Ditch Your Scale (or at least store it somewhere you won't see it every day)

You are there every day, killing yourself in that gym, on the elliptical, in that class, lifting those weights... and still you are not where you want to be. What gives?!?

                  Lets just say you have a trainer or you just 'know what you are doing'. You log the hours. You do the proper resistance training/cardio/rest ratio during your week AND you have been doing it for 6 months (or maybe even longer) but you still don't have that body you want... "but that number on the scale is exactly where I wanted when I started toward my goal but...ugh, I'm still not satisfied!"
Guess what? It's your nutrition. When I say 'nutrition' what am I referring to? Here's a definition I like:
nu-tri-tion: the process of nourishing or being nourished, especially the process of by which a LIVING organism assimilates food and uses it for growth and for replacement of tissues.
Our cells are basically dying and reproducing every day and it is our job to give our body what it needs to do its job properly. Nutrition (or nutrients) is essentially the fuel your body needs to do anything. Sounds to me like the quality of that fuel should matter a whole lot? Nutrients can be divided into Macronutrients and Micronutrients.
mac-ro-nu-tri-ents: an element required in large sum by living organisms. e.g. carbohydrates, fats, and proteins (most of our calories)
mic-ro-nu-tri-ents: a substance needed only in small amounts for normal function such as vitamins or minerals
In order for you to sculpt your ideal body, you must make sure you are taking in the proper amount and type of each of these nutrients on a daily basis. Eating shouldn't be hard. I understand  peoples frustration when I hammer away at the the importance of planning out their meals for the week or asking to see the nutrition information at a restaurant. This is because we have turned 'food' into something else entirely. 'Food' has become  entertainment. 'Food' has become a way to bond, celebrate, or relax. While I think it's fine to use 'Food' in this way sometimes, the majority of the time we should be seeing and using food the way it was intended: to nourish our bodies for continued growth and function. Once you really flip that switch and see 'food' for what it is, will you finally be free of that petty number on the scale and be able to get some real work done! 
                That number on that scale (whether you like it or not) is just calories in vs. calories out. This isn't rocket science. If you want to gain weight, consume more calories then you burn off. If you want to loose weight, burn off more calories then you take in. But that is in regards to 'weight'. If you are morbidly obese, anorexic, or a wrestler then your weight matters. Otherwise it doesn't matter at all! I'm not going all crunchy-granola-love-thyself on you! Nope! What I'm saying is you can have the most ideal, Perfect 10 body-of-your-dreams-size 4/6/8 whatever, and weigh wayyyy more (or less) then you think you should.
                 The number you should be paying attention to is your Body Fat Percentage (which can most easily be taken with calibers by your trainer or at your gym (I think those on-line calculators are a crock, sorry). Your density (muscle vs. fat) matters. Your hydration matters. Your weight (that stupid number) doesn't matter.
                 If you are one of those people who likes to calorie count, that's fine, but make sure that you are not only getting enough calories to gain or maintain your muscle mass and burn fat but that the micro vs. macro nutrients that make up those calories are the proper ratio for YOU and YOUR GOALS.
                Let the number go. Focus on how awesome your workouts make you feel, start paying attention to your 'fuel' and body-fat percentage and let the transformation happen!