So the other day I had a conversation with a client who’s frustrated because she doesn’t think she’s losing weight quickly enough. Coincidentally, she also happens to be participating in a Biggest Loser challenge at work.
Now, don’t get me going on the Biggest Loser. It’s an awful show, and my opinion is that Jillian Michaels is a total idiot. (Oops, did I just say that out loud? Damn…) But that’s the subject of another post on another day.
Back to my client.
She tells me she’s completely frustrated because she’s working out religiously, eating well, and she’s not losing as much weight as the others, especially the guys, who are dropping pounds while seemingly continuing to eat like shit.
Bummer.
But, she also tells me that she feels a lot better, she looks better, her clothes are fitting better, and I’m sure her health is better, but she’s frustrated because the number on the scale isn’t dropping. She asks me what she should do.
I’m sure she was looking for me to tweak her exercise program or give her some top secret diet trick, but my answer was pretty simple.
“Stop weighing yourself.”
Problem solved. Really.
What do you care what the scale says? Your weight is just a number, one that most likely nobody else even knows, and you just told me that you look better, feel better, and your clothes are fitting better.
Helllloooo… What’s the real goal here?
Are you saying that if the scale had dropped another five lbs, but none of the other stuff was true, you’d be happy? Who really gives a rat’s ass what the scale says if all of that other, more important, stuff is happening?
Stop letting the bathroom scale dictate your happiness. And stop doing stupid Biggest Loser contests where success or failure is totally dependent on what the scale says.
“But what about those guys who are still eating like shit and losing weight?”
Well, they’ll probably win the contest in a couple of weeks, but they’ll also be a sure bet to win the subsequent “Biggest Gained-Back-All-the-Weight-I-Lost-Cuz-Ima-Loser” contest as well. Screw them.
A measuring tape, your mirror, how you feel, and your health are much better tools to judge your progress with. If you really want to get crazy, have your bodyfat percentage measured. (No, not your BMI. BMI and bodyfat percentage are NOT the same thing.)
Nobody knows how much you weigh but you. Everyone else can see how you look and how your clothes are fitting.
~Dave
Dave Soucy is an entrepreneur, coach, trainer, motivator, husband, dad, and former fat guy. Learn more about him here.
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Great article Dave and you’re spot on…especially about the Jillian Michaels part…
Great article Dave and you’re spot on…especially about the Jillian Michaels part…
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Dave Soucy. Dave Soucy said: Just posted to my blog: Why Biggest Loser Contests Suck http://www.davesoucy.com/2010/04/biggest-loser-contests-suck/ [...]
Thanks Steve.
Thanks Steve.
Great post, Dave. It’s so true that you shouldn’t base your sense of “success” on what the scale says. But it’s very hard to ignore that little box that gives you a seemingly quantifiable way to measure your progress that you can’t talk yourself into our out of like you can with measurements like “I look better” or “I feel better.” I struggle with it everyday, but I try to recognize that even when that scale doesn’t go down one week, I am still doing amazing things for myself by exercising and eating right.
Great post, Dave. It’s so true that you shouldn’t base your sense of “success” on what the scale says. But it’s very hard to ignore that little box that gives you a seemingly quantifiable way to measure your progress that you can’t talk yourself into our out of like you can with measurements like “I look better” or “I feel better.” I struggle with it everyday, but I try to recognize that even when that scale doesn’t go down one week, I am still doing amazing things for myself by exercising and eating right.
[...] My friend Dave Soucy agrees with me in his latest blog post: Why Biggest Loser Contests Suck [...]
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by davesoucy: Just posted to my blog: Why Biggest Loser Contests Suck http://www.davesoucy.com/2010/04/biggest-loser-contests-suck/...
You could always just get rid of your scale…:)
You could always just get rid of your scale…:)
Ha….now that’s a great idea!!
Ha….now that’s a great idea!!
Hi Dave,
It is just wrong that the biggest looser is based on weight loss. Everyone has different bone and muscle mass, and muscle is heavier than fat. When it is only based on weight it is wrong. What about the Body Mass Index, where bone and muscle density are taken into account. Also, is it really healthy for all those overweight people to be working so hard too loose weight? Were their diets really so bad that the weight just slips off? I do believe that food allergies and how the food is digested also affect how people's bodies interact with the food. At the moment I am trying a food sensitivity diet. (In the past When I run out of energy daily I eat more to compensate and give myself more energy)Wish me well, as Easter has not been a good diet time for me.
Hi Dave,
It is just wrong that the biggest looser is based on weight loss. Everyone has different bone and muscle mass, and muscle is heavier than fat. When it is only based on weight it is wrong. What about the Body Mass Index, where bone and muscle density are taken into account. Also, is it really healthy for all those overweight people to be working so hard too loose weight? Were their diets really so bad that the weight just slips off? I do believe that food allergies and how the food is digested also affect how people's bodies interact with the food. At the moment I am trying a food sensitivity diet. (In the past When I run out of energy daily I eat more to compensate and give myself more energy)Wish me well, as Easter has not been a good diet time for me.
[...] Apparently I was in the minority, because I don’t watch The Biggest Loser. [...]
Yes, yes, yes!
I had the Jullian Michaels is an idiot conversation with a client the other day.
My guess is she rarely instigates long-term change because she doesn't do the basics first. Getting people to lose weight is the easy bit, getting them to want to make the necessary changes to keep it off altogether a different matter.
Amen brother!
Love it…Will be sharing for sure
Trash the scale Karla..it may be hard..but throw that bad boy away!
LOl..oooppsss..guess I should have scrolled down..haha
Hey Tim,
Thanks for stopping by. You hit the nail on the head. Anyone can lose weight, that's simple. Making the lifestyle changes to make it permanent and live a healthy life, that's the challenge. And that's exactly what Jillian and these contests don't do.
Thanks bud! Appreciate the love.