When Numbers and Devices are No Longer Helpful
Do you find yourself feeling like you are doing all the things, feeling good, exercising and then hopping on the scale to find it hasn’t budged? Or that it looks like a higher number? What happens to how you feel when that happens? Most people that I’ve worked with would feel deflated. And that’s the problem…..
Why are we so hung up on numbers? What the numbers say, how we interpret the numbers and how much power we give to the numbers. I had another client who ended up losing about 12# of body fat and putting on 10# of muscle. Therefore, the scale changed by 2#. They just kept saying, I just want the number to be different. I’m working so hard, why can’t that be a lesser number?
Both of these scenarios (and I have plenty more examples with watches, with apps etc..) have two things in common:
1) They both have completely negated what they actually HAVE been doing or what they actually HAVE been experiencing. Better energy, proud of their consistency, taking steps to improve overall health, sleep, fitness, mental outlook.
2) They both have given ALL of their power away to a machine. A man-made device that runs on a battery.
Numbers and devices and apps can be great tools IF, they help you gain awareness around patterns or behaviors or choices. They are there to be a tool (a tool is a thing you throw around…you don’t worship the tool) to help potentially give guidance and feedback around the behavior, choice or pattern you are looking to change. But they are severely limited. They don’t have the whole story.
They can’t actually see what you are doing. They cannot give you praise. They cannot say, “hey good job for doing a hard thing. How did that feel?”
They can’t see that you’ve completely turned your life around. You are thinking differently, acting differently, moving differently or even fueling yourself differently.
They can’t say, “hey something is different about you. You are holding yourself differently. You are smiling more often. You look really rested and happy. What’s been happening in your life?”
Why does it matter what you weigh, when you just feel better? What does it matter what you weigh when you sleep better? When you can walk longer than you ever have, when you can recover from a rough night or day or a tough workout better than you ever have in your life. When your brain is working better and is less foggy. When you aren’t thinking about food all the d*%n time and you know what you need when you need it during a day. What does it matter what you weigh, when you can chase your kids or grandkids around and lose track of time versus losing your breath?
What does it matter what the watch says, when YOU know you’ve been moving more than you have in weeks. That you have intentionally been choosing to do the different thing. And YOU feel great about yourself for it! What does it even matter what kind of feedback your watch says. You know you’ve been a Rockstar and what you are doing is enough!
Why would you ever give that joy away because a watch or a scale says something different than how you’ve been feeling?
When you’ve learned just enough from the device while still focusing more on what you feel, its time to let the device go. And its time that you just keep trusting yourself and developing that healthy relationship with yourself and your body. Helping yourself continue to do the things you actually did learn that make you feel great. Because that is what’s going to continue to build and feel even better as time goes on.
Keep going!
Take a listen to this podcast where we talk about similar things. Letting Go of Numbers!
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Meet Nicole
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Nicole is recognized state-wide and nationally as a Registered Dietitian and is also a Certified dietitian through the state of Wisconsin. She is also a Board Certified Sports Dietitian and a Certified Personal Trainer and Physical Fitness Instructor.
Nicole’s areas of expertise include: Wellness and lifestyle coaching, weight management, behavior modification, eating disorders, vegetarian lifestyles, gluten-free living, sports nutrition, recipe and menu design and development.
