To Weigh Or Not to Weigh – That is the Question
One of the most frustrating things when it comes to our body, is the fact that we often allow a little hunk of plastic, to tell us whether or not our body is acceptable. If the scale is up, that must mean 1. we don’t look good or 2. that we’re not trying hard enough, or 3. other people must think we look awful. Right?
Wrong! At least that method of thinking is wrong.
I have always had a love/hate relationship with the typical bathroom scale. And believe me… I’m no exception when it comes to feeling happy when the scale shows a low number and feeling angry when the number is high. That’s just human nature when you’re a woman living in a society that puts so much value on being thin. However, there is a part of me – a much wiser part of me – that knows this is a dangerous habit to get into, as well as a very frustrating way to live your life.
Our weight can vary for so many reasons… so thinking you are better one day, because the scale was down a pound, and then feeling like chopped liver the next day because it was up three pounds, is an extremely tiring emotional roller coaster ride to be riding on! And if this is how you typically feel when you step on the bathroom scale – happy one day and sad the next – you would be better off throwing that scale out the window and not paying attention to it at all!
If you really think about it, we all have within us, the intuitive knowledge that helps us know whether or not we need to lose weight for health or aesthetic reasons and we don’t necessarily need a scale to tell us that information. Now obviously, there are definitely advantages to knowing your weight… especially when embarking on a weight loss program so you can measure your progress. However… the scale is not always an accurate source to gage your success! There are better, more accurate methods to determine your success… such as measurements, body fat %, body mass index and how your clothes are fitting. But even THEN, if everything else is showing improvement, yet the scale hasn’t budged much, we can feel frustrated!
So what’s the solution? Well, in my opinion, it varies with each individual person. If you are one who gets frustrated and emotionally involved with the bathroom scale, I say you need to break up! Say goodbye! Hasta-La-Vista baby! That thing is no better to you than a mean, two-faced, backstabbing friend!
However, if you don’t let your emotions get too involved with the bathroom scale, and if you KNOW you can have a healthy relationship with it, (and take what it says with a grain of salt), then there’s no harm in weighing yourself periodically. Now keep in mind that it IS possible to change your relationship with the bathroom scale. Many years ago, my scale was my daily mood-meter. {It was an awful way to live.} Later on however, I improved my relationship with the scale and realized that it did not have the right to determine my mood for the day. But even still, there are weeks or months when I’m tempted to allow the scale to dictate my mood… and it’s those times when I have to remind myself that it’s absolutely not worth it, and that I would be happier with the scale out of my sight for a while.
So if you are exercising regularly, eating right and doing your best with your health and fitness goals, then be wise when deciding whether or not to weigh yourself. Sometimes it can be a great motivator, but other times it can simply sabotage all of your dedicated efforts!
What about you? What do you think about your bathroom scale and the information it tells you?
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5 Responses to “To Weigh Or Not to Weigh – That is the Question”
Lily
March 27th, 2009
Hi Liz!!
We have one of those. When I’m really focusing on losing weight, I tend to use it more (and as a barometer of how I’m doing). When I’m not – I stay away from it, and focus more on how I feel and how my clothes fit. Coming here as a guy, I suppose we typically have fewer issues with our weight – as society seems to put much more pressure on women and the “thin look”. So, I can’t say at all that I understand what it’s like to be a woman and deal with the scale. I do, however, believe that what’s most important is how we feel about ourselves – and if the scale becomes a way for us to change our mood – then it becomes a dangerous device to play with. For men or women. And all this said (and just being here on your site, Liz) – it’s time for me to go get some exercise! Have a wonderful weekend!!
Lances last blog post..Sunday Thought For The Day
Lance
March 28th, 2009
Hahahaha I don’t even own a scale, just for that very reason! When i am at the gym i very rarely weigh myself! In fact i weighed myself at the gym last week and it said i had gained 5 lbs… I nearly died! All that work and i gained since the last time i weighed in??? It has been driving me nuts, but I do realize that I am fine! i just need to not weigh myself, or i WIll be a complete grump ALL day! lol
Autumns last blog post..Family Fun
Autumn
March 28th, 2009
Lily – I saw your beautiful muscles on Facebook! You are doing awesome… and weighing once a week is a great way to not become stressed about it! Good Job!
Lance – There are times that I think men have it so good… they don’t have quite as much pressure to be thin, (like you mentioned) and the style of their clothes is more loose and baggy! I mean, sometimes I feel like shirts for us women look like shrink wrap! LOL!!! Oh well… I think men are actually more forgiving of women’s flaws than women are! I’m not positive on that one because I’m not a man, but that’s the feeling I generally get when speaking to men about it.
Autumn – Remember that the weight gain could also be muscle mass that you have put on! And muscle looks hot and sexy… so I’m glad you didn’t allow yourself to get discouraged! 
Liz Rosenbaum
March 28th, 2009
Hi Liz,
Are women more critical of themselves then men are of them? In most cases, definitely! I think of my wife, and how she looks at herself and sees the “bad” – while I look and just don’t see it. Not to say that she’s a model at all, or has a perfect body – it’s just I think there’s much more pressure of women to meet some “standard” that really is unattainable, or is even unhealthy if it were attainable. Yet that’s the image that is portrayed all too often…
Lances last blog post..Sunday Thought For The Day
Lance
March 29th, 2009
I like the clothes fitting method. I always know when I am trimming down by the way my clothes feel. I lift weights a few times a week and so my weight can vary a lot. If my clothes are lose then I know I am making progress. So I only weigh myself maybe once a week.