I have never really been one to weigh myself on a regular
basis (though I did weigh myself on my wedding day and on the day we got back
from our honeymoon and had gained four pounds while in Europe – I blame Italy’s
gelato). I know that having to answer to a scale can really motivate some
people, but it’s not that way for me.
Exactly |
I step on a scale once in a while (at my doctor, for
example), and I always feel conflicted. I weigh less now (according to my most
recent encounter with the scale in Hawaii, two weeks ago) than I did in
college, but that shouldn’t be surprising. I also eat much healthier and work
out far more than I did in college, so shouldn’t I weight much less than I used to?
Thus my conflicted feelings about weight: When the numbers
don’t make me feel good, I just make excuses and ultimately ignore what I saw. When
they do make me feel good, I bask in the glory of my “success” for weeks,
eating a little extra because I’m so proud of myself.
Hello, contradiction.
On the other side of the coin, there are times when I feel
terrible about my habits—eating too much or too many sweets, eating out a lot,
not exercising enough—and then I step on a scale and see a much lower number
than I expected. What does that tell me? Hey,
I can continue these habits and lose weight! Or I’ll be feeling fantastic,
like I did in Hawaii—working out more (and more effectively) than ever, eating all
my fruits and vegetables and only a few sweets—and the scale tells me I’ve
gained weight. I give up.
I judge my health by other factors: how I feel, how my
clothes fit, my endurance, my energy, how I look, and my muscle tone. Without a
scale, these aspects of my wellbeing give me a great indication of how I’m
doing. If my muscle tone isn’t really impressing me, I’ll bump up my strength
training. If I’m noticing a little wiggle around my middle, I’ll cut back on
the sweets and bump up the cardio.
There are some people who can be upset by a number and use
that disappointment to fuel them on a really tough workout or help them avoid
sweets.
Biggest Loser contestants weigh in every week |
Not me! I am an emotional eater, so I would use it to fuel me through a
really big meal and help me avoid the gym. J I think it’s best for
all involved if I just back away from the scale and step onto a treadmill instead.
What’s your
relationship with the scale?
I never weigh myself too because the scale is not a true representation of your weight. You may be bloated that day from drinking too much water or just ate too much in a meal and the stuff hasn't passed through yet. I always go by how my clothes fit and how I feel about my body. :)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! There are so many other ways to keep track of health.
Deletei do not, ever, weigh myself. no need!
ReplyDeleteAmen!
DeleteAre you in my head?! This is EXACTLY how I feel! The only occasion I step on the scale is when I'm at my parents house, because they have happen to have one (I won't even buy one). If the number has stayed the same or gone down, sweeeeet! Best feeling. But if it has gone up, I get a little down on myself. But I shouldn't! I'm not actively trying to lose weight. I'm just living a healthier lifestyle than I ever used to. My health is all about how I feel ... the scale doesn't matter :) glad I found your blog!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one! :-) Thanks for reading and for the comment!
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