Episode 103: Ditch the Scale: Redefine Your Fitness Success and Transform Your Mindset

In this episode of the Boost Your Metabolism Podcast, Janine explores the pitfalls of obsessing over the number on the scale and how it can hinder one's fitness progress. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on body composition, muscle growth, and overall well-being instead of chasing a specific weight. Through client stories and personal experiences, Janine illustrates that true progress in health and fitness is measured by strength, energy, and confidence. She challenges listeners to shift their mindset and prioritize their holistic wellness over a mere number on the scale.

00:00 Welcome to the Booster Metabolism Podcast

00:07 The Scale and Your Mindset

00:50 The Misleading Nature of the Scale

01:48 Building Muscle and Patience

04:28 Client Success Story: Katie's Transformation

06:42 Mindset Challenge for the Week

07:43 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

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Transcript

0:24

Welcome back to the Booster Metabolism Podcast. I'm Janine, and I'm so glad that you're here with us this week. So we are diving into mindset, specifically how the scale may actually be hindering your progress instead of helping it. Over the last four years of coaching clients, I've heard it time and time again, people chasing a specific number on the scale, and honestly, I've been there myself. If we start believing that if I could get to 130 pounds, then I'll finally be happy and feel good about myself. But is that really true? I mean, does a number on the scale actually define your satisfaction with your health and fitness? Does that number on the scale give you the energy you're looking forward to enjoy family hikes or new adventures with friends? Here's something I know we often overlook. I could line up three women in front of you, all of them weighing exactly 130 pounds, and I guarantee you'd never guess. They all weigh the same. Why? Because body composition can look very different from person to person. I see this with my clients. I see this with myself when I compare myself to other people. I'll just be very open. I weigh 140 pounds myself, and at my last doctor's appointment, my doctor literally said, whoa, I didn't expect that. You don't look like you weigh 140 pounds. That right there is the perfect example of why the scale doesn't tell the whole story. Now imagine this. You come to me as a client and say, my goal is to be fit and toned and I want to weigh 130 pounds. When I see 130 pounds on the scale, I will have achieved my goal and I'll be happy. To be honest, to achieve that tone, look, we need to build muscle, which means eating enough calories, lifting weights consistently and honestly, I'd likely recommend maintenance level calories, which means increasing your protein, following a structured strength program at least four times per week that focuses on progressive overload. Here's the thing. Building muscle takes time and consistency. It's not an overnight transformation and results don't always show up immediately on the scale. That's why it's so important to be patient and trust the process. Real lasting change happens when you focus on what you're doing well each day, not just the number on the scale. You have to remember that changing your physique for a fit tone look takes time. Muscle growth, strength gains, and improved body composition all require consistent effort over weeks and months, not days. If we try to rush the process by obsessing over the scale or cutting calories prematurely, we risk sabotaging the very results we want. Three months in, you might come to me frustrated because the scale hasn't moved. Maybe it's even gone up a pound or two. But when I ask how you're feeling, you tell me that you feel stronger, you have more energy, your clothes fit better, you're sleeping better, yet you still want to drop calories because that number on the scale isn't where you think it should be. Is where mindset becomes everything. If we constantly chase a smaller number, instead of paying attention to the real indicators of progress, we can actually sabotage the results that we're looking for. To achieve that fit toned look, most women want, we have to build muscle first. If we skip that step and jump straight into a calorie deficit, we often end up skinny fat, meaning we have a normal BMI, but a higher body fat and lower muscle mass. Let's put this into perspective. A pound of fat and a pound of muscle both weigh the same. A pound is a pound, but they differ in density. One pound of muscle takes up 15 to 20% less space than one pound of fat. Muscle is more compact and firm, which is why two people can weigh the same but look completely different. That's why focusing only on the scale can be so misleading and really can hinder your results. I would like to share a client story that perfectly illustrates this mindset shift. One of my amazing couture fitness clients, Katie, has completely redefined what success looks like in her health and fitness journey. Katie is a busy nurse and mom of two who like so many high achieving women, used to think progress meant watching the number on the scale go down. Before starting her journey with us, she stayed active but didn't have a structured routine. Cardio and calorie restriction were all she'd ever known. After her second baby, she lost 25 pounds through a low calorie diet without exercising. But over time, the weight crept back on. Even though she was still restricting calories, that's when she realized something had to change. She was tired of feeling stuck and wanted to learn how to truly fuel her body and feel strong. When she started with Couture fitness, her main goal was to get toned and understand what her body really needed to reach that goal. One of her biggest fears was increasing her calories because like so many women, she'd been conditioned to believe that eating less was the only way to see results. Fast forward to today, and she's stronger than ever, both physically and mentally. She's built visible muscle definition. She feels confident and has completely shifted her mindset. While the scale hasn't changed much, she's learned that true progress isn't defined by a number. In fact, ditching the scale has been one of the most freeing and empowering parts of her journey. Now instead of obsessing over the scale, she pays attention to how her clothes fit, how strong she feels, how much energy she has for her kids, and her demanding career. Success for her now means feeling strong, balanced, and empowered, fueling her body with enough food to support that lifestyle. Her story is such a powerful reminder that the scale can't measure strength. Confidence or mental freedom. When you stop letting that number define you, you open the door to real lasting change. So here's your mindset challenge for the week. Focus on how you feel, your strength, your energy, confidence, and overall wellbeing, not just the number on the scale. The scale can give feedback, but it doesn't define your worth, your progress, or your potential. There's so much more to life than a number on the scale. You get one body and one life, so fuel it, well move it with purpose and build the strength and confidence to fully embrace everything that life has to offer. When you stop chasing a smaller number and start chasing a stronger, more energized version of yourself, that's when true transformation happens. That is freedom and that is living life to the fullest at Couture Fitness Coaching, that's exactly what we're about. Helping high achieving women feel empowered, energized, and confident in their own skin while balancing it all. In fact, I'll be honest, I personally have my own coach because I struggle with the mindset of getting hung up on this scale as well from time to time. Sometimes I get so focused on that number that I forget what my overall goal is to feel healthy, strong, empowered, and confident. So I as a coach myself, have my own coach because even coaches need coaches to help them with their mindset, to help them push themselves beyond what they may be comfortable doing to be able to achieve that fit and tone and healthy look. Because success in our health and fitness journey is so much more than just that number on the scale. So this week, ditch the scale. Lean into strength, trust the process. And remember, you are so much more than a number. Thanks for tuning in. If you liked this episode, if it was helpful, share it with a friend and I'll see you next week.