This Weeks Knowledge
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It’s all about perspective
Perspective is the way we see things, our attitudes towards something, or a point of view.
With regards to ourselves, and our perceived performance, achievements and successes, we quite often see ourselves in a very different way to how others do.
What is your own perspective of you? Do you think it matches up with the way other people see you? Do you actually know what other people think about you? Maybe it’s time for you to look at yourself from a different perspective, shift your focus, and see yourself another way.
The Be Strong Scales
When it comes to weight loss and lifestyle change, we’ve ‘invented’ some scales that help you to gain that perspective rather than just focusing on the numbers on the screen.
There’s a phrase ‘Be Strong – you never know who you are inspiring!’ and it is so true. Whilst you might be thinking that you aren’t doing well, or the weighing scales don’t move as quickly as you want them to, there will be someone looking at you with complete awe and admiration for achieving what you are achieving and doing what you are doing, against all your personal challenges.
When the going gets tough, and we are tempted to fall or jump off the wagon, getting some ‘Be Strong Scales’ perspective on things can really help us to refocus, and carry on. They help us to take a step back and look at our situation from a different point of view, see the real progress, where we might be going wrong, or what tweaks we need to make to see the success we crave?
What the ‘Be Strong Scales’ tell us about our achievements
You may have gone from eating take-away and junk food 6 and a half days a week, to one day a week.
You may have reduced your alcohol intake from 6 nights a week, to 2 nights a week. You may be drinking more water than you ever have. You may have started reading food labels and you may be starting to understand which delicious foods fit within your calorie allowance. Your skin, eyes and general complexion might be improving.
If you have introduced physical activity, you might be starting to notice the benefits of this too….
You may be less out of breath by the time you reach the top of the stairs. You might be finding it easier to get up out of a chair, or to get your shoes on.
There will be so many things, that you are doing now comfortably, that you weren’t able to last week, last month or last year.
What about the change in your body shape, reduced inches, how you have built and toned your muscles, how your bottom has lifted and your breasts might be that little bit more perky and your posture has improved. And then there’s the improvements to your health, the reduced visceral fat around your organs, and reduced disease risk. Regular weighing scales don’t measure these things, but the ‘Be Strong Scales’ would tell you all of this!
What the ‘Be Strong Scales’ say about our actions
The Be Strong Scales would also remind us to reflect critically on our behaviours and actions over the previous week, and check if we really were doing our best.
Rick and I often remind you of this when weighing in our groups, and the result isn’t quite what they were expecting. Here we always ask you to go back through the previous week and look critically at everything you have done – have you really been ‘on it’, have you really stuck to your calories, or have you been winging it on more than one occasion, or picking and nibbling without taking those calories into account.
Getting this perspective allows you to work out what you need to do the following week, to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Perspective on the scales
Weighing is crucial when it comes to weight loss, to check that we are progressing towards our goals.
However, ideally we would like to tell you to weigh once a month, so that we can see the downward trend more clearly (if that’s what you are after), rather than focusing on half a pound here or a pound there. Sometimes when we get small losses it can mess with our head and make us feel like our efforts are worth more than the reward we see on the scales.
But, weighing once a week keeps us accountable and focused on maintaining our new habits. If we don’t weigh weekly, we have no accountability to our previous weeks actions – and if we are off track it just gives us permission to carry on with that behaviour.
We also have to keep perspective when focusing on our target or goal weights. So many of us put so much focus on a specific number on the scales that we actually forget what we have achieved to get there. We get so close to our goal then obsess over a specific number that we want to see on the scales.
If you feel happy and comfortable, like what we see in the mirror, eat delicious healthy foods, enjoy life, and participate in and enjoy exercise regularly at 10 stone 7, why is it so important to see 10 stone 4 on the scales? What difference does that last 3lb make?
Your body might have found its comfortable place at that weight. The place where you are healthy and happy, comfortable in your clothes and living the lifestyle you enjoy. The Be Strong Scales would remind us of that too!!
They would remind you:
- How much better you feel for eating, moving and living differently
- Your commitment levels
- How energetic you feel
- That new found confidence
- How much looser your clothes feel
- Your dedication
- Your clearer complexion when you look in the mirror
- Your ‘can do’ attitude
- How bright your eyes are shining
- How you’re less breathless when doing activities, feeling fitter and stronger by the day
- Your determination
- How you’ve become a role model for others – within this group, your family, your friends, your work colleagues
- How happy you feel
- How content you are
- Your sense of achievement
- How parts of your body are changing both visibly and physically
- How much more positive you’ve become
- Or maybe even noticing the admiring glance from somebody!
This week!
If only we could produce these amazing Be Strong Scales…but really we don’t think we need to. If you stick with this amazing community, you will be reminded of all these things week on week. Stay accountable and weigh yourself regularly and if your goal is weight loss then your hard work will usually be reflected on the scales. If it isn’t – keep it in mind that the Be Strong scales are still measuring up for you!
7 replies on “How Do You Measure Up On The Be Strong Scales?”
Not sure how I missed this knowledge but reading it today just reminds me of everything about Be Strong that I love.
Yet again I’ll let you know how you have enabled me and keep enabling me to eat move and live :)
This is a fantastic article. I think you wrote it for me ?. When I first joined Be Strong I had a goal weight but could never quite maintain that no matter what I tried. This time round since rejoining at 1 stone over my last starting weight I realise that exact numbers on the scale aren’t important. I will be happy to get back to my weight when I joined Be Strong first time round. Fantastic group and community. So glad I came back. ❤️
Ah thanks Jules, I love it when you guys find things helpful. xx And we are glad you’re back too!
x
Those non scale victories are so important, after a good losing streak on the scales last month this month I’ve not seen much change. Realising I needed a smaller size when trying clothes on & getting back into a jacket I’ve not worn for years have given me the boost I needed to keep going & get more good habits happening again.
Non scale victories are often better than scale results i think xx
Eee I am a clot!! So glad I came back on Wednesday and listened to this yes my goals are achievable cheers lovelies xx ah the difference for me is I don’t want to be in double numbers!!! if I can get into single figures I feel I’m going the right way… psychological
we have to use all the psychological tricks we can! So glad you’re back Dee! x