The scale simply cannot tell the difference between muscle and fat, and while fat is bulky and lumpy, muscle is sleek and shapely. Muscle also gives you strength, agility and power. Muscle tissue can be used as fuel, but it is not your body's primary fuel source.
Fat on the other hand is a storage fuel for times of famine. It also shields our body's organs and provides a protective layer from the outside world. Without some body fat we cannot survive, and without some muscle you'd not have the strength to get out of bed. But while fat is necessary, many of us have a bit more saved up than is necessary.
Most of us never consider our body's ratio of fat to muscle. We instead rely on the bathroom scale. We've been told we need to weigh a certain amount, or be within a certain range to the point that many who start eating well and exercising consistently abandon their plan when they don't quickly see a difference on the scale. Even when their body is visibly changing, they still are disappointed if the scale won't budge.
You may own and operate a car? Do you take care of it the same way you take care of yourself? Do you store gasoline in the trunk, in case you can't find a gas station? Probably not. Do you stockpile extra oil and batteries? No, probably not. Then why do you worry about dinner when you haven't finished eating lunch? Have you ever gone ahead and eaten something because you might get hungry later? Why do we worry so much about food when there is no scarcity that I've noticed? Where I live there is food at every corner, 24-hours a day, at the bank, the gas station and even the neighbor's garage sale.
Interestingly, I've found that when the scale suddenly showed a loss, greater than expected, it seemed to induce in me a desire to remedy the situation. I'd overeat that day and the next, somehow unraveling any good I'd done previously. Even with all the knowledge and sense in the world, we still become unsensible in the face of that judge, the bathroom scale!
Get a small notebook or journal to take notes. If you want a fancy, leather-bound book that's fine, but don't stall on starting this exercise with the excuse you don't have the supplies. Use a scrap of paper you found on the ground if you have to, but starting today, you are going to track your hunger levels all day long.
A 3 could mean you're hungry. Not starving, not going to come unglued if you don't eat, but hungry. A two is waiting a bit longer than you probably should, and a 1 doesn't occur except when you're simply tied up and cannot stop to eat or you've gotten yourself stuck in a situation where there simply is no food long past when you've gotten hungry. You should rarely feel the hunger of a 1 or the fullness of a 9 or 10.
You must decide the levels for yourself, but I'd suggest making an effort to wait until you are a 3 or lower to eat and making an effort to stop at or near a 5 or 6. Sometimes you may notice the sensation of hunger, note your hunger level, and then choose to wait. Don't worry about it whether you eat or not for now. The purpose this week is to make a chart and get used to keeping track of something besides your weight.
Your goal is to achieve 5 or more "rewards" for the week. If you only manage two is that bad? Heck, no. It's fantastic because it's an improvement over the week before. Next week make an effort to at least achieve what you did the week before and possibly exceed it. Slowly you'll develop a new habit, until you're achieving 5 or more days every week of waiting for real hunger, and stopping at satisfaction. When you learn to understand your body's various hunger signals, you'll start losing pounds and inches, I guarantee it.
Inches lost, is what matters. I couldn't care less how much I weigh. What if my body was solid gold? It would weigh a lot wouldn't it, and would I care? No, I'd feel pretty darn good about it actually. I'm worth my weight in gold, and so are you.
Reading an account of Callahan's survival in the face of sure death was inspiring to say the least. My husband is making arrangements to build a boat designed by Callahan, a 22-foot sailboat so he too can take off on a singlehanded sailing adventure across the seas. My husband believes he could survive as Callahan did, while I'm telling myself I'll die of starvation if I don't eat in the next half an hour. Adrift puts these things in much better perspective, I'd say.
By Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com
Get the Daily Bites: Weekly Mini-lessons Using EFT and NLP to Stop the Struggle with Weight Loss.
You may not like what I have to say, even... Read More
For some of us, food is warmth and love. We... Read More
No doubt about it, when we feel stressed we want... Read More
You step on the scale and groan at the number... Read More
We all know that weight loss is important. We know... Read More
How many calories do you need? Well, that depends on... Read More
Over the last twenty five years the most common questioned... Read More
Are you working hard in the gym 3 times a... Read More
Families who dine out with their loved ones who've had... Read More
Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot of... Read More
Finally - you are alone. No one else is around.... Read More
In general, fast weight loss is not healthy. The faster... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
Are you Telling Yourself It's Too Hard to Lose Weight?Telling... Read More
I'm sure you already know that weight loss and improved... Read More
According to a recent survey by the National Health Institute,... Read More
Following recent reports of a South Dakota man weighing half... Read More
If you knew when you were going to die, would... Read More
A bad day or even a bad week is not... Read More
I personal lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some... Read More
1. Become aware of what you are eating.Before I started... Read More
Diet pills have met with many different fates, and come... Read More
As a weight loss mentor it never ceases to amaze... Read More
Food cravings can be triggered by various things including low... Read More
When we gain more weight than is good for us,... Read More
Okay, so you've read some of these articles, done your... Read More
Diet Fads-Forget about 'EmAnother fad "best diet" bites the dust.... Read More
Throughout my childhood and teenage years I watched as my... Read More
Hannah was distressed that, with all the inner work she... Read More
Getting enough of the good fats will help you lose... Read More
Lean turkeyLean ground beefChicken breastFish, halibut, orange roughy,More fish, shark,... Read More
In this age being ignorant is like committing a crime.... Read More
Permanent Weight loss is not about Diet. If you are... Read More
Are you one of the 90 million Americans who are... Read More
Recently, I won a family cruise on the Regis and... Read More
Cut the Calories, Bring Out the BikiniSummer's almost here and... Read More
Obesity in America is at an epidemic level. It is... Read More
Contrary to common belief, your weight is not really the... Read More
To say that dieting rarely leads to sustainable weight loss... Read More
It is not recommended to lose more than 1 pound... Read More
The Sour Truth -------------------------- Question: I had a baby 6... Read More
You are probably familiar with the weight loss connection with... Read More
First? establish realistic goals. Start with a target you can... Read More
Let's face facts; obesity is ripe today in America and... Read More
1. The lower the calories eaten per day, the harder... Read More
Losing weight is a tough and demanding task for most... Read More
The gastric bypass procedure isn't for everyone, but those who've... Read More
If you are trying to lose weight you may find... Read More
Discover secrets to overcome food addictions by releasing negative thoughts... Read More
There's a dirty little secret in the diet industry. The... Read More
Once upon a time, I fretted about going to a... Read More
A reader recently wrote to ask why I don't include... Read More
All Diets Are Based on the Same Premise: Eat Less... Read More
1. Increase your water intake to at least 1 gallon... Read More
I am sure that when I mention setting objectives for... Read More
WARNING: Don't weight train until after you've lost weight! No,... Read More
The safe way to lose weight begins with a thorough... Read More
Very few Americans are satisfied with their current weights. There... Read More
Sometime, during the phase of rapid weight loss after gastric... Read More
Have you ever worried about something so much it paralyzed... Read More
You step on the scale and groan at the number... Read More
Low self-esteem produces a game of control. It causes a... Read More
Have you ever dreaded the idea of pulling weeds, planting... Read More
Which diet pill are you currently taking for your weight... Read More
"Life is like a box of chocolates," drawled Forrest Gump.Metaphors... Read More
There's more to gastric bypass than surgery and rapid massive... Read More
Weight Loss |