Number On the Scale

It can be frustrating to be busting your butt, following all the rules, and then not seeing any real results? You are fully invested in making a change and wanting success, but it can be very disappointing when you are seeing some positive changes, but that Number On the Scale just won’t budge.

It can be heartbreaking when despite your hard work, you are just not seeing the results you would like to see. Then you just end up with your hands in the air and asking yourself questions like “What am I doing wrong?”, “When will the weight come off?”, or “Is this even worth it?”

So what’s going on?

Number on the Scale

Fitness professionals will tell you there are typically four factors that will make or break the Number on the Scale when you are trying to lose weight. Chances are at least one of them will be the key to your success.

So, here are the four reasons that could explain why you are stuck. These aren’t the reasons you’ve heard a million times, and each one could fill a book so these explanations are definitely a shortened version.

#1 Consistency and Truly Putting in the Time: Consistency is the most important factor… Period! Why? You ARE what you CONSISTENTLY DO. To get to the point you are at now took some time, it didn’t happen overnight. Did you create it in a year? Five years? Or maybe even 20 years? Your total weight and body composition are a direct result of all different factors that you created and your body adapted to over your that time frame.

You cannot fix months or years of eating sugary desserts a few times a week, getting poor sleep, propping up the bar at happy hour, getting stressed out at work, or any other thing you did to miss care for your body and your health, without putting in the time to truly change. You cannot expect to work hard for a couple weeks and see big time results. You need to come to the realization that undoing years of poor lifestyle habits takes more time. The best thing you can do is find an Accountability Coach or group to help keep you motivated and encouraged. This will keep going and committed to staying on this lifestyle journey.

Realize consistency is key. A lasting weight loss transformation will take about one-third of the time that it took to get to your current unhealthy state. In other words, if it took you 8 years to hit the point of wanting to change, then you can expect it to take at least 2 years to get back to a healthy lifestyle and then another year to learn how to maintain your healthy lifestyle.

Yes, this can be hard to hear, but it is important to be realistic. You just need to focus and on the small things and you will achieve.

Example:
• Did you work out 6 days this week? WIN.
• Did you limit your sugar intake to less than 60 g every day? WIN.
• Are your energy levels up? WIN.

#2 Recovery: Recovery is the second most crucial factor that impacts the number on the scale. Quite honestly recovery could be its own article because it is so important. Recovery is about how long and deeply you sleep, how well your Endocrine (hormone) system bounces back from daily stressors, how well you refuel your body’s nutrients right after a workout and throughout the day, and finally how well your body adjusts back to a normal state after a workout.

So outside of consistency it is so important and most people who can get in there and do a great job exercising, don’t take recovery into account and they fail to recover correctly.

Here is the truth… The results from your workout don’t happen during the workout, they happen during the RECOVERY after the workout.

If you don’t provide the proper environment within your body for positive recovery to occur, then your workouts no matter how well they are planned out or how well you do them are essentially a waste.

If you are already following a good workout and nutrition plan and are not seeing results, recovery may be the problem.

#3 Grain Carbohydrates: We all love them! Which is fine if the grain controversy was not so confusing! You hear it all the time… “Are carbs good or bad?” “What kinds of carbs are best?” “When should I eat them?”

Well let’s cut out some confusion by looking at the title of #3. Grain Carbohydrates… Why did we say this? Easy… Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables are all carbohydrates. So you cannot just cut carbs because it is not healthy to cut entire food groups out of your system. So eat your fruits and veggies within the portions that fit into your needs based on your program.

Now, about grains! Eating whole grains that have been minimally processed has many benefits. Quinoa, Millet, Farro and others have great nutrients. So yes having them is okay and good for you. With that said, studies have found that every BODY is different. Some do a better job at processing grain carbohydrates than others. When you process better your body will react better. This is where listening to your body really can matter. Pay attention when you eat different grains on how you feel after. Do you feel bloated, tired, etc., but most of the time if you keep to 2-3 half cup servings depending on your balanced nutrition plan you should be just fine.

#4 Hormones: We all have hormones and they affect every system in our body. When we become unhealthy this disrupts our hormone system and can greatly effect our ability to move the Number On the Scale.

If there is a disruption in your hormone system, it can be fixed naturally. There is no reason to introduce external hormones into your system. When you do this it will disrupt and derail your natural hormone system even further.

Your hormone system can repair itself when you make lasting lifestyle, nutrition, and exercise changes. Will the repair and regulation of the system happen overnight, of course not. It too will take time and consistency for the changes to happen. Of course you can aid the process when you add a clean high quality nutrient dense supplement that has super-foods that have been found to help improve the hormone system.