Stepping on the scale may be a normal part of your routine. Although you may not think it is harmful (and it may not be for you!), it can end up doing more harm than good in the long run. It serves as a way to “stay on track” - and that is the first hang up. What TRACK do you need to say on? Our culture has intentionally and unintentionally communicated a set of body and food rules that we all feel like we have to live by to be accepted, loved, healthy, and important.

Let’s do a mental exercise for a minute - ask yourself these questions:

How has weighing helped you throughout your life? When did you start weighing?
How has it influenced your behaviors?
How has it made you feel about yourself?
What has it made you believe to be true about your body, worth, and beauty?

Regardless of your experiences, I get that it can be a really hard and SCARY thing to give up. Not weighing can feel like a loss of control and increase feelings of anxiety - especially if it has given you a false sense of control for months or years. It is common to feel that sense of control when weighing ALONG with feeling extremely critical of yourself, feeling like you need to second guess your food choices, lower self-esteem, and miss out on life because you are so focused on that sole number.

I have heard, “but Jenna - I feel NEUTRAL about it.” I often call BS on this. Neutrality is the absence of any strong feeling and is rooted in feeling impartial.

What happens when you see a “good” number? Feelings of pride, excitement, and accomplishment
What happens when you see a “bad” number? Anxiety, frustration, failure
Does the number change the way you respond to your hunger that day or the weigh you choose to dress?
Does it influence what “type” of food you choose?

Then we also have to ask the question, what is weight?

I can tell you that your weight may fluctuate 5-10 pounds every day and several times throughout the day. When you step on the scale, you are weighing water, muscles, bones, blood, poop, and fat. Oh - and hair, skin, nails, and organs. OH, and your hormones and hydration status influence weight as well. There’s always more to the story than the number on the scale.

Why Weight is not a valid measure of health

Although we have been conditioned to believe that body size and weight is the epitome of health, it’s not and several research studies have confirmed this. There are several reasons why bodies change throughout the years and factors that influence weight gain: aging, culture, lifestyle, conditions, hormones, history, etc. All bodies, regardless of size, are capable of health and worthy of respect. Check out the Health At Every Size principles here.

Focusing on your health, BEYOND WEIGHT

If you ditch the scale (please - do it!), there are much more meaningful factors that you can pay attention to and direct your efforts towards in the new year.

Mental health
Sleep habits
Relationships
Stress management
Lab values and anthropometrics - including blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, A1C, horomones
Muscle mass
Energy levels and bowels
Movement

If you are still unsure, that’s fair. I challenge you to not use it for 1 month - that’s it! See what happens. Progress does not have to look like numbers. It can look like listening to your body, moving it in ways that feel good, and paying attention to your needs.

Stay tuned for more posts on how to measure your health beyond weight and how to adapt a more life-giving and holistic approach to nutrition.