Yes, Your Mentality Plays a Big Part in Weight Loss... or Why I Play Numbers Games With Myself

I just got back from a 2-week trip I took with my mom, where there were no scales and plenty of food to eat and less walking than I anticipated.

I have a little rule about weighing myself when I get back from a trip/vacation... I DON'T DO IT.

I will eventually, but not the day I get back or even the first day after I get back. I give myself a couple of days to eat and drink like I should be doing everyday FIRST, before I get back on the scale. I notice that if I get on the scale first thing and it's a huge jump I'm likely to be bummed and less likely to start eating right and working out again. But if I give myself a few days to get back on track first, then get on the scale, yes it may be up 2-3 pounds, but it's much less devastating to me mentally and I tend to stay motivated to keep working to lose the weight I gained back.

I understand this mental trick may not work for everyone (maybe you need the shock value of how much weight you gained as motivation), but it's what works for me.



Another trick I do is I will not update my "weight tracker" until I am below the number it is currently. So what is up there right now is probably NOT my current weight. If I haven't weighed myself or worked out in several months or longer; I absolutely will update it, but if I'm only a few days or weeks off-track, I know I can get myself back down to that number in another few days/weeks.

I am all for mental tricks and games that lead you down the path to success; but don't cheat yourself! If it doesn't help you achieve your goals, then you need to look at another strategy.