When we are hoping and trying to lose weight, we are so conditioned to want tangible evidence of our progress. And we're conditioned to see the scale as the final authority on our level of fitness: it is the jury and the judge. Even though we know, intuitively, that sometimes our weight fluctuations do not represent changes in the amount of fat in our bodies. Rigorous exercise can cause a temporary weight gain as the muscle tissues flood themselves with blood and retain fluids to help their healing process. And temporary dehydration can create a deceptive and all-too-temporary weight loss, that does not reflect an increase in our fitness level. The Body Mass Index(BMI) system and body fat percentages are an attempt to move people away from making their body weight the be-all and end-all in measuring their fitness progress. But strong conditioning dies hard, and for generations we have been conditioned that the almighty scale is the measure of our success or failure.

But the scale can be both discouraging and deceptive. Think about how often you weigh yourself and your reasons for doing so.

Consider these two scenarios: Scenario 1. For no intentional reason, you find yourself eating less. Perhaps you have a really engaging work or school project, are in a new relationship, etc. For whatever reason, you find yourself leaving food on your plate. After a few days, you notice a change in your body. Things are a little bit looser. Encouraged and motivated, you continue the behavior, a little more consciously this time, but still without putting yourself on a "diet." You begin to make healthier food choices. You leave more food on your plate more often. You look at yourself in the mirror one morning and can actually see the change. You think to yourself: "I could give up those afternoon sodas. And take the stairs instead of the elevator." You make these easy changes and in a few short weeks you find you need to buy a new pair of jeans because you're down a size. You notice you have more energy than in a long time. You decide to start getting on the treadmill in the mornings. You are on a roll!

You aren't on a "diet" in this scenario and these changes don't feel contrived or forced upon you. You are making the kind of permanent, long-term behavioral changes that result in lasting weight loss and increase in fitness. These are the same kinds of behavioral changes created by weight loss hypnotherapy.

Scenario 2. Scenario 2 begins in the same way. However, you hear that tiny voice in your head (OK, maybe it's a big, booming voice!) that says, "Get on the scale! Find out how much you're down!). You get on the scale to discover you haven't dropped an ounce. The negative voices immediately go off in your head, and you call yourself all sorts of things that you wouldn't say to your best friend. Discouraged, you return to your old ways (or worse, get bummed out and binge), and soon you may even gain, finding your clothes tighter and getting even more discouraged.

What is the difference in these scenarios? In Scenario 1 you trust your senses and the feedback you get from your body. You trust how you feel, what you see in the mirror, and the looseness of your clothes. This is all very good, objective feedback. You are motivated by what you are experiencing and use that motivation to continue.

In Scenario 2 you immediately doubt your own senses and turn to that old authority, the tyrant: the scale. As we already discussed, there are many reason why the scale may not reflect your actual fitness level. But you toss aside every bit of information you are getting from your body, in favor of what the scale says. Why? Because you have been conditioned to accept the scale as THE authority on whether you are making progress toward your fitness goal. In some cases, you have given the scale so much authority that you base your sense of SELF-WORTH on what it says. This set of beliefs must change!

The solution? Put more trust and faith into what your mind and body are telling you (remember, it's a mind-body connection!). Understand, research if you have to, what the scale is really telling you. Understand that weight is just that, a measure of weight, NOT a measure of fitness. Break your association with the scale by putting more merit in other measures—how you feel, how your clothes fit, how you look, your energy level.

If you need help breaking that association, especially if your self-worth is tied to what the scale says, look for help in breaking those subconscious associations and beliefs. Don't allow the scale to be a tyrant! Trust yourself, and your mind-body connection!

Copyright (c) 2008 Cindy Locher