223: Why The Scale Sucks: 7 Better Ways To Know If Your Health & Fitness Plan Is Working

Losing weight is no walk in the park, and staying committed to your new healthy lifestyle can be even more challenging. Here's the thing, it's easy for us to follow something short term and get results but not to keep it going for the long term. In this episode, I'm going to explain why it's hard to maintain weight-loss and how you could be sabotaging your health by making doing these crazy diets and miracle workouts. Listen now for more!

There's no greater feeling than losing weight and fitting into those old jeans. And while losing the weight is difficult, the harder part comes after that: maintaining your new weight for the long haul. Sure, you want to keep your new slim physique and continue feeling confident. But there's an even more important reason you should want to stay diligent.

First, let's check out a review:

"Okay at 50 I'm an older guy. I'm not going to go crazy doing insane physical things. That is what I really like about this Podcast, sure it has some of that stuff too but it has a ton of information that I'm interested in as well, backed by science and well thought out. Still, that wouldn't normally get me to listen to a Podcast. What I really enjoy is the insightful questions, wide array of very interesting topics and the intelligence the host brings to both the content and the guest and the guests are really first rate. So, yeah I'm hooked and I'm learning a lot because my life is improving because of it" — Gentlemen Adventurer

Thank you so much Gentlemen Adventurer for your review. It's awesome to hear that you are appreciating the work that we have been doing at Legendary Life and that it has been helping you!

Now, this all started when I visited my dad's for Thanksgiving and he asked, "Why are there all these information out there for health and fitness and gyms but people are still overweight?"

I thought it is such a great question and my answer is, most people aren't looking at the situation the right way and they aren't doing the right things. My dad like many is one of those people who has always been on and off diets. He eats the low-fat foods that people on diets typically consume. But the greatest challenge of this century is the obesity epidemic. According to the 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Close to 70 % of Americans are overweight and 30% are obese.

Why? Because of an abundance of food and we don't move a lot. You've heard it before if you want to lose weight, eat less, and move more. And it's true to some level but the reality is a large percentage of people who lose weight by dieting end up fatter than they were when they started diet within 2 years.

The hard truth is diets do not lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people. So what's the answer? Why can people follow something short term and get results but not keep it going to long term? The main reason is that they are out of control. And who are what do we have to blame for being out of control?

Hormones, neurotransmitters, and sleep influences a lot in our body including hunger, cravings, and why we feel satisfied or not after a meal.

That is why your goal shouldn't be to lose weight, your goal shouldn't be to eat low-calorie low-fat foods, your goal should be to exercise, eat whole foods, sleep and in general live your life in a way that stabilizes your hormones and neurotransmitters. Think about what your goals are right now for health and fitness and I want you to think about what I just said.

I've provided a guide you should use to truly measure how effective is your health and fitness program:

7 Better Ways To Know If Your Health & Fitness Plan Is Working:

1. You feel satisfied after meals (21:02)
2. You have more energy (21:49)
3. You're sleeping better (26:10)
4. Weight vs Body-fat (Hint: Pay attention to how your clothe fit) (28:11)
5. Your mood is more stable (30:05)
6. You're stronger and have better endurance (32:49)
7. You feel like you're living a lifestyle and not following a workout or diet (35:24)

Remember, your workout program has to be sustainable and something you can keep up for years or the weight will come back. A slow methodical approach is what gets you in better shape and optimizes your health and the way you feel. If you're currently on a program that you're not enjoying and love, I invite you to take check out the holiday sale on our products.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

If you have any questions (or would like answers to hear previously submitted voicemail questions!), head on over to the ASK TED section.

Are you tired of following a fitness routine, eating healthier foods, and not be seeing the weight come off the way you hope? Take my FREE Quiz now and find out how to fix that today.

Until next time!

Ted