This is a question that I struggle with as a female, human and as a professional. The scale is a funny thing. It keeps us accountable. It lets us track our changes over the years. It lets us know if we are sick. It makes us feel good about our new health programs but it can also be a mind f#&$.
I used to have a really healthy relationship with the scale. I was always pretty muscular and LOVED going to the guess your weight guy at K-Days because I always won (he would think I was up to 15 lbs lighter than I was). Then something flipped and I became obsessive about my weight to the point where I stopped exercising and ate very little just to see the number continue to drop. I completely brainwashed myself into thinking thinner was better at all costs. I would weigh at least once a day to make sure I didn’t go up 1/2 a pound and if I did it was devastating. Healing from this state was long and hard. Eventually I had to get to the point of focusing on how healthy, strong and vibrant I felt as opposed to aiming for a number.
I am now at another weird scale crossroads. I had a baby. While you are pregnant, everyone wants to know how much you are gaining and gaining is seen as a positive thing (as it should be). But, as soon as baby pops out, all of a sudden your family, friends and strangers are all focused on how close you are to loosing your baby weight. I weighed myself within 6hrs of birth and had dropped 13 lbs… awesome. Then as I continued to weigh over the next 5 weeks… nothing. I went up and down but have stayed the same as 6hrs post baby. I started to get down. Knowing my past, I’ve put the scale away for 2 weeks now. Its been hard not to just peek but I don’t. Why? Because I’m feeling good. If anything, I feel like I need to be eating more nutrient dense foods like avocados because of nursing demands and I don’t want a number on the scale to scare me into taking smaller portions.
Some people do really well with daily weighing. Working in the industry, I’ve been with many people who really like stepping on the scale daily or at least every few days. Knowing exactly how much you weigh, while knowing that you are taking care of yourself through diet and exercise, keeps them from having that extra beer or cheesecake at the end of the night. That being said, these people also tend to realize that if they do have an occasional beer or cheesecake, it really doesn’t make a difference.
Some people do really well with noticing how their clothes are fitting. We’ve all heard that weight doesn’t correspond to muscle and fat balance…it’s true. Gaining 5 lbs on the scale might actually mean that you drop enough fat and build enough muscle to go down a pant size. I do like this approach because, let’s be honest, the #1 reason why we care about the scale is because we want to look fabulous. Having a few outfits that you love not only for the style but for how smokin’ they make you feel are great to keep on hand. Occasionally putting them on just to check if those extra night’s out with your friends is making a difference may be all you need to course correct your diet and exercise. That being said, it’s important to realize that there will be some significant periods where your body will change A BIT (aka. puberty, post-pregnancy and post-menopause).
As much as I want to be that person who does really well with weighing every few days, I know that I’m not. I don’t think many of us are. What we need to cultivate is a healthy and realistic sense of where we are. Energy, strength and vibrance are all huge cues in telling you if you are getting what your body needs. Have a conversation with yourself in the evening to check in on how your food and movement hindered or helped you day. Then put on a sexy little outfit for yourself and be happy with wherever you are. I have found over the years that the more you accept where you are, the more likely and the easier it is to get to your ideal. When you do step on the scale, look yourself in the eyes after and tell yourself “You’re beautiful” no matter what the number is. As for me, I’ve made a promise to myself that I’m going to wait until my baby is about 6 months before I step on again. It’s a bit of a test and I’ll let you know how it goes.
Jay
