Don’t Chase the Scale

Losing weight can become pretty addicting. If you are overweight, and you have decided to start on your weight loss journey, then one of the things you’re going to start doing on a fairly regular basis is getting on the scale and checking your weight. You likely have a goal weight in mind of what you want to get to, and there is a good chance you have an idea of some other fitness goals as well.

Once you get into a healthy weight, you need to be careful about chasing a certain weight on the scale - it’s all too easy to get so concerned about a number that you lose focus of what’s really important - your overall health. Even if you think it won’t happen to you, there are plenty of stories out there of those in a similar situation. Your goal shouldn’t be a specific number, but rather overall health.

Let’s say that for you to not be considered obese, you should have a weight between 130 and 150 pounds. Once you’ve dropped below 150 pounds, you should make sure you slow your focus on a specific number on the scale that you’re trying to obtain. You may want to get to 130 pounds, but that may not actually be healthy for you. If you get there sustainably and feel good, then it’s probably alright.

However, all too often, someone will get to 130 pounds only to want to lose a few more pounds, and then a few more pounds. Before you know it, you’re underweight and you’re now unhealthy in the opposite direction of where you started. You need to stop chasing a number on the scale as it is unlikely that you’ll get the look you want from chasing that number. Instead, you’ll just become unhealthy.

Part of the problem with chasing a number on the scale thinking that it will get you to a specific look is that every person stores their fat in different places. Some people store it in their stomach, some store it in their legs, and some store it in their butt. In other words, you may want to get rid of that stubborn belly fat, but it’s actually going to be the last thing to go for you because of genetics.

There is literally no way to get rid of fat in a specific area of your body by something that you do - spot reduction isn’t real. Ultimately, as you lose weight, you will remove that body fat, but too often it requires going to an unhealthy body weight. The unfortunate truth is simply that you may not be able to get the exact look that you want because of your genetics and how your body works - it’s simply the way it is.

Rather than trying to get an exact look, you need to focus on your overall health. Are you in a healthy body weight range? Are you able to maintain cardio for at least 20 minutes? Does your blood work show that you are healthy? These are the questions that you should be asking yourself and trying to figure out. These are the real reasons to maintain a healthy weight, and to get control of your health - so that you can live longer.

Stop trying to chase a specific weight on the scale or a specific look in the mirror. Over time, you may get there, but you should make sure you’re focused on keeping yourself healthy - that should always be your number one goal when it comes to health and fitness.