Don't Be the Hester Prynne of Scale Weight aka Wouldn't you rather drop a dress size than scale numbers?

Hester didn't care about scale weight. She went by how tight her bonnet was!

Tenth grade lit quiz time!

Q: What did the "A" on the blouse of Hester Prynne, protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, stand for?

A: Was it:

A. Adulterer?
B. Able?
C. Ass-Backward?

If Hester authored some of the emails we received this week, the answer would be C. Ass-Backward.

Why?

My guess is that it's getting warmer outside. Beach and bikini time is on the horizon. These emails contain -verbatim - stuff like this:

I feel so great on the No Fail Fat Burning For Women protocol! I've dropped two jean sizes! I'm starting to see abs! My sleep is deep and restful! My acne is gone! But what am I doing wrong because I step on the scale and it says I've only lost a pound in three weeks. I'm ready to give up! Why isn't it working?

Sincerely,

Ass-Backward Hester Prynne

Dear Ass-Backward:

First, what you're doing wrong is worrying about a number that means nothing while taking a giant steaming crap on incredible progress; simple, smart science; and reaping the rewards of solid work.

Would you rather have a low scale number but still be in the jeans that are now two sizes too big?

Would you rather be on the beach cracking foxy in that new bikini or walk around with nothing to show but an arbitrary weight scale number hanging on your neck like some misguided, metabolically deranged Flavor Flav?

Second, please read this blog post about body composition vs. scale weight vs. body fat percentage.

Third, please re-read Chapter Two: Screw the Scale & Eat Your Ass Off of No Fail Fat Burning For Women. Let me highlight some key ideas (with Skye's permission):

"THE SCALE.

I'd take 137lbs over 123lbs any day.

Screw it. Numbers don't mean much. Did you poop this morning? Well, there's a couple pounds lost.

Did you NOT poop this morning? There's a couple pounds you're still hauling around. Where are you in your menstrual cycle? Did you drink a bunch of water or shower before weighing? That will cause flux in scale numbers. So will weighing yourself at different times of the day.

Becoming obsessed with the scale is only going to be a dangerous mind game. It's going to be you screwing you. My weight doesn't matter to me as much as body fat percentage anyway because I know I'm gaining lean muscle mass. It weighs more but burns more fat even in a sedentary state. Ever seen five pounds of fat next to five pounds of muscle?

Five pounds of fat. Five pounds of muscle.

The five pound muscle is much smaller than the five pounds of fat yet they weigh the same. You want more muscle. And no, you won't turn into SheHulk. You'll be toned, shapely and strong."

So, if your goal is a lower scale number for the sake of numbers, take apart your scale and super glue whatever number you want into the display window and then brag about it to those from whom you need validation.

If you want to feel confident in your skin and clothes, come off the meds, clear up your skin, sleep soundly at night and enjoy this journey on Earth, step off the scale and stick with the protocol.

Remember: you're not a damsel in distress. You're the heroine of your story.

Yours in resilience, strength and sticks of butter!
Much aloha,
Michelle

PS: We've been very busy getting our Kick Fat in the Ass Spring 2015 Team prepped for kick off on April 1! After poring over almost 100 applications, we decided to stay focused on four amazing women whose transformational journeys you'll want to follow here and on Facebook.