Celebrate victories without a Bathroom scale
What is a Non-Scale victory? (NSV)
What is it you ask? I asked myself that same question when I got this text from a current client:
“NSV! My more fitted scrub jacket buttons comfortably!! I was going to leave it open like normal but decided to try :)) I’m so happy!!”
This was her telling me about her “Non-Scale Victory.” Once I figured it out I gave myself a little duh forehand smack because I use that term all the time. The photo above is filled with non-scale victories like…
Easily lifting pellets for stove
More energy during the day
Snowshoeing and cross country skiing for 3-days
Cleaning house in 1 day instead of breaking it up over multiple days
Using my new muscles to split wood for a bonfire
Raked and blew leaves for more than 3 hours
Dropped 1 pants size
Increased all weights in every class
I touched the floor with my finger tips doing cool down stretches
And the list goes on and on. These are all reasons to celebrate your hard work and they have nothing to do with the scale.
Throw away your bathroom scale
Is the number on the scale the reason you exercise? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that number lies, it does not tell the full story. There is so much more going on with your body that the number at your feet does not tell you. Stop using the scale as your indicator for progression. Instead, let’s focus on all the things we can now do and how we feel.
Some numbers that do count
Let’s focus on some numbers that do not show up on a scale. Blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar are some numbers you should know. Do you know your numbers? When was the last time you had them checked? Are you due for your annual physical? With electronic medical charts we have most of this information at our fingertips so let’s start focusing on those numbers when it comes to being healthy. Exercise can help keep them at healthy levels or help in improving them if they are not where you want them. Ignoring those numbers could put you at risk for chronic health issues. This is another form of a non-scale victory.
Share your NSV with me
I would love to hear about your non-scale victories. Please reply to this email and let me know what exercising has allowed you to do or how it has improved your health. Let’s celebrate each other’s NSVs.
Non-scale victories are keeping you healthy BEFORE you NEED to be healthy! Keep up the great work.