The Dreaded Scale

I remember in high school at my parents' house the scale was in my siblings bathroom.  Every morning when I woke up I would run down the hall to weigh myself.  The agony of the number and the worth it gave me or didn't give me.  The knowledge of when I woke up could I feel my hip bones sticking out enough?  How did I feel?  And the number on that scale.  Those 6 months of my life where my world revolved around that scale and the number were more than enough for living that lifestyle.  I was not eating and exercising far too much. I was in a state of exercise anorexia. I was unhealthy.

Since that year of high school I have not allowed a scale in my bathroom.  In fact, I limit myself on the amount of times a year I weigh myself because it very quickly can become an unhealthy obsession.  I know when I gain weight by my clothes, my energy, and my overall feeling.  Sadly, because I got on the scale so many times I can pretty much tell you spot on how much I weigh at any given time.  I can also give you an exact number of the amount of pounds I need to lose to get to my comfort point.  So why do I a personal trainer, nutritionist, and nurse not keep a scale around?  For many reasons.

1.  The scale taunts me because even when I'm at a healthy weight, I don't like that number and I want to keep that number going down. I want that number to be a number that isn't healthy.  After those  months of my hair falling out, my nails breaking, my period stopping... I'd much rather have a few extra pounds on me then to go back to the way I was when the scale ruled my life.

2. The SCALE does NOT define my beauty.  My beauty comes from what is inside.  The first place when I'm feeling self conscious that I need to go is on the inside and to those around me who will build me up.  In the last year and a half because of going on and off night shift my body has had a mind of its own.  One month I'll be trying to gain weight and the next month I can't seem to get weight off.  No matter what that scale says right now, I want you to know you are beautiful just the way you are.

3.  Your body can fluctuate in water weight throughout the day.  I see it every day I work in the hospital.  The number on the scale is not as accurate as some may hope.  Can it give you a good warning sign that you are unhealthy or headed towards an unhealthy zone? yes. But day to day, your energy level, your clothes, and how you feel overall is a much better assessment of the direction your headed!

So my advice?  If you have a scale, hide it. Limit the amount of times you weigh yourself.  Focus on loving yourself from the inside out. Focus on being healthy.  As your focus on being healthy increases, as your outlook on where your beauty comes from changes, your confidence will soar.  Confidence that can't be shaken by a few numbers on a scale.  

As one of my favorite sayings right now goes "Focus on being healthy and the weight will take care of itself".  My dear friends, healthiness is not limited to that number on the scale but how you daily view yourself. YOU are beautiful. YOU are incredible. YOU are intelligent.

What words describe you?  Show us your pictures with what you are going to see when you step on that scale!