I am not afraid to say when I may have got it wrong. When there is good science to support a different way of doing or thinking, I am completely open to change. That is why I am willing to rethink the practice of stepping on the scale and weighing yourself daily.
What I am about to tell you goes against something I’ve been preaching for many years. My professional opinion has been to stay away from the scale. I tell my clients don’t weigh yourself more than once a week. I tell my them they are free to ignore the bi-weekly requests for measurements in our online curriculum.
I even stopped having my clients weigh in with me years ago because nothing will ruin a great training session than the wrong number on the scale. Besides, I know many of them are weighing themselves at home despite my advice to give the scale a break. There was no need for me to add to the anxiety and pressure.
On my personal journey, I never weighed myself daily. For many years I was committed to Sunday weigh-ins but often found myself miserable when the scale didn’t budge. If I saw the smallest uptick in my weight it ruined my day. Then I started looking at body fat and inches which put THAT NUMBER in perspective. In recent years, weighing myself took a back seat to how my jeans fit and I strong I feel.
Now it is time for me to rethink the idea of stepping on the scale everyday.
I understand the need for feedback. It’s true what gets measured gets managed. Yet we give THAT NUMBER too much power.
But what if you could get needed feedback on your fat loss goal without THAT NUMBER? What if weighing yourself daily was more about seeing the progress not a specific number on the scale?
Let me introduce you to the Shape scale.
This design and how the Shapa scale works are based on simple principles from the research of co-creator Dan Ariely. We’ve known for some time that some sort of accountability and measurement system matters to your fitness journey. How your favorite jeans fit or the changes you see in the mirror can be enough for some. For others, there is a need to weigh-in on a regular basis. One of the longest research studies on weight loss, the National Weight Control Registry, shows that weighing at least weekly does support successful weight loss AND weight maintenance.
New research is showing that stepping on the scale daily can actually be beneficial for weight loss. Ariely’s research, along with other recent studies, seem to indicate weighing yourself daily might be a healthy behavior. If you weighing yourself in the morning (first thing in the morning boosts success according to Ariely’s research) it can set a healthy intention for the day . The problem is you have to separate THAT NUMBER from big picture progress. The brilliance of the Shapa is taking away the number, evening out the normal daily (and monthly fluctuations) and look at how you are trending.
Of course, it is normal to want change and NOW. We’re doing all sorts of new and amazing things. Yet when that number doesn’t translate into a direct drop on the scale disappointment follows. Or worse yet, what happens when you have a “bad” night and see an extra pound or two on the scale the next day?
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I’ve had more than one conversation about how the pizza you ate last night did not translate into a two pounds of body fat this morning. (It could be water from the salt, but certainly NOT fat.) The reality is behaviors – healthy or not – takes days or even weeks to translate into changes in the size and shape of your body. The Shapa scale takes away the focus on the little fluctuations and just says “great job” if you’re trending in the right direction. Here’s how the Shapa 5-point scale of progress works.
This 5-point scale also helps remove the demotivating experience of weight gain and the fear of checking your progress. Shapa lets you gather data and manage your progress while keeping your focus on the behaviors. Plus the Shapa app gives you even more behavior change support with Daily Missions.
When your Shapa arrives, you download the app to your phone to pair with the scale. You’ll take a simple assessment to outline your goals and understand where you are on your journey. Based on your goal and your answers, the Shapa app challenges you with daily missions that create habits to support your progress.
You might be asked to do anything from write down three things that went well today to eating your biggest meal at breakfast and your smallest meal at dinner. Complete the missions and Shapa sends you new ones each day as it figures out what works for you.
If you want to try Shapa for yourself the Shapa team has kindly offered my readers a 10% discount and Free Shipping! Just use discount code thrivepersonalfitness at checkout.
If you need more feedback than a tape measure can give this Shape is a great option. If you’re interested in fat loss while you loving your body in the progress the Shapa scale may help you find your middle ground. If you can let go of a number and let it guide you towards the big picture goals, weighing yourself daily doesn’t have to be a demotivating experience. Seeing progress and letting go of perfection is exactly the mission and mindset you need to build a healthier and happier life!
