Success In Weight Management
Ironically, when trying to lose weight, weight loss is not the only measure of success
Are you about to embark on a weight management journey? Are you thinking to yourself that I just need to reach a certain number on the scale and then I will be successful?
Before you get started, let’s reflect on what is a “win” in weight management.
It is not uncommon for people to have a weight loss target in mind. You feel successful when you see the number on the scale start to go down. However, it is important to recognize success outside of the numbers from your regular weigh-ins for the following reasons:
The number on the scale that we have targeted might not be realistic nor necessary to achieve health.
Acknowledging non-scale wins in weight management encourages us to maintain the health behaviours that are working for us.
Often, people set an aggressive weight loss target based on a historical weight from decades ago or based on a “normal” BMI (Body mass index). The good news is that health doesn’t have to equate to those numbers! It is normal to gain weight overtime as one ages (this could be up to 1 lb a year) and so trying to reach a weight that you had been 20 years ago may not make sense. This also means that if you have managed to maintain your weight over the years, then you have already been successful at preventing the weight gain that occurs with age. As for trying to achieve a “normal” BMI, this is not needed from a health point of view as science has shown that a 5-10% weight loss can have a beneficial impact on health.
The number on the scale can often be an elusive and daunting figure. Have you ever had a great week where you thought you did everything right but then stepped on a scale and the number on the scale increased or didn’t change? This can be extremely disappointing and frustrating. But what if you hadn’t stepped on the scale? Think about what was making you feel good about your actions and what were the wins from that week.
Knowing this, let’s think about the successes in weight management that are not related to the scale. Here are some on the non-scale wins that our patients report as they make changes in nutrition and lifestyle:
More energy
Better quality sleep
Less brain fog
Better fitting clothes
Reduced joint pain
Improved mobility
Better mood
Improved sugar levels
Improved blood pressure readings
Lower cholesterol
Requiring less medication
Increased confidence
Improved relationships
Increased ability to handle stress
Enhanced enjoyment of life
There are many individuals who haven’t lost much weight, but their lifestyle improvements deliver all these positive effects. The moral of your weight journey is “Don’t measure weight loss success purely by the numbers on your scale”. Recognize your overall success beyond the amount of weight you have lost.