Using the Scale to Monitor Your Weight

Here's an interesting read...

Hmmm…Weigh yourself. Easier to get back on track, but risk the tears and your day being blown before it even starts.

Not weigh yourself…fall off track and gain more. But, save yourself the heartache of knowing that dreadful number.

You may have pondered this question wondering what you should do.

Scales are one way of measuring progress. However, because there are so many reflections of results, they don’t always measure our true success.

I used to be one of those people who weighed myself daily. I would track weight, body fat, water content, bone mass. You name it; I measured it - and sometimes multiple times a day.

Yes, you read that right, multiple times a day. It was my way of constantly judging myself to make sure I was on track.

But, on track for what?

You have to ask yourself, why are you even exercising?

I thought that as long as I was my perfect weight and my perfect body fat that life would be great. Yes, I do feel great when I’m in shape, but it’s not a certain number that proves it to me. It is how well I’m eating, my exercise and how well I’m taking care of my body. My energy level and drive for life is truly what I am seeking.

I don’t need a scale to show me that.

Often times we think that if we are a certain number then life would be great. But, I can almost guarantee that if you are looking for something outside to make you happy, either you or your circumstances will never be good enough.

I can’t tell you how many times that my clients and I have felt really great about our workouts and eating habits and then stepped on the scale only to be devastated by the number.

All the sudden you go into doubt that this is really working; fear that you can never get the extra weight off; judgment that you just aren’t good enough; and comparison that others can do it, but you can’t.

So, how would you feel if that scale said the ideal number?

You’d be happy, right?

Then, picture that scale saying that ideal number and live from that.

You have 10 million cells that are dying and replacing themselves every minute. Each cell within it carries the vibration and energy of your body. If you are in the vibration that I am fat, your cells actually act to duplicate that. If you are in a “feel good” vibration, your cells work to replicate that.

Does that mean that you can “think yourself thin?”

Well, not really, but you don’t get to where you want to go by judging and criticizing yourself. Think of a small child. If you wanted them to change would you judge and criticize them? No, you’d love and accept them as they are and then have them make gradual changes.

You are no different. You have a small child within you. By loving and accepting yourself the way that you are, you begin to make changes.

My mentor Louise Hay always says that the number one reason people don’t lose weight is because they hold the feeling of not being good enough and they hold on to past pain. That creates a constant fear and stress. The scale only reinforces that.

You don’t need a scale to tell you where you are at. You have an internal scale that knows when you need to pick it up and eat better. The key is to discipline yourself to make the changes.

Remember the small amount of pain you may experience when you exercise is nothing compared to the energy surge and vigor for life you feel when in shape.

Use the scale? Not use the scale?

If you are a person who is able to use a scale for a monitoring tool and don’t take the results to heart, then I encourage you to keep using it.

But, if the scale is an automatic day or week buster if the number doesn’t say what you want, then skip the scale. Otherwise, you will spend your entire life trying to achieve some number and fight what is again and again.

Again, the answer is up to you. But, my encouragement is to really take a look at yourself. If you can use it for a monitor tool that helps you get back on track, great.

But, if you find it ruining your day, then skip the weigh in and focus on a daily workout (at least 15-30 minutes/day), strength training (2 times per week), some light stretching. Plus, remember your body is constantly being re-made by the foods you give it. So, pre-plan and treat yourself with healthy foods and lots of water.