Why I Don’t Weigh Myself

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

(Source)

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?