Non-Scale Victories

Today we have another great article from the desk of Laura Tricarico — CrossFitter, mom of two, and certified nutritional therapist.  Please read her take on embracing non-scale victories, and not living and dying by the numbers you see when you step on that cold-hearted machine!
You have embraced a healthier lifestyle and diet after listening to your CFKI coaches and paying attention to your fellow members, good for you! Your jeans have started to fit better, your lifts in the gym are getting stronger, and you are feeling great in your own skin… until you step on the scale to see you haven’t lost a pound. All your newly found confidence has just been replaced with disappointment. The lifestyle you were beginning to trust is now in complete question. Sound familiar?
Unfortunately, we have somehow created a culture where weight defines self-worth. When asked about health goals, most people will respond with a weight driven goal. If not you, you can probably list a handful of people you know who are trying to lose weight. Scale and weight obsession create a destructive pattern of yo-yo dieting, leading to poor habitual behaviors that decrease health in the long run. When the number on the scale is your focus and quite possibly determines your mood for the day, you have missed the point of health.
By switching the focus from weight to true measures of health such as: healthy digestion, clear skin, better sleep, and stable energy, we can begin to have a healthier relationship with food and with self. Creating awareness around non-scale victories will allow you to focus on the health of your body rather than its weight. Shifting your focus to the health of your body will enable you to view food for nourishment rather than the good/bad or indulge/guilt cycles you may be caught in now. Your behavior around food and how you view your relationship is the ultimate factor in long term health and weight management. If you are spending your energy counting macros or timing your meals around your workouts, but you continue to binge and restrict food based on what the scale says, your relationship with food will never improve. 
This month I challenge you to hide the scale for thirty days (or… gasp, throw it away). Spend the month paying attention to how you feel. Do you notice clearer skin? Do you have more energy to play with your kids? Have your migraines decreased? Are you able to do a pull-up now? All the beautiful benefits of feeding yourself well are completely overshadowed by the scale. Ditch it for now and start a list of those non-scale victories. Celebrate each one as a step towards a healthy body image and better health.
Yours In Health,
Laura