My Scale Is A Liar!

Everybody reacts differently to different meal plans. Some people will see results very quickly, while others may take some time to see those same results. This is normal, and it’s why you can’t compare yourself to anybody else. Sometimes it just takes time. We are so used to a fast-paced world and wanting instant satisfaction, but it just doesn’t always happen that way – and that’s okay! Maybe we need to be a little more patient or maybe we need to make some more changes in what we are doing. Sometimes it the smallest things that are stopping our progress. Here are 4 scenarios that could be the reason you aren’t getting the results you are looking for, and what you can do to fix it.

PORTION CONTROL
1. You are "eyeing out" your portion sizes!
We are known for misjudging our serving sizes, that's a fact. We are known to be inpatient and wanting everything to be quick and unfortunately this reflects back to the kitchen. Instead of grabbing the measuring spoon we eye it out, instead of pulling out the food scale, we estimate with our palm or fist. We misjudge, we build up calories, and we are not losing weight.

How do we fix it?
Spend some time tracking your food and measuring everything out. This is not something you will need to do forever, but you would be surprised how much quinoa is really in 1/2 a cup, and how small a serving of olive oil really is. Spend about 2 weeks measuring EVERYTHING out and recalibrate your expectations of what an appropriate serving size should really look like.

SLEEP
 2. You aren't sleeping enough!
Our bodies rely on a variety of hormones that regulate while we are eating and sleeping. Our bodies work best on a regular schedule; eating at the same times, going to sleep at the same time, and waking at the same time. Our bodies recover when we eat and sleep, so if we aren't eating or skipping meals and our sleep routine is all out of whack, it reflects back to weight gain or weight plateaus.

How do we fix it?
Prioritize your sleep schedule. You can't just create good eating habits, you need to create good lifestyle habits as well. Do your best to get in bed around the same time every night. Turn off the tv, cell phones, iPad, etc. at least 30 minutes before going to sleep. All the technology and lights from these devices are actually confusing your body and keeping you awake longer. Try an all-natural sleep aid if needed, or take magnesium to relax your body.

CHEW YOUR FOOD
3.  You aren't practicing mindful eating!
What does that mean? It's one of the most powerful weight loss tools. This means you slow down and actually chew your food. You eat without distractions. And your noticing what it fills like to be full. You will eat much less, you'll never feel overfull, and you will enjoy your food.

How do we fix it?
First of all, put your phone away, especially if you’re eating with other people. Second, eat slower. Cut your food into bite size pieces and chew it. Slowing down will allow your body to be more aware of when it's time to stop, and sometimes it's time to stop well before your plate is empty [especially when eating out]. Enjoy your meal and when you feel satisfied signals kicking in, drink some water and stop eating. This will greatly cut back on calories, reduce bloating, and remove that uncomfortable overfull feeling.

WRONG NUMBERS
4. You're focusing on the wrong numbers!
It is very common to not see the number on the scale moving for a few days or even a week at a time. This does not mean you aren't losing body fat. Body weight will always fluctuate for many reasons. It could be the food you ate that day, the amount of water you drank, if you worked out, all the hormones in our bodies.
While your weight isn't moving, your body composition may be changing drastically. What you really want is to be gaining muscle mass and cutting body fat. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more body fat you will burn.

How do we fix this?
Stop stepping on the scale every day. If you must weigh yourself, weigh in every 10 days or so. Also, stop using the scale as your only form of measurement to gauge progress. The most important thing is how you feel and how things fit. Another tip, take pictures. You see yourself every day so seeing changes might be hard at first. So, take pictures every 2-4 weeks and compare. Your body composition is way more important that the number on the scale. Focus on the right numbers and you'll continue seeing progress.

It can be frustrating to not see the results you want as quickly as you want. But don’t give up! Don’t stop trying because it didn’t work out how you wanted. Take some time to really think about what you are and aren’t doing, make some changes, and try it a different way.   Keep training hard and eating smart!   If you have any specific questions about the article or your food choices shoot me an email.  See everyone this week!

- Simone Leta
Director Snap Nutrition