I love our New Life Promise community! It's full of amazing people sharing their lives and journeys to health. And when I see a post like...
"I finished week 4 yesterday and down 15 lbs!!"
...I'm thrilled!
But sometimes, these moments of celebration aren't so exciting for everyone.
After a few posts of people celebrating their weight loss success, I sometimes see comments like, "I only lost 2 lbs this week," or "I ate so well, but only lost 1 lb. Am I doing something wrong?"
The short answer: No!
What you may or may not know is that average healthy weight loss is one pound a week. Just one! It may seem slow, but it's a healthy way for your body to adjust slowly, and it increases your chances of keeping the weight off long term.
Now, sometimes if you try a cleanse or a detox, you'll lose more than a pound a week. Or if you have a lot of weight to lose, your results might be different. That's great! But if you're seeing a steady loss of one pound every week, you're doing everything right, and you're amazing for doing it!
Really, if you're eating healthy, you're doing the right thing no matter what the scale says. But when you see such big losses from other people, it's easy to think you don't measure up.
So when you feel down about your progress and wonder why you aren't seeing the same losses you're hearing about in the community, here are a few tips to help you stay positive.
#1 - Don't Compare and Despair
It's hard to stop comparing yourself to others. Though it might seem like someone had a huge victory, while you saw much smaller results, you don't really know the whole story.
Let's say you're comparing yourself to someone who lost ten pounds in a week. Well, what we don't know about them is their starting weight, what their diet was like before they started this new plan, how much they're sleeping each night... or really, anything else about their life.
Here's a different way to think about it. Imagine you and another woman are waiting tables. Your coworker gets a 50% tip, while you only got 20%. Sounds like your friend had a huge win, right? Until you look at the whole picture... turns out, she got a $5 tip on a $10 bill, while you got a $20 tip on a $100 bill.
Obviously, my tipping scenario and weight loss aren't exactly the same, but when you compare yourself to someone else... especially when it's only based on what they post on social media... you never really see the full picture.
So say congrats to your friend and be happy for them! And remember that their ups and downs really have no impact on your own personal journey.
#2 - Think Beyond the Scale
It's always tough to step on the scale and not see the results you wanted. But there's so much going on that the scale doesn't measure.
The scale doesn't measure how much your blood sugar levels have improved. The scale doesn't measure how your estrogen and progesterone levels are balancing out. And the scale doesn't measure cellular changes that happen as your body heals from years of processed and toxic ingredients.
When you eat well, all these amazing changes are happening inside your body all the time. But the scale doesn't give you any credit! That's why it's so important to let the scale be only one tool you use to track your progress.
Instead of just measuring your weight, think about how your clothes fit, how you feel in the morning, and how much energy you have. When you think about ALL the ways you're feeling better, a sluggish scale isn't so bad.
And trust me... the scale will catch up eventually.
#3 - Celebrate the Little Victories
Usually people think "I'll celebrate when I reach my goal."
By all means, celebrate when you achieve what you've set out to do (I've got "Celebrate Good Times" ready to go on my Spotify playlist just for you!). But in the meantime, you should celebrate all the little victories along the way to your ultimate goal.
Were you able to buy a shirt in Large instead of XL (even if the scale didn't really change)? Celebrate! You chose a piece of fruit over the ice cream your husband brought home? Celebrate! You played tag with your kids without getting winded? That's a huge reason to celebrate (especially if your kids are anything like mine - they could outrun a marathoner)!
When you celebrate the little things, it makes the journey more fun. And when the journey is more fun, you're more likely to stay on the path and make it to your final goal (and an even bigger celebration).
Instead of thinking about all the pounds you haven't lose yet, or all the ways someone else is doing better than you, focus on the positives. You'll be happier and you'll still see amazing results.
Remember, you're choosing to live a better, healthier life. Most people don't do that. So, really... you've already won.
If you're ready to live a better, healthier life, look no further than the New Life Promise plan!