Let a number lead you to make good decisions, but not define you as a person!

A friend recently recommended that I blog about our individual journey’s toward Optimal Health. I wanted to start with the question...What is a number on a scale anyway? Well, it is important in that it can represent where we fall on the BMI chart. This can also be an indication of our overall health since I believe being overweight is the number one preventable disease out there. All that aside, when you are on your own journey, please don't get connected to a specific number on a scale; not your own or someone else's. Each pound of fat lost is a major victory for YOU. It is a pound of disease that never has to be carried around again. For some the weight has taken years to add up so it can't be removed in one week. For others, the number on the scale doesn't reflect their overall health. They may be eating too little or too far apart. They may consume the wrong types of food, eat without thinking or be depriving their bodies of much-needed fuel. I love the book that we use to guide us in our health coaching, Dr. A’s Habits of Health by Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen. In the book Dr. A shares that he studied people who had been successful in losing weight and keeping it off long term. He found that they all had similar “habits of health” that assured them of the long term success. He decided to put them into an easy to remember acronym known as the BESLIM Lifestyle.

Here is a brief description in my own words:

Breakfast ~ Eat a healthy meal every morning w/in 30-60 min of waking

Exercise ~ Incorporate regular, moderate exercise into your life to include strength training and cardio work

Support ~ Surround yourself with like-minded people, including your health coach, who will encourage you to stay the course and make wise choices

Low-Fat ~ Eat 5-6 low-fat, low-glycemic meals a day to keep your body well-fueled and working efficiently

Individualize ~ Design a weight loss or eating plan for your schedule & your lifestyle. Adjust as needed!

Monitor ~ Weigh or try on a tight pair of pants once a week. Don't let the scale own you, but check yourself regularly to keep it from becoming a slippery slope.

I believe in this system and know it is why Take Shape for Life is a wonderful program!