I used to beat myself up with the scale—now I use it as a healthy tool. Amazing!
I’ve talked about how the number on the scale doesn’t really matter in terms of looks or health. But it does mean something to me.
At this point in my recovery, I can use the scale as a reality check—a tool to keep myself honest about what I’m really eating. See, I weigh myself once a month, and have been doing so for the last year or so. The number often goes up or down a pound or two, depending on everything from what I had for breakfast that day to where I am in my cycle (God, I HATE bloat), but for the most part, it’s pretty darn stable.
That is, it had been until about three months ago. That’s when it slowly started trending up. At first I thought it was a fluke! But the reality is that I’ve put on about four pounds. This little uptick doesn’t make me feel bad about myself, it doesn’t make me hate my body, nor does it make me want to hop on a crash diet. It’s a miracle, but I can honestly say that I’m able to healthfully use this information about my weight in a non-judgemental way.
What the scale is telling me is that I’m taking in just a little more food than my body actually needs or wants me to. And if I’m honest with myself, I know exactly where it’s coming from: Extra cheese in my salads (whoops! grated too much accidentally on purpose!), two tablespoons of walnuts in my yogurt instead of my usual one (hey, I had a hard day, I deserve extra food, right?), snaking a few French fries off my husband’s plate instead of focusing on my own dinner. All of that sounds a bit like emotional eating—which is what I definitely do not want to go back to doing. So, I’m thankful for this little weight gain. If I use the information correctly, it can help me keep getting healthier and saner about food!
Where do you stand in your relationship with the scale? Is it a good thing or a bad thing for you?
xo…Sunny
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I stay away. Doctor’s office only!
It’s a good thing for me. I get on it a few times a week, every time I go to the gym (don’t have one at home). Same reasons as you, though I’m still trying to lose maybe 10 more pounds. If it goes up, (outside pms/msg) than I know I have to eat less food. If it’s not budging, I ignore it, or eat bit less, exercise a bit more. I don’t freak out over it, it’s like a thermometer, lets me know if I need to readjust something.