Back in the day (I feel like this needs to be said in a Scottish accent, in an old man voice) I was super-mental, had poor self-image and battled with my body.
I also weighed myself every day.
Let me describe how my days would often go.
6.30am – wake up feeling great about the day, refreshed and ready to kick some serious booty
6.35am – weigh myself
6.36am – realise I had put on 5 grams and want to cry/feel shit about myself/lose my enthusiasm for the day and vow to diet harder/exercise harder etc.
Three years ago after a bunch of therapy*, I chucked my scales and I haven’t looked back. Here’s what my days now look like sans scales (with two kids – note the wake-up time difference)
5.15am – wake up feeling great about the day, refreshed and ready to kick some serious booty. THE END.
I know I am an extreme case, but I talk to normal people all the time who still have a tumultuous relationship with their scales. So here’s six reasons why I reckon you should just chuck them:
[1] Watching the number on the scales will make you miss the real results.
There are more useful indicators for good physical and mental health. Are you comfortable within yourself? Are you energetic enough to do the things you need and love to do? Does your skin glow? Do your clothes fit? Do you sleep well? Are your blood test results normal? Is your blood pressure and resting heart rate good? Are you exercising regularly? Do you eat wholesome food of lots of different colours? Are you regular (y’know what I mean)? Are you hydrated enough, ie do you have light coloured wee?
[2] The numbers don’t define you.
By letting the scales control your self-esteem, you are giving over your power. Repeat after me, girlfriend: “I am beyond fabulous just as I am” (and just to make sure it really sinks in, read this AMAZING book Embrace by Taryn Brumfitt, creator of the Body Image Movement and film maker of Embrace, The Documentary. If you haven’t seen this film, hop to it. I bawled my guts out.)
[3] You can focus on what really matters and be grateful.
This whole watching the scales thing is bullshit. It takes up precious time when you could be doing something else more valuable. Things that are important are your friends, family, your spirit, the good you bring to the world, the positivity you surround yourself with and share, achieving your goals and being the most delightful person you can be.
[4] The number on the scales isn’t absolute anyway.
The numbers on the scale can fluctuate wildly. My friends who have PCOS or immune issues talk about fluctuations of 4 or 5 kilos in a week. Things that can affect the number include fluid, undigested food, muscle mass, time of day, accuracy of the scales, waste material in your system and hormones.
[5] You’ll learn to love yourself honestly and truly.
You don’t need a stupid set of scales to be the judge of you. Once you get rid of those fuckers, you will realise that the numbers don’t matter. Breathe deeply because you can FINALLY stop punishing yourself, you can stop battling. You can focus on nurturing your beautiful body that has done so much for you, and appreciating it for all it does. Once you start doing that the self-love will come. You’ll smile inside to yourself and love who you are for who you REALLY are, not for the number.
[6] You’ll be happier.
Number-watching completely sucks. Hardcore dieting completely sucks. Being slave to the numbers completely sucks. By taking a simple and consistent approach to your health, by eating well and moving more, you WILL be happier, because you’ll be healthier mentally, as well as physically. It won’t happen over night but I can tell you from someone who has been there, my attitude to myself has never been better and I have never been happier since I stopped weighing myself.
*I sought professional help for my body issues and it helped me immensely. If you are seeking help or support for eating disorders, anxiety, depression or other mental health issues please check out these resources.
National Eating Disorders Collaboration Helplines
http://www.nedc.com.au/helplines
Lifeline Crisis Support and Suicide Prevention
https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Advice and Support for Anxiety and Depression
https://www.beyondblue.org.au
Have you stepped on the scales lately? How did they make you feel?
I totally agree!! I haven’t had a set of scales since I’ve lived in my own place. The only time I’ve missed them is the night before overseas travel!! If my clothes fit, and I can run to catch a bus (or an escaping toddler) it doesn’t matter what the numbers say. Any you know what, of the clothes don’t fit… get some that do!!