I am unhappy with my progress

"I’m unhappy with my progress."
Article By: Weight Watchers




Our Take: Take one look at the tabloid magazine covers: Our society is obsessed with how much so-and-so weighs. It’s not surprising, then, that we focus on numbers. What is surprising is this seemingly counterintuitive solution: If you’re unsatisfied with the scale, stop looking. Ignore it for a while.

Our weight fluctuates at the best of times (not to mention the worst), so we can’t allow the scale to be the only indicator of success. It’s too fickle. You’ve certainly made progress, but it isn’t necessarily weight-related. Give yourself credit! Celebrate your non-scale victories (NSVs). For one thing, your improved nutritional intake — more fruits, veggies, calcium, healthy oils, etc. — is nourishing your body the right way. Don’t overlook the significance of your more active lifestyle, either. The extra energy and stamina for work, play and family is nice, right? Maybe your jeans are feeling a little loose. Point is, we can’t control the scale, but we can control our feelings about progress being made. The scale can and should be used as one indicator of success, but certainly not the only one. Losing pounds is great. But gaining health is even better in the long run. Eventually, the scale will catch up.

The match-up: You vs The Scale. Some weeks you win. Some you don’t. At least that’s the natural thinking pattern when success is solely based on weight-loss numbers. Do yourself a favor if you’re unsatisfied with the scale: stop looking at it. Liberating, huh? Now think big picture. Our weight fluctuates at the best and worst of times, so we can’t allow that fickle scale to be the only indicator of success. Focus on progress that isn’t directly weight-loss related. You’re looking pretty good in those jeans, right? What about that extra energy, moving faster and oh, all those compliments? We can’t control what the scale does, but we can control our actions. So use the scale as one indicator of success — just not the only one. The scale will catch up.



What you can do about it today:

Size yourself up.
Take measurements every 1-2 months. Sometimes your body loses inches instead of pounds, which can be a good indicator of progress. Or take monthly photos and compare before-and-after shots.
Make a list of successes.
List five things you’re doing now that you weren’t doing a month ago. Perhaps you’re walking 15 minutes longer, taking the stairs or drinking water. It’s all good. Recognize the positive things you’re doing instead of focusing on what you don’t feel are going so well.
Journal your thoughts.
Work through your feelings by writing about them on a Blog, Message Board or personal journal. Let others know how you feel — they might help change your perspective for the better with positive feedback.