Have you ever stepped on the scale after a week of "being really good" only to be rewarded with an eye popping four pound gain? Don't despair! Your scale isn't trying to ruin your efforts and it doesn't hate you. True health is measured in many ways, only one of which is your outward appearance, and what you weigh is the least reliable measure of all.

When you change your habits, especially your eating habits, it takes time for your body to catch up. Everything you eat and drink doesn't magically disappear into thin air as soon as you swallow, so if you just ate two pounds of food and step on the scale, surprise, you've just gained two pounds. Now you and I both know that's not true weight. You didn't suddenly get fatter, just fuller. Tip No. 1: Don't weigh yourself right after you eat.

Have you ever felt great, and figured, "I'm feeling really good, my pants are loose, I think I'll just check my weight," only to see you've gained five pounds. How can that be? What happens next is critical. If you wail and whine and decide this whole "getting healthy" thing is just not worth it, then you may not reach your weight loss goals.

If instead you think, "Isn't that the strangest thing," and then get on with your day, you'll be fine. Tip No. 2: The scale is stupid. It doesn't know whether you're getting healthier, it only weighs what you place on it, and it doesn't do that very well. Ever step on the scale at someone else's house? Usually it's higher or lower than yours, isn't it? Wonder if they know their scale is off by six pounds?

Watch for better clues whether your weight loss efforts are paying off. Are your clothes, shoes and rings getting looser? Sure, you probably aren't too worried about fat fingers, but hey, it's a start. Are you getting stronger, can you walk farther, run faster? Rome wasn't built in a day and neither were those thighs! Give yourself time to gain health and lose weight. Tip No. 3: Loose shoes are a sign what you're doing is working.

Your weight will bounce up and down like a kid in a Jolly Jumper. Those fluctuations on the scale mean nothing, if you're doing what you know is best, eating better, exercising more. Once you've stepped on the scale, the deed is done, there's no going back. The number is staring right back at you, and like it or not, there it is. Weigh yourself if you must, but then step right back off, shrug your shoulders or congratulate yourself, depending on whether you liked the number, and then go do something that supports your goals.

Let the "number" be whatever it is. Don't give any power to that number on the scale. Good or bad, it's just something to track or write in your journal. Work instead on doing whatever will support your goals whether they be losing weight, gaining strength, or increasing the minutes you spend with the children.

Eventually you'll get to recognize those scale fluctuations and know it's because you ate salty foods yesterday, or because you over ate all weekend, then you'll get back on track and guess what? Those extra pounds disappear as quickly as they appeared. Tip No. 4: Learning to ignore the scale can be the single greatest thing you ever do for yourself and your sanity.

~~ Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, Weight Loss Coach and owner of OneMoreBite-WeightLoss.com is the author of "Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss," and "5 Steps to Blast Through Weight Loss Plateaus."

Both books and Weight Loss Tracking Graph available in "Tools" section. Get The Daily Bites: Easy mini-lessons about using EFT for weight loss. "It's not just about weight loss but about having a way to handle everything." http://www.OneMoreBite-WeightLoss.com/getnews.html