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Lesson 1: What's Wrong with My Scale?
That crazy, stupid piece of metal called a scale! Each morning, you cautiously step on it, hoping for good news. But instead, it tells you that, once again, you have failed.
Your diet didn't work. Your exercise program is useless. And worst of all, you still can't get your dress pants zipped!
In a fit of frustration, you kick the scale as you ask yourself, "What's wrong with it, anyway? Why doesn't the number move? Why can't I ever do anything right?"
But wait! Maybe the scale is saying something entirely different. Perhaps it really wants to tell you about a few things you have no control over.
You got off an airplane last night, which accounts for about three pounds. Did you notice that it's raining today? Try turning your rings, and you'll see the humidity has made your fingers puffy. Go look at the calendar, and you'll suddenly remember what your hormones are doing this week.
Don't give up on your goals because of a number on the scale. Instead, realize that your scale is saying a lot of great things about your weight-loss efforts. You just have to know how to listen.
Turn Your Scale into a Friend
If you're like most dieters, your scale has the ability to change your mood in an instant. In fact, it can even make you feel elated one day and devastated the next.
In an ideal world, your scale would boost your enthusiasm and help you stay on your diet. But it rarely seems to do that. Instead, it routinely destroys your motivation and crushes your self-esteem. Eventually your scale can become your worst enemy, causing you to give up on your weight-loss efforts and head for the refrigerator.
Here's how Susan described her struggle:
Sometimes I'll go a long time without weighing myself. When I finally face reality and get on the scale, I tell myself I'll be fine, no matter what it says. But if my weight is up, I immediately lose my resolve. And as the day goes on, my motivation drops until I start looking for something to eat. Of course, I usually grab stuff that will make me gain even more.
I'm sure you've had similar experiences. When you notice a slight increase in your scale weight, you can't bring yourself to ignore it or let it go. Instead, you immediately turn it into a drama that wrecks your entire day.
Over time, you may have developed a love-hate relationship with your scale. See if any of these phrases sound familiar.
Sometimes getting on my scale...
'¢ totally ruins my day.
'¢ causes me to go off my diet.
'¢ makes me feel anxious and upset.
'¢ temporarily destroys my self-esteem.
'¢ makes me feel angry or depressed.
Instead of hating your scale with a passion, what if you could figure out how to change your relationship with it? Of course, if you've spent years feeling sabotaged by your scale, the idea of becoming friends with it may seem impossible. But trust me, it can be done, and it's lot easier than you might think.
The Secret Weapon
When you learn to use it the right way, your scale can show you exactly what you want to see. As a result, it can help you get miraculous results with any diet or maintenance plan. But this will happen only if you know what works (and what doesn't) when making the scale a significant part of your total program.
In this book, I'll show you how to ditch your long-term frustration with your scale and turn that little instrument into your best weight-loss tool.
You'll be amazed at how easily your scale shifts its response. Before long, it will give you positive feedback on your efforts, increase your motivation instead of crushing it, and prevent the weigh-in panic that sends you to the refrigerator.
Power Keys to Help Build Your Friendship
At the end of selected chapters in this book, you'll find "Power Key" statements. These phrases will remind you of all the ways you are changing your thinking as you build a strong friendship with your scale.
The appendix includes a summary page that lists all seven Power Keys. I encourage you to use these statements as building blocks for a healthy, lifetime scale plan.
Let's get started creating your new BEST FRIEND for life!
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