Ditch the Scale and Use These Brain Hacks Instead
There are a lot of differences in the language and words that we use that really hurt us rather than help us and using our brains towards our goals. With just a few tweaks you can be on your way to a more powerful, healthy relationship with your body.
The Scale
How often do you use the scale? So if you’re, like a lot of people, you may have very specific rituals that surround using the scale. Things like they weigh first thing in the morning. They weigh-in completely nude. They do it after they use the restroom, but before they eat or drink anything. A lot of people do this on a daily basis. That’s how they start their day. So let me ask you a question. What happens in your mind when you see a bad number on the scale? When you see a number that you don’t think you deserved, your body’s not reacting the way you think it should and you see that bad number, what thoughts go through your head?
I suck at this.
I’m never going to lose weight.
Why try anyway?
Oh my gosh, I was better than that.
Is it water?
What do you mean? Is it that time of the month?
There are all these thoughts that go through our head when the number is bad. It doesn’t help with your choices, it doesn’t help your mindset. So what happens when you step on the scale and the number was good? You have a good number and you’re pleasantly surprised. What goes through your mind? Likely thoughts are –
Oh good, I can eat like crazy today.
Maybe it was water.
I don’t really trust the number.
I don’t know if I can keep eating like this.
In neither situation are you making healthy intuitive choices to fulfill a nourish your body. You are instead reacting to a number that is somewhat arbitrary and punishing yourself for that number. Either way, whether it’s good or bad, you’re not usually ending up with very good decision making associated with that number.
So I would encourage you to just get rid of the scale altogether. Maybe consult it only once every couple weeks, once a month, but drastically reduced the number of times that you are going to that scale. Ask yourself, are you treating your body like a day trader in the stock market?
Change Your Language
The Word “Loss”
We get a little sloppy with our language and our words. This is a problem because our brains are very literal interpreters. I’m sure you’ve heard before, the adage that the brain doesn’t understand negatives. For example, when you say don’t think of a pink elephant, your brain still creates a picture of a pink elephant.
When you say things that are not true, nonsensical or not matching your desired state, your brain is trying to follow those directions for you. Your brain always wants to please you and do exactly what you want based on how it interprets your direction. Your brain is also always trying to protect you, to keep you from pain and suffering.
It’s very common for people to say, I want to lose weight. I am in a weight loss program. So, but let’s think for a minute about that word loss because that word has a lot of connotations and emotions surrounding it. So think for a minute and make a list in your head of all the things that you can lose.
I can lose my job.
I could lose a loved one.
I could lose my pet.
I could lose my home.
I could lose my money.
I could lose my retirement.
I could lose my health.
So all of those things that we can lose are actually things that hurt us, that harm us, that we don’t want. So how is our brain supposed to understand that we hold weight out separate? How does our brain know it’s bad to lose everything in life that is possible but still good to lose weight? We’re sending the brain a conflicting message when it already has such a heavily weighted emotional negativity towards the word “loss.” Even if you just sit for awhile with the word loss and think about those things that you can lose, some real emotions can rise up inside of you.
I would like you to eliminate the word “loss” when you’re talking about attaining your ideal size. You can replace that language with other words like “I want to attain the perfect size for my health. I want my body to be in the perfect shape for its maximum energy and vitality here.”
Don’t Claim Ownership
Do not use an ownership word over something that you don’t claim or want to claim. So for example, I’ll hear people talk about my fat thighs or my beer belly or my big butt. If you don’t want that thing that you’re identifying, quit claiming ownership over it. Every time you say it’s yours, you’re claiming it as part of you and you’re reinforcing this as part of who I am.
I would prefer you do is just not refer to them at all. So if there are aspects of your body that you don’t love, do not focus on them. Do not name them, do not claim them. Just focus on the parts that you do love.
Other examples of where our language is sloppy are when we talk about our eating habits. So I’ve heard people say things like, I’m starving. I’m famished. I could eat a horse or describe their eating, saying I was such a pig. I eat like a pig. I eat all day long. None of those things are true. You don’t eat all day long, you don’t eat 24 hours a day, you sleep and you do other things.
Those exaggerations are feeding your mind with messages that this is normal for me, this is how I act.
Journal Activity
Every time you reach for food, you can choose anything you want, but for this exercise do two things.
- Journal on a scale of one to ten and label your hunger. How hungry are you on a scale of one to ten?
- Identify any emotions that you are feeling at that moment.
This will teach you to become more self-aware of where you’re at when you reach for food. Because every habit of action habit is supported by a habit of thought first. When I did this work, I found that I’m really triggered to sugar when I feel nervous or excited. The feeling can even be positive excitement. I’ll reach for sugar for that energy rush and it’s not a conscious choice until I bring awareness to it.
If you enjoyed these tips and know you could benefit from a better mindset in your life, let’s talk about how I can help. Click the below link to fill out an application for a free Discovery Call with me. At the bottom left of the form is a small button to schedule a call on my calendar.
https://livetrainingnow.com/dawn-hafner/schedule-a-breakthrough-session/
Below is also the YouTube video on this topic from my Friday Live Lunch.