Why I broke up with the scale

So yesterday, Brady and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary! He ended up being at work late because it was his first day doing 100% of the case load and documentation but even so we got home by 5:30. We drove up to Columbia so we could go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I was really torn because I really wanted the vegan cobb salad because it’s amazing but I was REALLY in a pasta mood. I went with the pasta which was good, but I probably should have followed my instincts and gotten the salad. Brady got the eggplant parmesan which is no fun because he knows I don’t like eggplant :-p

These are the only pictures we managed to take of ourselves. In the parking lot. We’re so romantic. <3

 

 

Anthropologie is so beautiful that I want everything.

 

 

We spent the next hour wandering the mall, picking out Godiva chocolates and chatting about our lives together and our plans for the future. We had so much fun just being together and talking about stuff that Brady forgot to complain about shopping: his least favorite thing in the world.

 

 

The Number Does NOT Define Me

I haven’t stepped on a scale in over 2 months.

I used to weigh myself every day. Morning and night. It was fun to see how the numbers were changing and since I was feeling pretty good about myself and the work that I was doing to be healthy, it didn’t stress me out at all. We moved back to Maryland mid-March and the stress of being in our new environment suddenly had me gaining weight again.

I was social eating all the time and eating way more food than I wanted to and I felt like I couldn’t stop. The number suddenly started going up again at a “drastic” rate and I felt horrible about myself. I was tired and losing motivation fast. I had worked so hard to maintain my weight throughout the winter and it was creeping back faster than I could realize.

So I stopped weighing myself.

I needed to stop.

While losing weight is one of my goals, it is not THE goal. So focusing on and defining myself by a number made it hard to remember that.

I don’t need my workouts and other positive choices to be validated or destroyed by a number.

I don’t want to feel like my weight is the only thing that matters.

Throughout this process which has started over so many times, I have been trying to keep the focus on overall health and not the weight. It’s so rewarding to listen to your body and notice how amazing you’re feeling as a result of your efforts. However, if you weigh yourself and the number has started going the wrong direction, it derails the positive energy by sending off signals in your brain that you’re failing. I felt myself struggling with these feelings and I knew I needed to run away fast.

So if you’re struggling to lose weight, if it’s not going as fast as you’d like, if you’re tired and you’re on the brink of giving up, forget about the numbers. Take a break and put the scale in the back of the bathroom closet. Even if you’re feeling good about your weight and you don’t think you need it, I still encourage you to take a step back from the everyday/every week weigh-ins and just focus on your overall health.

For some people, I know that tracking their weight is an invaluable tool in their journey, but I know for me, the process would be more hurtful than helpful. I would be surprised if I was the only one who struggled with these insecurities.

So try track things a different way for a while. Keep a food journal, focus on drinking more water, or dedicate yourself to a daily run. Take care of yourself and do the things that make you happy. Find the passion in getting outside everyday. Try some new exercises or recipes and simply focus on making the most out of your life. Set goals and work towards them without the pressure of a number hanging over your head. You’re so much more than the number on your scale.

I don’t know what my weight is right now and I don’t care. Maybe I do a little, but it’s hard to obsess over a number if you don’t know what it is. My clothes are starting to fit better because of all the running so I’m learning not to worry about it.

 

How often do you weigh yourself?

Are you struggling with weight loss? 

What are some ways you keep negative thoughts from crowding your mind?