I Don't Know My Weight

This month marks the 1 year anniversary of me not weighing myself. And guess what! All of my pants still fit!

I tell my clients to frame all of their decisions around the simple question “Is this serving my purpose?” It’s an easy way to assess if something is giving you an opportunity to reach your health goals without calling yourself good or bad. After years of letting a number on a scale dictate my worth I decided enough was enough, the scale was not serving my purpose.

It started as a causal decision to see how much I weighed after putting on a pair of pants that felt loose. I saw the number on the scale read 145 lbs and near about lost it. I should weigh in the 130’s, a decision I made years ago without any reasoning behind it. How had I let myself weigh 145 lbs? What was I doing wrong? Was I failing at being a dietitian?

I promptly started to be more mindful of some of my eating habits, going to bed early, and changed my workouts at the gym. Sure enough I started losing weight and in three months was down to 136#. I felt so proud of myself. Then it happened….I went out one night had a few extra drinks and ate a huge meal. The next day I couldn’t bring myself to get on the scale. I avoided it for three days until I finally got back on and it said 141#.

My mind went crazy. Had I just “blown” all of my hard work in one night. Were my pants going to start feeling snug again? I was so upset with myself I had to cut my workout short.

For the next few days I ate what I wanted, went to bed late, drank a few extra drinks, and barely worked out. This was the 4th time I had lost weight to get into the mid 130’s and regained it back in five years. My mental state at this point was destructive and absolutely not serving my purpose of health. I felt trapped in the DIET LOOP and had allowed myself to get there.

At this point I hope you’re asking the logical question that I should have when I stepped on the scale. How did she gain 5 lbs in 3 days??? The answer is water weight, full stomach, and a full colon.

Your body naturally fluctuates between 2-10 lbs a day based on water weight and bowel movements. So if you have eaten 3 meals, are well hydrated, and haven’t gone to the bathroom yet you better believe you are going to weigh a few extra pounds. Which brings me to the point. The scale is not an accurate representation of your health. It simply tells how much you weigh, not the percentage of fat you have on your body, just your weight. I looked that same at 141# as I did at 136#.

Also, to all my ladies who are working out. Muscle weighs more than fat. If you are struggling losing the last 5-10 lbs and feel “stuck” yet your body looks different it is because you are gaining muscle while losing fat. So the number on the scale can possible stay the same or go up. Again proving that the scale is not a good measuring tool for your health.

This extremely uncomfortable life moment brought me to the decision that the scale was not serving my purpose. I had made the scale a way of controlling and measuring my health rather than simply living a healthy lifestyle and feeling the amazing results.

So here I am 1 year later and I don’t know what in gods green earth I weigh. With this has come peace of mind. Every time my pants feel a little tight I don’t cringe in anticipation of having to weigh myself. It’s just a gentle reminder that my lifestyle habits need to be redirected a little more back on track.

If you step on the scale and your first reaction is to praise of chastise yourself based on the number, it’s time to take a break. Think it’s too late for you to make a change? My 70 yo client took my advice and hasn’t weighed himself in months. And guess how he feels about his weight?! SO MUCH BETTER!

I invite to you to make health easy and enjoyable! DITCH THAT SCALE!