A while ago I made a post about getting on the scale and cheering for yourself just because you are alive. The number means you exist and that is great! I talked about my daughter who is two and we always cheer for her when her weight pops up on the scale. The other day she was on the scale and I wasn’t paying attention. She started to cheer and looked at me like “Mommy, come on. Cheer for me!” It is a good habit that I want her to have. She exists in this world and is worth so much so are you!
Now that I am trying to lose weight after being pregnant, I am on the scale more than I usually would be. Of course I am like anyone else, I want results fast. Sometimes the scale says what I want it to and sometimes it doesn’t. However, the last time I was on it I had a revelation that I need to share. I didn’t want to feel bad because the number wasn’t where I wanted it to be. So I decided not to feel bad. Instead I looked at the number as an opportunity to learn.
First of all, I took the number into perspective. Is it really that bad? No, of course not. I had a baby 6 weeks ago and I am still on track. I need to give myself some slack. Second, I know that it is unhealthy to lose weight too fast. Not only is it not good for your body but it is less likely to stay off once you lose it. Last, I stopped to really look at how I have been taking care of my body. Does something need to change? Am I snacking too much? Can I start to exercise a little more? I decided to make a couple adjustments and move on. I will not dwell on it anymore. In a couple weeks I can get on the scale again and reevaluate. Great! Done! It is that simple and I get to stay positive.
The lesson is not only should we look at that number and be thankful that we have weight in this world but we need to look at the number as an educational tool. Each time we get on the scale it is an opportunity to learn about how your body works. Don’t judge yourself just take it in. Then calmly evaluate. Is the number lower than before? The same? Higher? Okay so what did you do to make that happen? If you your weight is where you want it to be don’t slack off. Keep doing what you are doing. If your weight is not where you want it to be what can you do from here? What needs to be changed? Don’t judge or feel bad. You now know what doesn’t work. This is your opportunity to try something new. Maybe you didn’t do anything or don’t need to change anything. Remember our weight can fluctuate sometimes just because of normal body changes from day to day. Or maybe you just want results too fast. This is one thing that really bothers me whenever I watch a weight loss reality show. I will see someone get on the scale and they have lost 5 lbs. Instead of being happy they are mad because they wanted to lose 10 lbs! It is ridiculous.
Anyway, try not to be happy or sad about what the scale says. Calmly take in the information. After all it is just information. That number says nothing about you. It doesn’t judge you. It is not an indication of who you are as a person. It doesn’t know if you are a good person or not. It is just a number. We give meaning to that number. 150 lbs means something different to someone who is used to being 140 lbs than some who used to be 200 lbs. The number is not real. We make it real. Why not think about it as an always changing bit of information. A tool to help guide you to health. Not a tool to punish you.
Remember your weight is not permanent. You can change it at any time. So next time you get on that scale don’t think that it will always be the same. Don’t get upset if it doesn’t say what you want it to say. Just learn from it and move on. Keep everything in perspective and be positive. Know that you are using the scale as a tool to get you on your way to good health!