By: Michael Beiter

I just got off a coaching call with a client from Virginia. She has been hesitant to weigh herself regularly since we started.

"I just can't see how it's worth getting on the scale every morning. It always puts me in a bad mood." She said.

"Good. If that little number is capable of causing you that much pain, it is equally able to produce joy. What would make you exuberant to get on that scale each day?" I asked.

"Probably weighing what I did before my first kid, or like high school weight."

"Alright. As I see it, you weigh daily until you reach those body weights. You feeling bad as a result of your weight is a GOOD thing. It signifies that you care and that you know something needs to change.

People will tell you otherwise, don't listen. They think you should ignore a number if you feel bad about it. Imagine not caring every time you gain weight. That's like doing nothing when your bank account shows only red numbers.

Your pain from weighing too much is good; once that pain becomes more significant than the cost of changing, you will be on your way. So, how many lousy weigh-ins will it take?"

She ended the call by saying the most valuable thing we talked about was the perspective shift on the scale.

"Nobody has ever told me feeling bad was a good thing before you. It makes sense, though; it drives action!"