Your scale... do you give it too much power?

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culb2012
culb2012 Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Keep in Mind: Your scale will only tell you the numerical value of your gravitational pull. It will not tell you how beautiful you are, how much your friends and family love you, or how amazing you are! :)

It's good to know your number, but do we put too much emphasis on it? Do we give it too much power to make us feel either great or awful or like a success or a failure? This number does NOT reflect your value as a person. Focus on health and strength instead of trying to fit into a specific bracket.

When I am at my very healthiest, I still weigh 15-20 pounds above the very TOP of the bracket I'm supposed to be in. Trying to squeeze into that mold left me with very low self-worth and loss of my health through extreme dieting. Be kind to your mind and your body. Make healthy choices a habit and your lifestyle, and the rest will fall into place. It would be impossible not to! :)

Send me a friend request if you want to join me and work toward the healthiest possible versions of ourselves together! :)

Replies

  • siluridae
    siluridae Posts: 188 Member
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    It would be better to track body fat, as even people in a normal BMI range can be too fat. But that is inaccurate without expensive tests.
    People also like having some reward for their work, and a visualization of the weight loss is encouraging. The mirror might not always show a change, at least to oneself.
    The weight is also important to know, so calories burned can be tracked more accurately. So be sure to step on one sometimes so you know how much you should eat.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    I like to think that I don't give too much power to the scale. I can walk away from it...BUT: I always return. So it does wield its power over me. I want to see a certain number. Ridiculous...

    Thanks for the positive post.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    I loved reading this - thank you :)

    I am VERY guilty of giving my scale too much power. Slowly with the help of MFP, i'm trying to turn that around.

    Thanks again for this.
  • Azuriaz
    Azuriaz Posts: 785 Member
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    I've already decided on chucking out my scale and going by appearance and measurements. I just don't know when I'm going to do it. Not today, though. Not this week. Maybe next week. When I get really fed up, it gets donated to someone less obsessive about numbers!
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    I weigh daily and I'm the type of person who is able to just log it and move on with my day. It's just a point on a data chart. I haven't always been like that though. When I was doing WW a bad weigh in would be enough to leave me in tears, especially when the leader would have no explanation for it other than "It just happens". Since I have been on here and have learned about what can cause normal fluctuations and stalls (and how to fix what may be wrong) I'm a lot better with what I see on a daily basis.
  • AspenDan
    AspenDan Posts: 703 Member
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    I'm still obsessed with the scale..I weigh a couple times a day because it feels so good to see my hard work in a quantitative way...problem is that if I don't lose, or if I gain, it effects my food choices in a negative way ..I imagine this is something I'll slowly work my way out of.
    Thanks for the post, it was great perspective =)
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    The scale has nothing to do with your goodness, interests and humor. It's not who you are. Agreed! But if you're losing weight, those numbers become important...at least to many of us. That's okay!

    If I'd never seen the numbers, I'd probably guess that I'd lost around 35-40 pounds. I've lost about 93. We don't always see our progress, so the scale is very helpful, even if it has no power. :)
  • Grinder777
    Grinder777 Posts: 21 Member
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    Okay this is turning into a rant

    I have been a gym instructor personal trainer for years. Half of my clients dont need to loose weight, the moment u are ready to hire me, its like an alcoholic throwing the last pint of Vodca away. You have already mentally quit!

    I have seen so many women(sry girls its always you), train their health away...
    Do u really think that if u reach goal weight some fairy will turn up? Hell the other thing is more likely, u will have pissed of anybody in your live, including yourself.

    If you are 200+ lbs at a 5,5 frame you have got to change. Dont need a scale to tell u that?
  • shrcpr
    shrcpr Posts: 885 Member
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    To the original question.. yes.

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