Ten years ago, I quit weighing myself for good, and never looked back, so I’d like to share some reasons to throw your scale away if you live by the number it tells you each day. Scales can be helpful for people that are overweight, and losing at first. It helps them keep progress of how they are doing. Or, for someone who is at a deathly low weight and gaining weight, it might be helpful for allowing them to see progress. Yet, for most of us, the scale is nothing more than an instrument of numerical torture. I prefer to go by how my clothes fit to see if I’m losing or gaining weight, and adjust accordingly. I have actually held a more steady weight the last two years of my life than ever, and haven’t done it through watching a scale needle hover, I promise. Getting rid of your scale has tons of benefits. Join me in celebrating all the reasons to throw your scale away, right this minute!
Snapshot Survey
Snapshot Survey
1. It Ruins Your Day
One of the main reasons to throw your scale away right now, is that getting on it and seeing a couple of pounds in weight gain, usually ruins most women’s day. I know a handful of people that have told me they wish they didn’t feel compelled to weigh themselves, but feel they have to in order to keep a low weight. When they see a couple of pounds increase, they freak out and it ruins their entire day. Don’t start your day off with a scale. Start it off with a nice jolt of exercise and a healthy breakfast. This gives you a good day, everyday, and is a great tip to stay at a healthy weight, without a scale.
2. It Alters Your Hunger Cues
If you see you’ve gained a few pounds, more than likely, you’re going to eat less that day. This puts you out of touch with your body, and messes with your natural hunger cues. Besides, dieting is terrible for your blood sugar, metabolism, and your mood. Weighing yourself every day can mess with your hunger levels because you make yourself skip meals or not eat. Please just stop, okay?
3. It Isn’t Always Right
Here’s a reason I really love. The scale isn’t always right! I bet I could bring in three different scales, and you’d weigh something different on all of them. Scales are machines, and while they may be close in accuracy, some can be off as much as 5 or 10 pounds. Go by your clothes, not your scale.
4. It Can Cause an Eating Disorder
For years, I didn’t want to know what I weighed, because a previous obsession with numbers led me to an eating disorder. It is usually a true cause of disordered eating for many women as well. They can’t seem to quit living by the number, and it hurts their relationship with food, self esteem, and can cause starving that leads to binging, and a whole other host of issues.
5. It Devalues You
Is a number really what you want to get up each day thinking about to give you worth? I hope not! Your dreams, heart, talents, and brain are what make you worthy, and how you can give back to the world through all those things. You’re worthy just as you are, and perhaps the scale is taking the privilege of knowing that away from you.
6. It Doesn’t Tell You You’re Healthy
A scale’s number means so many things, but doesn’t tell you all things. It doesn’t tell you how much of your weight is muscle mass, how much is water weight, or if the added 5 pounds you see is from a night eating high sodium foods, or because you have your period, which will make you gain weight. It also doesn’t tell you your heart health, if you’re malnourished, or if your bones are strong. All these things create a weight on the scale, and you can’t tell how healthy you are, just by a number alone.
7. It Doesn’t Mean Anything
So what if you weigh more this year than last? If you’re not at a risk for obesity, or you’re not so low in weight that you’re sick, quit thinking that your weight means more than it does. It can be a sign that things are off, but there are many other signs that tell you’re unhealthy, more than a scale’s number. Be more concerned with your heart health, female health, and hormone health than anything, along with your mental health. If you have issues that are sending signs something is wrong, see a doctor, but don’t allow your scale to mean more than anything, except a number that doesn’t say much about anything.
If you’re struggling with throwing the scale away, why? What’s the number one reason you weigh yourself every day, and would you consider stopping?
Feedback Junction
Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge