Why does it seem SO easy to give other people great advice and SO hard to take it myself?
I’ve been on this journey to health for several years. I’ve had plenty of ups and downs, successes and failures. I’ve been able to share my story openly in hopes of inspiring others. With that (and opening a CrossFit) I’ve found myself giving out all kinds of advice and encouragement. One of the first things I tell my clients new to CrossFit is don’t focus on the scale. Obviously you are going to be building muscle and you don’t need to be discouraged by the number. I know I just talked about owning my truth which is the fact that the scale still matters. And that is still true… however, especially with this new nutrition plan I have been really focusing too much on the scale. Exactly what I tell others NOT to do #fail
The problem is I’m putting in a lot of work. and in a world of instant gratification I want to see a lot of results… and I want to see them fast. So I was weighing in every morning. I was super excited when I told you last week I had weighed in at 187.8 after just a few days on my new nutrition plan. Then I continued weighing in daily hoping to see that quick weight loss. At first it didn’t bother me to see the numbers stall out for a few days, but then I started to get kind of bummed. I’m feeling awesome in my workouts and to be honest, I’m not really even missing or “craving” any foods I’m not eating. I’ve been lifting quite a bit trying to increase my strength, which should, of course, lead to muscle gain. If I’m gaining muscle rapidly the scale isn’t going to change. I was talking to the hubs about it this morning, that even though I “knew” I was making big strides health/strength wise I was still bothered that the scale wasn’t moving.
And then I went to take a shower and noticed the scale was gone.
My lovely husband hid it! And in that moment I felt strangely free. I will continue to focus on my nutrition plan and hope that when I go to check in with my nutrition coach that I have lost a crap ton of fat, regardless of what the scale says. Yes, I still want that weight to be in a healthy range. And I’m doing everything in my power to do that. What is standing on the scale every day going to change about that? Nothing.
I still have a weird mental thing about hitting 175lbs. I’m close, and I think thats why I got a little neurotic about the scale. I want to hit that goal because when I was 250lbs I set 175 as my ultimate goal because I thought that was all I was capable of. Obviously now I know I’m capable of so much more than a silly number on a scale. But I also want to prove to myself that I can do more than I ever thought possible. I’ll get there – if it is in weeks, months, or years… but I have to quit my scale habit. It is driving me crazy.
Do you take your own advice?
Linking up for Weigh in Wednesday
imperfectly courtney 
You are not a hypocrite. You are human. If it was supposed to be easy, we’d all weigh 130 pounds. But unfortunately it’s not easy and life just doesn’t work like that. We aren’t perfect. I was doing very well for a few months, lost about 13 pounds, and for the past three weeks I’ve been eating all the weight right back on. I lost all motivation and am having the hardest time finding it again and getting back on track. It’s so hard. But you have come so far. It’s not easy, and still you have done it. That’s a lot to be proud of.
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I need to have someone hide the scale from me! I weigh EVERY DAY (sometimes several times a day). I’m too obsessed with the “number” I want to be or feel I “should” be…grrrr!
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I do take my own advice for the most part.
I also, 100%, support not having a scale. It can be great for accountability, but it can also be such a burden. I haven’t had one for years, and it feels fantastic.
You are doing a great job. As you know, try not to focus on the numbers and keep your eye on the end game!
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something i always forget is that working out cause cause our muscles to swell and retain water. if you weigh yourself the day of or the day after a hard workout, there could be a bit of weight there that isn’t muscle OR fat, but water. (similar to weighing before bowl movements or after eating)
+1000 points to the husband for hiding it. always the best choice and is why i do not plan on buying a scale when i move out =]
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This sounds like a post I could have written! A few years back, I was doing really well at losing weight and was just about at my goal weight. I started compulsively weighing. I would let that stupid scale dictate my mood for the day/week/month. Finally I decided that enough was enough and my husband hid the scale for me too. He let me get it out once a month and it was such an amazing feeling! Keep working hard, and I know its so hard to stop caring about the scale, but now that its missing, it should be much easier to focus on other things!
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It’s human nature to be a hypocrite. I wish I took my own advice as much as I give it. It’s like the saying “easier said than done”.
I too am taking a break from the scale, I’ve been focusing too much on reaching my goal and have just been going around and round in circles the last few months. Time to focus more on strength an non scale goals! Like you said, you are going to work on that goal no matter what the scale says everyday.
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It is easier to know what to do, than to actually DO it sometimes. the scale is a tool to measure your progress… it isn’t the end result. If the tool isn’t working for you, find other ways to measure your success. It is hard when you are over weight and one of the main reasons you are doing all this is to NOT be overweight. You think the number is the goal, but really a healthier, stronger you is the goal. I’m fighting with this too. While I can wear clothes this summer I couldn’t last summer, while I can see the changes starting to happen on my body… I still want that darn NUMBER to be less.
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I do the same thing
I am suppose to be gaining weight right now, but the fear of gaining too much freaks me out Josh constantly hides the scale, but I go and find it lol I have become obsessed with it It is HORRIBLE and I know I need to stop grrrr you have been and are still doing awesome!!!! You inspire me more than you will ever know!!!!
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Good for your husband…. and for you to embrace the action. I think you are a real inspiration!
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First off it is so much easier to say then do! Secondly you are not a hypocrite, it is human nature (or if it is being a hypocrite we all are all the time). So my advice, shake it off (seriously get up shake your body) and continue forward. Girl you will hit that 175 in no time!!
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Well bless your husband. Wish mine would do that but he is on it just as much as I am. Truth be told all he has to do is eat bananas for a few days and he drops 10 pounds. It sucks. However, They talk about how do your clothes fit. Mine fluctuate just as much as the damn scale does. I wish I knew the answers. I really do. I do my best to take my own advice. I think when you live online you really do become accountable for you what you do and say. How do you want people to see you? Me? I want you to see me as honest. I’m not perfect. I fail but I get up again and that is what counts. Right?
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I think you are completely normal. You have done so many incredible things, you want to have the world now. I love seeing your journey and am so impressed! Keep it up.
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No, you aren’t.
You are out there giving it an honest shot. You are training, dieting, and putting the rubber to the road. You are seeing results, and meeting goals. Keep reaching and keep achieving.
If you want to know what a hypocrite looks like, simply look to the founder, Glassman. I know, such blasphemy will have you excommunicated from the altar of Crossfit ;-).
People like you are the thing dreams are made of! Life is a marathon, not a short sprint. Just keep your eyes on the prize.
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