The mirror and the scale are two tools that can make or break a person self-confidence. Many people focus only on the number that the scale says versus how they actually look and feel. This is a big problem because an arbitrary number on the scale doesn’t actually determine your health.
A low number on the scale does not necessarily equal healthy, just as a high number on the scale does not mean you’re unhealthy. Today we’re discussing the topic of visualization and the importance of self-confidence when it comes to achieving your goals.
Men and women both are guilty of staring at themselves in the mirror critiquing every nook and cranny of our bodies. In reality, the more important aspects of health are how you feel and function. If you have humongous arms, a six pack and broad shoulders, but your legs are the size of toothpicks, how functional is your body as a whole?
Finding Balance with Weight Loss
It’s important to remember that the body likes to be in balance. Many of us look to TV shows, movies and magazines as if they were blueprints for what someone should look like.
However, the ultra-lean people are often far more unhealthy than if a person had a balanced diet and exercise routine. I’ve seen many people make themselves miserable in an attempt to look good.
The truth is, a large percentage of the way you look is dictated by what you eat. Counting calories, skipping meals, or starving yourself is not the proper way to maintain an ideal body image. Instead, become aware of how you feel.
Let’s go through a couple important questions to ask yourself when determining if your looks match up with your feelings.
- How are your energy levels?
- How is your sleep quality?
- How is your sex drive?
- How are your moods?
If any red flags stood out to you when reading those questions, it’s time to reconsider your goals.
In my experience, using a scale is the least accurate method of determining your health.
So how should we feel?
- Confident
- Positive
- Energized
- Calm
- Strong
- Powerful
These traits are common in people that are truly healthy. If you have none of these traits, don’t feel bad! It may be time to change your perception of health.
Often times, we aren’t happy with what we have now. We are always looking to the future as if it were some sort of magical place where all of our dreams will come true. In reality, the present is where the real dreams are accomplished.
5 Weight Loss Tips for the Path to Health.
Weight Loss Tip #1: Celebrate the Small Wins
When it comes to achieving your physical and mental goals, progress is often slow moving. Instead of feeling not good enough because you have achieved your goals yet, look at where you have came from. How much better do you look and feel since the beginning of your health journey? Sometimes the success is invisible until we look to the past.
Weight Loss Tip #2: Take Days Off From the Gym
There is a misconception surrounding fitness culture that the more you exercise the more result you get. Depending on the person, less exercise is often more beneficial. Over training can lead to excess stress hormones that can store fat and eat away at your precious muscle gains.
Weight Loss Tip #3: Walk, Walk and Walk
When’s the last time you saw an aspiring bodybuilder performing a walking routine? Excluding walking from your exercise routine is like excluding protein from your diet, you may be okay for a little while, but eventually you will have to change. Walking stimulates the release of endorphins, a powerful antioxidant and mood boosting chemical. Walking can also help to eliminate excess lactic acid, therefore reducing your recovery time and soreness.
Weight Loss Tip# 4: Develop a Healthy Sleep Routine
Sleep is critical for achieving any desired fitness goal. Without quality sleep, you cannot have quality gains. Set a bedtime for yourself and stick to it.
Weight Loss Tip #5: Find a Partner
We are social creatures. Many of us find it easier to stick to a diet or fitness routine when we have someone there to support us.
Meet a friend at the gym, find a coworker looking to improve their health or bring your family and spouse along for your health journey. It’s a win-win situation.
So remember, the next time you go to step on the scale, think about how you feel instead.
Make your own expectations, and be your own superstar. What is your experience with self-doubt? Are you getting in the way of your own success?
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