Yes, I’m going to discuss that horrible contraption known as the bathroom scale. I have clients who have an unhealthy relationship with their scale (their nemesis). They step on the scale not just once, but multiple times a day. In the morning before they eat, and in just their Birthday suit, they weigh the least and feel happy. Then they eat a little too much at lunch and step on the scale and feel sad. Then they eat barely anything at dinner and go for a walk and step on the scale and feel a little better…they are back to their morning weight. But then they eat too much watching TV and step on the scale and go to sleep feeling sad but determined to weigh less in the morning.
Aghhhhh! As you can see, stepping on a scale can result in quite the mind game. You can end up in a bad mood because of the numbers on a scale. Here are my recommendations: only weigh yourself once a week. Weigh yourself at the same time of day. If you have an unhealthy relationship with your bathroom scale, get rid of it! Use the scale at a friend’s house or the YMCA (but always use the same scale).
My husband states that his scale is a full length mirror. If you stand naked in front of a full length mirror then you will see the truth reflected back at you. There is no tricking the full length mirror (unless it’s a fun house mirror…and in that case I want the one that makes me look ultra tall and thin).
Even your clothes aren’t the best measure of how fit you are. I have stretch pants that I can fit in comfortably at my current weight and 5 pounds heavier. Stretch material is not helpful! I have a pair of jeans with no stretch that I put on to tell how I really feel in my clothes (there is no give there).
I do believe in weighing once a week. Some people never ever weight themselves and live in denial (wearing lots of yoga pants and stretch material) and then go to the doctor’s office for a yearly physical only to come home in tears because they gained 20 pounds in the past year. You know how you feel and if you feel “thick” around the middle or out of shape. A scale can keep you in line so that you are aware of upward trends in your weight.
My Dad has always weighed around the same weight, and he weighs himself regularly to make sure of that. Instead of waiting until he gains 10 pounds, he always changes his eating habits and increases is activity if he reaches a weight just 5 pounds above his norm. Keeping a close eye on your weight can help so that you don’t have 10 or 20 pounds to lose which is so much harder than 5.
So ask yourself what your relationship is with your scale. If you have an unhealthy relationship with your scale, get rid of it. Keep tabs on your weight weekly at an off-site location. Try not to allow your mood to be influenced by a number on the scale. Instead, use that information to motivate you to workout more or eat healthier in the days ahead.