n.: this comes up on a daily basis. the scale is taking up way too much power. at the end of the day, we can’t control the number we see on the scale. there’s so many factors involved, like bowel movements, water retention and hormones that play a role in that number day-to-day. but we give it too much power in defining our success. i ask clients, ‘what if the number on the scale never moved? what would success look like to you in your journey?’ i ask them to map out 10 success criteria.
for example, a success criteria for clients might be they’re not emotionally eating at 4 p.m. when they’re faced with a stressor at work, or they’re incorporating some form of joyful movement every day. we focus on the success criteria beyond the scale that you can actually control. and because we can control behaviour change, we can influence the scale. but we really want to focus on what we can control, and then the scale comes secondary.
tedi nikova is a registered dietitian and weight loss coach in toronto who helps women break behaviours that are sabotaging their health. supplied
we often hear stories about people losing massive amounts of weight through aggressive dieting or exercise, only to gain it all back. how can we set ourselves up for success instead of failure?
n.: that’s a really big question. i would say number one focus is sustainability. the rule of thumb — and this is a tough pill to swallow sometimes — is that any change you make, you need to be certain that you can maintain that behaviour change for the rest of your life. so i focus on small, but permanent, behaviour change. a strategy i use with my clients is to focus on 10 per cent tweaks in their eating or movement. that’s a good, manageable percentage. some clients might say 10 per cent is not enough, and maybe 10 per cent may not be enough in that moment for weight loss, it’s enough for behaviour change and consistency. over time, that 10 per cent allows for sustainable weight loss.
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