Tony's Take: A WIN IS A WIN, EVEN IF IT’S NOT A WEIGHT LOSS

They say “The mind is a terrible thing to waste!” But if you’re fighting an addiction or habit that has been your security blanket while you navigate life and everything that comes along with it, your mind doesn’t always feel like it's on your side.

I was a good athlete growing up and very competitive. Somewhere during that time I adopted the mindset of “If you aren’t first, you’re last!” and “second place is the first person to lose!” This mindset has proven to be a challenge and at times a road block to changing my habits and lifestyle.

I hated it when I first heard, “Everyone gets a trophy.” My mindset and philosophies from the past told me that this didn’t teach us how to overcome adversity and deal with losing. But, during my coaching sessions with Tiffany and trying to change my habits and mindset, I heard the phrase “Non-scale victories”, and how these should be not only recognized, but celebrated, by everyone.

Non-scale victories are exactly what you think, those triumphs, no matter big or small, that should and need to be recognized to be successful in anything you are trying to accomplish or reach. 

We seem to measure our success in weight loss with a number on a scale. Although this is a good measuring tool it doesn’t define success in making a healthy lifestyle change.

One of my biggest fights with myself and journey is changing from that all or nothing mindset. If I did not follow the program exactly, in my mind I failed! If I didn’t lose weight for one week, I failed! This mindset is a big reason I feel I put my weight back on.

Coach Tiffany is great at pointing out good things you did or accomplished during our coaching sessions. From little things from getting outside and taking a walk to choosing to have 2 slices of pizza instead of your regular 4. Every non scale victory is a step in the right direction to making your lifestyle change and living a healthier life.

It does no good to continue to dwell on things that don’t go as planned. We need to learn from those occasions and try to be better. Celebrating non scale victories help us recognize that we are making changes for the good. That mindset will equal success.

We are usually our own worst critics and judge ourselves harsher and more unfairly than anyone else. Don’t let a number on a scale be the sole determination of if you had a successful week or not. Be proud of what you do and celebrate those non-scale victories!