It cannot talk yet it speaks to you. Some days it makes you giddy with delight; other days it puts you into a deep depression. It judges you on a superficial level, and the thought of it is enough to worry even the most optimistic person. What am I talking about? The notorious bathroom scale.
What is with this obsession we have with the scale? For most people, the scale can be an adversary or an ally, depending on the day. We often hate what it says or argue with it, but we still feel the desire to trust and use it. When used properly and taken for what it is, it can be a very useful tool for weight management. But for many, the scale does more than measure the total weight of all your various parts--it somehow defines who you are as a person. And sadly, if we read too much into it, it can determine your own self-worth. If you identify with any of the four signs below, it may be time to take a break from the single-use tool and seek out other barometers for weight-loss and health success.
1. You constantly worry about weighing in.
When you're trying to lose weight, it's normal to experience some hesitation when it's time for your weekly weigh-in. After all, you want to see the numbers go down as confirmation that all of your hard work has paid off. We all want to be rewarded for our efforts, and it can be discouraging when you have done everything right and things still don’t pan out. However, if you find yourself preoccupied with worrisome thoughts of what the scale is going to say tomorrow or the next day, then you might be a little too obsessed with the scale.
2. You weigh in more than once per day.
We recommend weighing in once a week (or even less). Why? Your body weight can and will fluctuate from day to day, and changes throughout a single day, too. There is no sense in putting yourself on that rollercoaster. In the war on weight, if you become so concerned that you weigh yourself daily or several times a day, you are fighting a losing battle and are unintentionally setting yourself up to be discouraged and frustrated. If you feel like you can't control yourself or stop yourself from weighing in each day, then you could be headed for trouble.
3. You can recite your weight to the nearest fraction at all times.
This is a sure sign that you are relying too heavily on the scale. Anyone who can tell you not only how much they weigh each day, but measures weight loss to the nearest quarter of a pound is probably weighing in too often. There is nothing wrong with wanting to see a lower number on the scale--even if it's a quarter pound lower--but remember that weighing in is more about trends, or an average decrease or consistency in weight over time.
4. The scale determines how you feel about yourself that day.
When the number is down, you step off the scale singing and have a pep in your step all day. When the number goes up (or stays the same when you expected a loss), you feel like Charlie Brown walking around with a rain cloud above your head. To me, this is the saddest situation of all—to let the scale dictate how you should feel. How would you feel about yourself if you hadn't weighed in that day? What other ways would you determine your self-worth if weight didn't exist?
We Need a Break
If one (or all) of these situations sound familiar to you, it's time to step away from the scale. Go cold turkey, or at the very least, weigh-in less often. But what's a "compulsive weigher" to do?
Instead of letting the scale alone determine whether you're a success or failure, use more reliable measures to determine your progress. My philosophy is that weight loss is not a goal, but the result of healthy habits like a better diet and regular exercise. When you do step on the scale and don't see the reading you had hoped for, ask yourself these questions: Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? Am I making healthy food choices most of the time? Am I exercising consistently? If you are, then trust that your body is making positive changes and the results will come. If you are not, then resolve to be more consistent in healthy behaviors to see the results you want.
Weighing yourself has its place, but it's important to make sure you don’t go overboard and give too much credence to this one measurement. After all, other measures--how much energy you have, how much easier it is to climb a flight of stairs, how well your clothes fit, how well you're sleeping--might not be as precise or scientific, but they're sure to make you feel happier and more successful than a scale ever could.
