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As a Functional Registered Dietitian, I work with many clients who become overly focused on, sometimes even obsessed with, the number on the scale as the only indicator of their weight loss success. While the scale can provide some useful information, it certainly does not tell the whole story.
Too often we get caught up in a magic number, only to feel discouraged and defeated when we don’t achieve that number as quickly as we would like. The reality is that weight loss is a complex process influenced by many factors that go well beyond counting numbers like calories and weight.
That is why in my Functional Dietitian role I aim to expand the definition of weight loss success and help my clients to truly connect with non-scale victories that matter so much more in the long term. The culture I like to cultivate is ‘health-gain’ or building a foundation of health within and not solely ‘weight lost’.
Here are some non-scale victories to pay attention to in the health-gain journey:
Improved Quality Sleep
With improvements in nutrition and lifestyle, one of the first non-scale victories clients experience is restorative sleep with the ability to fall asleep faster, sleep more soundly through the night and wake up feeling refreshed. Quality sleep supports hormone regulation, detoxification and deep cellular repair- all crucial for weight release and also building optimal health.
Better Digestion and Restored Gut Function
Another key non-scale victory is improved digestive function. Your gut truly is the foundation of your health, and optimizing your digestive function can have a ripple effect on everything from mental clarity, immunity and skin health. With enhanced and targeted nutrition, you can eliminate symptoms including bloating, gas, discomfort, improve bowel regularity and improve absorption of vital nutrients.
Enhanced Focus and Mental Clarity
In redefining weight loss, another victory that goes beyond the scale includes noticeable changes in mental clarity and focus through nutrition. By restoring key nutrients for brain health, reducing overall inflammation and balancing blood sugars significant improvements are often reported with diminished brain fog and more focus, better concentration throughout the day and a reduction in anxiety or depression.
Boosted Energy Levels
One of the most rewarding non-scale victories is a renewed level of energy and vitality. By shifting to nutrient-dense whole foods and optimizing lifestyle factors such as sleep and stress management, the body’s cellular energy production pathways are restored. This leads to a remarkable increase in energy and zest for life.
Body Recomping
Body recomposition is a powerful non-scale victory that definitely is not captured by the number on a scale. Clients frequently experience gains in muscle mass, which can maintain or even increase the number on a scale slightly. Coupled with this, they experience inches lost with clothes fitting better or even no longer fitting at all! Highlighting the importance of looking beyond the scale for these tangible improvements.
Better Lab Results
Better lab results are a compelling non-scale victory as a powerful window into what is going on with key body systems within. With over 25 years of experience interpreting blood work as a Clinical Dietitian, I fully understand the impact of nutrition on improvements in health markers. These include normalized cholesterol and lipid profiles, markers of inflammation, hormone status, blood sugar regulation and vitamin-mineral status. These improvements clearly indicate that your body is functioning at a higher and healthier level that a scale cannot convey..
The bottom line is that weight loss is about so much more powerful results that will make a difference in your day to day life. I understand that for each of my clients it is usually all about the number on a scale but for me, as your Functional Dietitian it goes much deeper. To me it is about helping to build a foundation and optimizing the function of body systems. I aim to help my clients redefine success and celebrate these non-scale victories every step of the way so that they can stay motivated, committed and inspired on a journey towards optimal health. Embrace the holistic improvements of nutrition and lifestyle and remember - you are so much more than just a number!
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