Oh bathroom scale-from-hell, how I despise thee....let me count the ways!

“Don’t step on it. It makes you cry.”

Yes…sometimes it really does. I admit it. There are days when I wake up feeling fantastic; my belly feels flat, my clothes are fitting well, I have tons of energy, I know I’ve stayed on track with my nutrition and workouts. Then I jump on the scale-from-hell, see the number, and totally deflate.

It’s amazing how something like three little numbers on an inanimate object can bring you so low.  It’s a scale for crying out loud. It doesn’t yell at you, call you names, or tell you that you really shouldn’t have eaten that Snickers bar from your son's Halloween stash. It’s innocent. It just sits on the bathroom floor, waiting….waiting for that day when I decide to take the plunge, step up, and cringe.

What we all need to remember is that number on the scale is just that - a number. It’s only one way to gauge your progress. Why do we put so much emphasis on that number? The only information you get when step on that scale is how much you weigh right at that moment.  All you see is a number that can make you happy or sad. Did you read that? Three numbers that can determine whether you are happy or sad for the entire day….seriously?

So what does that number really say about you? You can’t let it define you or diminish the progress you’ve made physically and emotionally. And remember, those three numbers look completely different on other people. Take a look at the photo to the right.  All of those beautiful women weigh the exact same – 154 pounds – but yet their bodies all vary in size and shape.

I’m 5’8” and have had many people comment that they never would have guessed I weigh 168. To them, that’s a big number (and I sometimes agree) and they're surprised I don't "look it."  But what they don’t always comprehend is that 168 pounds on me looks completely different than 168 pounds on someone who is shorter than me. I’m pretty tall. That means I have more overall body mass than someone who is 5’2”. I have more body, which means I have longer bones and more area to cover with muscle. All of that has weight. And remember a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle (you’d never guess how many people don’t get that) but muscle is lean and has less mass so it takes up less space in your body. What does that mean? Someone one who weighs 154 pounds but has a lot of muscle actually appears smaller and wears a smaller size than someone the same height, who weighs the same but has a higher volume of fat.

Most of the people I know don’t even use a scale – if they even own one, that is. Most of them measure progress through Non Scale Victories (NSVs) such as having more energy, needing to wear a belt, go down a size in clothing, etc.

So don’t let that scale-from-hell determine your progress or deter you from moving ahead with your goals of living of a healthy, active lifestyle.  Remember: “Healthy is not a weight. It’s not a diet. It’s not exercising 7 days a week and it’s not eating clean 7 days a week. And most of all, healthy Is not the same for everyone.”