Why you should throw away your scales for weight loss!

Scales encourage you to put all your self worth into 1 number, and more often than not this creates feelings of self-loathing and hopelessness!  How you feel for the rest of the day hangs on that 1 number - and sometimes that can be a temporary high if it's the number you're hoping for, but more often than not it only creates negative feelings!

This 1 number can be super misleading and unreliable, which is why I encourage women to not use it as their sole marker of success, or even better to just throw their scales out!

You may have been trying really hard and feel you've lost weight, but if the scales say otherwise it can totally derail you!  The big problem is that your body shape and size can be changing significantly, while the number on the scale can remain unchanged or even go up! 

Our weight can also fluctuate depending on hydration, water retention, hormonal changes and other factors which differ from day to day.

Taking notice of how your clothes are fitting and how you're feeling energetically and mentally is a much more accurate way to track your progress - rather than letting 1 number dictate how you feel about yourself.  You can also use waist and hip measurements, or take photos every 2-4 weeks to track changes.

With any weight loss effort there may also need to be changes in mindset to make the weight loss sustainable.  Do you believe you're worthy of achieving your ideal weight?  Are you self-sabotaging your efforts and/or not dealing with underlying emotional issues?  

I'm not an expert in this area, but I do know that just working on self-compassion and coming from a place of love and kindness can have a huge impact on making lasting changes - and it makes the whole process much more enjoyable!  Are you exercising to punish yourself or to celebrate what your body can do and because it feels good?!  The same can be applied to the foods you're choosing to put in your mouth.

If you're struggling with weight loss there may also be other contributing factors such as hormonal imbalances, thyroid issues or excess cortisol production.  These are all factors that a qualified Naturopath can help you investigate and resolve.

If you've been addicted to using scales and it hasn't gotten you far or made you feel good about yourself, why not give life a try without them?!  

You are much more than a number! 

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances, thyroid issues and weight loss.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

This Essential Practice Can Help You Achieve Any Of Your Goals!

No matter what your goals or intentions for the new year, there is one essential practice that can help you achieve them -  self compassion!

Whether you know it by this name or self care or self love, this essential practice involves being kind, patient and encouraging to yourself.  And it's called a practice - cause it takes practice!  Especially when your self talk and other habits have likely been on auto pilot for years! 

If you are trying to change habits or achieve something new it can be hard!  If your self talk is negative, harsh or unrealistic, or it makes you feel shame, guilt or inadequate, it's unlikely to motivate or encourage you to continue once your initial willpower has been exhausted.

How much more pleasant would it be to come from a place of love and treat ourselves with kindness and patience while achieving our goals?

Would you speak to your best friend or a young child in the way you speak to yourself?

While self talk is one aspect of self care, other areas include

• Stress management and taking time out for ourselves
• Booking in regular holidays or breaks at the start of the year, before we get to a burnt out stage
• Assessing what we spend our time/energy/money on, and if that's inline with our values and goals
• Working on our boundaries
• Working on our beliefs and mindset
• Being mindful and present and not being consumed by our past or future worries
• Accepting ourselves wherever we are at, but also working on improving any areas of our life where we'd like to grow, learn or change. 

There are many books, podcasts and websites which can help you in this area, but a good start is just becoming aware of your self talk and automatic assumptions/beliefs - as this is with us all the time and has such a huge impact on our quality of life.  A lot of times we aren't even aware how we talk to ourselves as it is so constant and automatic!

So take time to become aware of your self talk so you can then work on improving it to be more compassionate, supportive and encouraging as you work toward your goals!

If you would like some support in achieving your health goals this year, book in for a consultation here.

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances and thyroid issues.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.