57: Should You Get On the Scale Every Day?

Should you get on the scale every day?

Let's chat pros and cons.

Maybe you're here because you want to change your relationship with food or become a runner or become a consistent exerciser.... for the eventual purpose of losing weight. 

(Which is fine, btw. It's okay to want to lose weight. It's okay to want to change your body. I will not weight loss shame you!)

Ok, so you're wanting to lose weight and you know you've put some weight on because you haven't been consistently moving your body and you haven't been consistently eating healthy. Maybe you feel lethargic every morning or gross after meals.

You know you want to make some changes, so you vow to do things differently when it comes to how you eat and how you move.

And you decide you're going to get on the scale every morning to check in on your progress and make sure the scale is going the way you want it to go.

Pros of getting on the scale every day:

1. You’re taking daily action and you get to see your daily results.

2. You’re pushing through excuses and holding yourself accountable!

3. You’re finally moving forward on your personal health goals!

4. When the scale goes down a few lbs, you feel super satisfied with yourself.

Cons of getting on the scale every day: 

1. When the scale goes up even just 0.2 lbs, you think about how you've failed and you run through all the food you've eaten. Did you really need to eat that cookie yesterday?

2. When the scale stays the same, you think about how you put in all this work, and you're not getting the results you want. There must be something wrong with you and your body!

3. When the scale goes down just 0.2 lbs, you think about how it's not enough and make plans to cut out even more food and maybe start tracking calories again and maybe you should only allow yourself to eat 1200 calories.

4. When the scale reads a number you don't like, you get off and on a few times and move the scale to a different floor to see if it reads a different number. You might even use the toilet and then get back on the scale to see if it's different, wishing for a different number.

5. Getting on the scale every day isn't something you'd want for a young female in your life. You know this would F up her relationship with her body, and yet you still allow it for yourself

This is the part where people will say, "Yeah, all that might be true, but Jaclyn, I need the scale to tell me if I am doing a good job or not. Without the scale, I might end up gaining even more weight."

What if there was a way to change your body and not be obsessed with the scale?

Would you like to learn a way to change your body and feel good during the process?

Let's do it!

To start, I want to talk to you about Lead Measures and Lag Measures. 

Lead Measures- I first learned this term in a business course I was taking, but it applies in so many parts of life! Lead measures are the behaviors that will drive success on the lag measures.

In business, one lead measure is the number of sales calls you make. The more sales calls you make, the more opportunity for a sale.

In school, one lead measure is the number of days you attend class. The more you show up to class, the more opportunity to learn.

In your health, one lead measure is the amount of days you go on an intentional 20 minute walk. The more days you go for walks, the better your health.

You have control over your Lead Measures. You have control over your daily actions. Your daily actions lead to your results. You can look at your lead measures and make a change. There's still time!

But people tend to neglect their lead measures. (Your daily actions.)

They tend to only want to focus on lag measures. (Your results.)

Lag Measures- Lag measures tell you your results. They tell you if you achieved a goal. But by that time, there's nothing you can do to change anything. 

You don't have control over your Lag Measures, but you DO have control over your Lead Measures which lead to your Lag Measure!

Let's tie this all back to the original question: Should You Get On the Scale Every Day?

Getting on the scale every day is NOT a lead measure.

Getting on the scale will not help you change your body.

The scale is a lag measure.

Q: What will help you change your body?

A: Focusing on the lead measures.

Jan focused on lead measures and changed her body.

Listen to Jan's story here.

Chrissy focused on lead measures and changed here body.

Listen to Chrissy's story here.

A few lead measures that will help you change your body and the scale:

1. Build every plate with the 5Ps.

2. Go for a 20 minute walk or run every morning.

3. Lift weights for 15 minutes every day.

4. Go to bed at 10pm (so you can get 7-8 hours of sleep- the number of hours is a lag measure!)

When you consistently repeat those daily actions every day,

your body will change, and yes, the scale will change.

Q: How long will I have to do these things? How long will I have to eat healthy, move my body, and get sleep?

A: The rest of your life. You have to eat healthy, exercise, and sleep for the rest of your life.

You don't just stop after 60 days. That's how people yo-yo back to where they started. They stop focusing on lead measures (doing daily healthy actions) and their lag measures change as a result (they gain weight again). You have to eat healthy, exercise, and sleep for the rest of your life, so make sure you're creating sustainable actions!

 Sooo.. no, I don't think you should get on the scale every day.

I do think you should take action every day!

You can change your body without being obsessed with the scale, and I would argue you will actually change your body if you stop being obsessed with lag measures and start kindly focusing in on your lead measures.

Focus. On. Your. Lead. Measures.

Focus. On. Your. Daily. Actions.

Consistently take daily action to create the life you want. 

Lead measures ---> Lag measures.

I do not get on the scale at all. I only track my lead measures. I use The 365 Habit Tracker. You can get a free copy here.

I do not have my clients get on the scale. They can see how their clothes are fitting. (Lag measure!) I have them track their lead measures using The 365 Habit Tracker. Get yours here and start tracking the things that actually matter!

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xo,

Jaclyn