Randy's Health Columns

Changing Your Mindset
by Randy Coleman One of the first steps to losing weight is recognizing that you weigh too much. To succeed in losing weight, you have to have to know what you weigh now and what healthy weight you should strive for. Many people avoid scales because they don’t like the number they see. But pretending that the number doesn’t exist is no way to make a change. Attempting to manage your weight without using a scale is like attempting to change your spending habits without knowing how much money is in your bank account. Imagine that a very good friend asks you to help him manage his budget. He’s been watching the way you handle your money and thinks that you will be able to help him change his spending habits. Your friend tells you that he is constantly bouncing checks and that his credit card is always declined because he’s exceeded the limit. He’s sick and tired of being in debt and wants to change his money management strategies. So you ask him, “How much money do you have in your checking account?” He replies, “I don’t know. I don’t ever bother to look at the statements that the bank sends. Heck, I don’t even know how to balance my checkbook.” You ask, “What is your credit card limit and what is your current balance?” He replies, “I don’t know. I just use it until the stores don’t take it anymore.” By this time, you are past surprised and are now officially frustrated. You ask, “Why in the world don’t you look at any of your statements?” He answers, “Well, every time in the I’ve looked at those statements in the past, it just made me ‘depressed’ and I don’t like ‘feeling bad,’ so I just don’t look at them. Plus, I ‘feel like’ I have money because I still have checks in my checkbook and I don’t ‘think’ that I’ve spent that much money on the card, so it should still be good.” Even though, you’re not a CPA or a certified financial advisor, you quickly realize the root of your friend’s financial problems. He’s chosen to manage his finances based on feeling instead of fact. He’s obliviously spending himself into deep debt because he sees his financial picture as he wants it to be not as it is. Now this scenario may seem far-fetched, but, in the world of weight management, I see this sort of self-delusion all the time. I ask, “How much do you weigh?” The person responds, “I don’t really know. Every time I get on the scale, it depresses me, so I decided to quit weighing myself.” Then she usually goes on to explain that sometime in her life she met with a weight management professional who said, “People shouldn’t weigh themselves every day because their weight fluctuates and makes them feel bad.” Well, it’s interesting that she heard that one piece of advice and ignored all the other things that the professional said about successfully managing weight. She ignored the advice about eating less and moving more. She ignored the advice about controlling portion size and thereby controlling the calorie intake. She ignored the advice about eating more fruits and vegetables to increase her nutrition and satisfaction while cutting out fat and additional calories. Instead, she heard what she already believed: the scale is an enemy that should be avoided at all costs. That one piece of advice, taken out of context, allows her to avoid reality and responsibility. While a scale shouldn’t control your life, it can provide a measuring stick for your progress – and it cannot be ignored.