Weighing In

Eventually most people get on the bathroom scale and weigh
themselves. This can be dicey, especially if the number that comes
up is unfavorable.

But let's look at this scenario a bit differently. Think about a
professional fighter. They have a very important part the fight
called the "weigh in".

A fighter can train for months, but if he doesn't make his pre-fight
weight he's done, finished, and the fight is over without ever
throwing a punch.

For a professional fighter, or any other sport that requires an
athlete to "make weight" demands a fair amount of focus and self
discipline.

We can learn a lot from these athletes and we can shift our mindset
to make our fat-loss goals to be more important. What if you were
to set a goal with a deadline? That might make a difference. Would
you be willing to shift your priorities to exercise and eat right
if there was a consequence associated with not meeting your goals?
That certainly changes the rules, doesn't it?

What I want you to take away is to look at the challenges you face
and realize that if you have struggled without long term success,
it may be because you have non-specific goals. Try putting some
real numbers in your goals, such as dress or pants size by a certain
date. And don't play it too safe. Your goals should be scary to
the point where they make you a bit nervous.

A good rule of thumb regarding fat loss is ten pounds in four to
six weeks. Based on that model, you can map out the next month to
a year and create these bench marks.

It's also important to accept the fact that not every week will be
successful. Sometimes life intervenes and sometimes the body just
doesn't respond the way we'd like it too or in the time frame we'd
like it to. But this is where having goals with numbers makes
all the difference. Your goals will get you back on track quickly.

What I love about this metaphor is the fact that we can make a game
of our quest for fitness and crank it up a notch. We can look at
our personal "weigh in" as being part of a mission. The first
time we weigh ourselves, we establish the base from which we will
work from. From there we set a goal weight.

The ritual of "weighing in" is much more powerful.

It's as if you are saying to the world:

"I AM HERE, I AM ACCOUNTABLE, AND THIS IS WHAT I
INTEND TO DO!"


So don't avoid the bathroom scale. Discover the fighter within
yourself. Use it and "weigh in".