I was reading a newsletter in my email from Geneen Roth and she had that saying in there and I couldn’t resist! What a perfect saying!
I tossed out my scale years ago. There was a lot of freedom in getting rid of that monster that had controlled my life for so many years. There was also a lot of fear of letting go of what I thought was the one thing that kept me on the straight and narrow path. I realize now that I wasn’t on a straight and narrow path. I was on a zigzagging roller coaster that took me on a swirling ride of terror. That scale controlled my life. If it was on the downhill slide, things in my life were bright and sunny. But look out if that little line started inching upwards! My moods, my happiness, my life revolved around that little white enemy!And that’s what it had become…my enemy.
I tried all the tricks to get the numbers to go lower, like “readjusting” the scale, stepping up on it as slowly and carefully as possible, (practically on my tiptoes) weighing after I exercised (as if that would immediately remove several pounds of weight) You name it, I tried it. Till one day when I finally realized that I had given over control of my life to that scale and decided that it was time to stop the craziness. (You thought I’d say “stop the insanity,” right!?!) But that’s exactly what it had become…insanity. So I sent my scale packing.
Scales in and of themselves are not bad things to keep around. What makes them dangerous for some of us is HOW we use them. Do we use them to beat ourselves up day in and day out or do we use them as another tool to help us monitor our increasingly healthier lifestyle? Not everyone needs to get rid of their scale. Some people can keep a scale around and be just fine. Others, like me, at this point can’t keep one at home. I’m perfectly fine hopping (ok…gently stepping) up on the at work every once in a while just to check in. I hadn’t weighed since the first weigh in for the weight loss pool until yesterday. I probably won’t weigh again for about a month. I don’t want the little ups and downs to drag me down. I may not weigh again till the end of the “contest.” For me, it has become a number…just a number. I don’t even mind if people know how much I weigh. What a change from 20 years ago! My typical response is “I’m fat! It’s not like I can hide it!” lol
At this point I can tell when I’m gaining and losing. All I have to do is look at my face and pay attention to how my clothes fit. Those are the first clues for me. We all have our own little signals that let us know about weight fluctuations. We don’t really need the scale to tell us a random number if we pay closer attention to our bodies. Our body will tell us everything we need to know. If we feel good in our body and we are living a healthier lifestyle each day, then life is good.
How do you use YOUR scale? Is it a friend that’s there to help you monitor a healthy lifestyle or is it an enemy that you wish you could avoid, but are pulled back to it over and over each day till it controls your life?
My scale is a frenemy. I love it and I hate it. Sometimes it’s nice to me, sometimes it’s mean. Sometimes I forget about it and don’t care. Sometimes all I want to do is impress it.
I hate the fact that you can be feeling fantastic in your body, and as soon as you jump on a scale – boom. It can wipe it all away.
Sorry to get to your comment so late….work has been crazy this week!
Frenemy…I love that word and it’s perfect to describe the feelings many people have about the scale! The trick is getting to the point where we can use it as a simple tool rather than letting it decide how we feel about ourselves, our body, and ultimately, our life. After all, it is just a scale….a simple little machine….it only has the power we give it.
I’ve never owned one, but sneak a check on other people’s once in a while! I find it much more useful to base my awareness of whether I’ve gained or lost weight on how my clothes fit!
That’s a great way to keep track without becoming attached to the numbers on the scale. How we feel in our clothes is much more important than that number on the scale.