales by water retention. Likewise you may see a significant drop on the scales but again this can be a combination of water and fat loss. As your training progresses you may also notice the scales tip in the opposite direction despite your diet being on point. Muscle is denser than fat so as we develop lean muscle through exercise that can in fact add pounds to the bottom line although we are starting to look leaner, healthier and fitter.
So without obsessing massively over the whys and hows I would like you to think about how you felt this week pre weigh-in. Did you do more exercise than usual and did you feel exhilarated or positive (or even just smug!) after it? How was your mood this week? Did you enjoy your meals even though you were making healthier choices? How do you feel in your clothes… do you feel better? If you can answer yes to any one of those things well then has the effort not been worth it?
We are making a series of sustainable changes to your lifestyle and I can guarantee you that even after 6 weeks of eating better and moving more you will most definitely look and feel better by the end. Do not let 4 digits change the effort you make. Look at the bigger picture. Recognize the huge effort you have made so far and keep going. We all get bad weeks on the scales but the trick is not letting a bad weigh-in ruin what could be an awesome week of healthy living. Persistance is key to achieving your goals!
Happy Weekend All…
Operation Transformation Motivation