The scale: an inanimate object that rules with fear and an iron fist deep into the lives of many Americans. To the faint-hearted (or those not completely comfortable in the skin they are in) the numbers that light up on the scale have the power to completely change days and ultimately lives.
How is it that we allow ourselves to identify ourselves and our worth based off of a number that can be so easily swayed and changed? The average person’s weight can fluctuate daily from 3-7 pounds depending upon water weight, sodium retention and their gastro-intestinal track. I am writing this post for myself too, as I have spent years fighting off the temptation to care about the number that the scale says I’m worth.
I tried this out today for myself. I woke up, didn’t drink any water, used the toilet, stripped down to my birthday suit, and then stepped confidently on the scale. The number was 2 pounds heavier than I expected. I went on with my day, had my almond milk whey protein coffee shake for breakfast, had another trip to the toilet, and decided to weigh-in again —3 pounds heavier than my previous weigh-in an hour before. I then headed to the treadmill for a 9.5 mile run and a bit of core training, stepped onto the scale for one final time for my morning’s experiment and was 2 pounds lighter than my original weigh, or 7 pounds lighter than my higher weigh-in from only two hours earlier.
The point is that our body weights fluctuate and vary on an hourly basis. So, decide to use the scale as a general guide, but the best way to weigh yourself and your health should be based on how fabulous you look and feel. When you feel great, that, my friends, is your happy weight. The scale will always be a master of magic, constantly changing and making you feel inadequate. Weigh you presence in this world based on the love you give and the people’s lives you touch, not on the constantly changing number that your body weighs.