When you're determined to become healthy and you strive daily to meet your health goals, don’t let the scale get in your way.

When the number on the scale becomes the main focus, it is easy to let getting to the desired number result in lack of nutrition and excessive exercise.

It’s understandable that one would want their weight to go down, but when you’re eating healthy along with physical activity, the appropriate number will come.

Being healthy is not about how much you weigh – it’s about how you feel.

Physically you may feel one thing, but there’s a possibility the scale may not budge. If you’re meeting your nutrition and exercise needs, then you’re doing great, and there’s no need to get discouraged with the scale.

What’s important is that you stick with your goals rather than calling it quits. Your body, like anything else, needs time to adapt to the changes you’re making in your eating and activity.

To see the results in the mirror and on the scale, you have to stay consistent in reaching your goals — it’s a must!

Don’t break the cycle.

If you’re eating 3 balanced meals with healthy snacks in between each day and you’re exercising 5 days each week, you should stick with this routine.

The more stability you gain in your health goals the better chance you have at seeing the number you are determined to reach.

It’s important to remember that reaching a certain number on the scale should take time. Weight loss should never be rushed!

If you feel that you are making the changes necessary to see a weight reduction along with physical changes to your body, but you’re not seeing the outcome you expected, check the following:

1. Portion sizes. Are you sticking within proper portions of each food group at each meal? You may think that you’re measuring appropriately, but sometimes "eyeballing" your portions doesn’t quite get the job done.
   
   If need be, break out your measuring cups and food scale, and start measuring your food out at each meal and when prepping for the following day.
   
   
2. Calories in vs. calories out. This is a big one to watch for! When it comes down to it, you want to burn more calories than what you consume.
   
   In everything that you do — eating, breathing, sleeping, walking, talking, exercising, etc., you’re burning calories. However, for weight loss, you want to eat fewer calories than you’re burning.
   
   Make sure that your calories are on cue for weight loss by eating less than your calorie maintenance.
   
   
3. If you're not exercising, get to it. Getting physically active may be the extra push that you need if you’ve reached a plateau.
   
   If you’re already in a set exercise regimen, it may be time to bump it up a notch. For example, if you’re running for 30 minutes 3x each week, try running for 45 minutes 3x each week for the extra calorie burn.

Conclusion

The tips above are truly for an extra push in helping you reach your goals to become healthy and increase your lifespan. Your body won’t benefit from too little calories nor will it respond well to extreme exercise. However, if you combine healthy nutrition with a healthy exercise routine, you will reap positive results.