Most people who contact me love the idea of getting rid of their scale but it’s awfully uncomfortable for them in reality. How will they measure their success or failure? That discomfort becomes resistance and an internal battle. Can I blame them? We are constantly bombarded with measurements, ideal weight, weigh-ins from various diet programs, etc. What, then, do we use as our gauge?
To me, the scale tells an incomplete story. I have clients who tell me that they can fit into their high school dress from decades ago and they weigh 12 lbs more now. I would love for you to gain tone muscle mass and lose fat in all the right places. Plus, what I see is that stupid scale plays with our head. When we don’t see the number we want, we completely give up. How can we give up on our body? We only have ONE! We can’t return it, replace it, or demand a credit.
I’d like to suggest something profound. Love your body as it is. It’s amazing. It’s beautiful. It functions. It allows you to move, digest, work, play. It’s crazy….when we finally let go of restriction and fear of gaining weight, all of a sudden we actually lose weight. It’s so much more important to listen.
When you actually stop to listen instead of punishing your body, you can give it what it needs to finally lose weight and maintain it. If you’re feeling heavy, then maybe eat a light meal and move. Maybe you’re feeling over-stimulated and actually just need to relax instead of forcing yourself to hit the gym which signals stress to the body. This creates weight gain. Learning to listen can provide so much more than a number on the scale. When your body doesn’t feel stress, it metabolizes efficiently. When you stop scrutinizing, it will respond and you’ll be able to provide exactly what the body needs.
Isn’t that true for all of us? Keep nagging me and I’ll do the opposite. Listen to me and I’ll give you answers and respond to your needs. I don’t think the relationship with our body is that different from a relationship with another human being.
If you’re interested in more information and learning how to have a great relationship with yourself, food, exercise, and build great habits, then set up a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone.
~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Health Coach, San Diego, CA
