Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” That’s true for life in general, but especially true when it comes to weight loss progress. In that realm, comparison can be the cause of a lot of frustration and discouragement.
Who knows how it happened, but at some point, fitness, health, and wellness became competition-focused. Maybe it dates to the original Olympics, or maybe it goes back even further to that whole survival of the fittest thing. No matter the origin, humans tend to compare themselves with others. It’s all about who can run the fastest and jump the highest or lose the most weight in the least amount of time. Weight loss is an individual experience, not a team sport or competition. It’s you vs. you, and the only thing that matters is that you’re trying to be a better version of yourself than you were yesterday.
How To Measure Your Progress Individually
Humans love to measure and track things. Comparing weight loss progress with the people around us gives us a way to gauge the level of our weight loss failure or success. But the fact remains that everyone’s body is different, and weight loss is a very individualized experience. It’s time to stop comparing yourself and your weight loss to others and learn how to measure weight loss in a more healthy and productive way.
The scale is a useful weight measurement tool, but it only tells a small part of your weight loss story. There are several factors that go into how much a person weighs, which is why it’s never a good idea to compare numbers on the scale or pounds lost. Factors such as height, bone density, muscle mass, water retention, and more, all contribute to how much a person weighs. There are effective ways to measure weight loss success without stepping on a scale, or comparing yourself to others.
First of all, you can quite literally measure weight loss. Using a tape measure to track your body composition is one of the best ways to see changes in your body. You can download and use the free Xyngular measurement tracker here to keep tabs on how your body changes as you lose weight.
If you don’t want to do anything as formal as that, you can measure your progress in more subtle ways, like taking progress photos, doing fitness assessments, noticing how your clothes fit, tracking healthy habits, or paying attention to your energy level and how you feel. You can track your wins by recognizing that going for walks gets easier and that you can go for longer distances, or noticing how you’re eating healthier and maybe even actually enjoying it. Your health is about more than a number on the scale. Noticing these subtle wins will help you see that you’re making progress. It doesn’t matter if your journey looks more like the race of the tortoise or more like the hare. The important thing is to recognize your personal victories and keep moving.
Why Comparing Yourself Can Damage Your Progress
No matter how physically fit you are, there will always be someone who is in better shape. And no matter how good your weight loss story is, there will always be someone who has lost more weight, or lost it faster, or did it while on a strict all-bread diet. Measuring your weight loss progress against that of others can leave you feeling discouraged and may even make you want to give up. It can make you feel like your efforts are futile or not enough.
The reality is that you will lose weight in your own way and at your own pace. How much weight you lose, or how fast you lose it, doesn’t define who you are. But if you measure your weight loss progress by building healthy habits and a better lifestyle, you can feel good, and live life more fully. You will be happier in your weight loss journey if you focus on and celebrate your own successes.
How Do I Stop Comparing My Weight Loss To Others?
It can be a challenge to not compare yourself to others when you hear their weight loss progress and success. When we hear of someone else’s success, our brains have a tendency to automatically begin to evaluate our own progress, and we start running the numbers in our head. How can you stop comparing yourself to others? Here are five ways we’ve found that will help you refocus on your own journey:
Practice Gratitude
Your body is amazing and can do wonderful things. Take a moment each day, or when you’re feeling discouraged, to thank it for all it does for you. Recognize how far you’ve already come and be grateful for the journey and for the opportunity to continue.
Focus On Strengths
It’s easy to dwell on our weaknesses and weight loss failures. What would change if you flipped the script and focused on what you’re doing well? Put most of your energy into getting better at the things you’re already doing well, and then you can gradually work on the areas of your life that need improvement.
Celebrate Others
Tearing others down doesn’t help you reach your goals any faster. Seek to become a cheerleader for others and their accomplishments. It will make you feel good, and they might return the favor and pick you up when you need it someday.
Remember You Don’t Know The Full Story
We often compare other people’s highlight reel to our own messy, behind-the-scenes view. The truth is, we don’t see what it took that person to get where they are. They too have faced unseen challenges that we know nothing about.
Use Others As Inspiration
There’s a big difference between comparing yourself to others and using them as an inspiration. When you compare yourself to others, you tend to measure pound for pound and day by day. On the other hand, using someone as an inspiration means you look to them, to the work they put in, and to the goals they reached, and think, “If they can reach their goals, I can too!” You don’t have to do exactly what they did or even reach the same goals, but their accomplishments can motivate you.
Xyngular 8 Day Jumpstart: A Weight Loss Solution For You
Losing weight can be a struggle, even when you’re not bringing yourself down by comparing your progress to others. That’s why it’s good to have a solid support system in place. This includes the support of family, friends, a significant other, and even coworkers. A good weight loss approach, like the Xyngular 8-Day Jumpstart can also give you a boost to reach your goals.
This Xyngular weight loss tool has everything you need to start losing weight. How much weight? Again, that’s different for everyone, but people have lost up to 15 lbs in the first eight days, and then continue to lose 1-2 lbs each week after that.* The important thing isn’t the numbers you’ll see on the scale. The best part is the confidence you’ll gain as you begin to experience your own weight loss success story.
If you’re ready to begin tracking your own weight loss progress with the Xyngular 8-Day Jumpstart, log in to your Xyngular account, or contact a Xyngular representative today.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
*Individual results may vary based on personal variables and adherence to the program/product use. Typical results are 1-2 lbs. lost per week.
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