How to Break Up With Your Scale

Are you in an unhealthy relationship with the number on your scale? Here’s how to cut the ties that bind.

Are you in a toxic relationship with your scale? Does the number reflecting your weight often determine your mood causing you to feel happy, sad, confident, frustrated or lost? Does this number tend to dictate your self-worth? Have you ever wondered why you value the opinion of this object? If you answered yes to any of these questions, now is the time to break up with your scale and find your true happiness.

Letting go may seem difficult, as if you’ll have to fly blind without a crutch. How else will you measure your success?

We’re Trained to Care About Our Weight

Society teaches us to value the number on this scale. Our medical system determines our body mass index (BMI) based on height and weight. This basic measure does not look at genetic structure, muscle or internal health but rather a number that has haunted many of us for years. The BMI is a reference range and does not depict who we are inside and out. It does not measure our worth or success. Plus, social media comparisons, transformations and weight-loss challenges can make it very hard to ignore what the scale says.

The scale measures overall weight, including bones, water, muscle and adipose tissue. This number varies from day to day based on sodium, water, hormones, exercise and even stress. Influxes are a normal occurrence in the human body. The success of a nutrition and fitness program cannot be solely based on a single variable that can change from hour to hour. Remember that changes in body composition do not always result in shifts on the scale. The changes you should focus on are measured in energy levels, inches lost, how your clothes are fitting and your overall feeling.

How to Break Up With Your Scale

So what’s the best way to break up with the scale? Simple answer: COLD TURKEY. Stop this unhealthy habit right away and start the healing process. There is no weaning off the scale because the desire and impulse will keep drawing you in. It’s time to get it out of sight and out of mind. The scale often becomes a pivotal part of your day. It may be the first thing you do in the morning or whenever you’re at the gym. Even if you don’t vocalize it, you most likely have an ideal number in mind — a value you would love to see. You may even think that once you hit that number, you will feel complete.

A magical number that provides all the answers to your happiness does not exist. A number on a scale is just a number — one that does nothing for you and can even leave you feeling empty once you achieve it. The scale will not bring lasting happiness if you are not truly happy with yourself first.

“Failed” attempts at physical success (a continuous loop of hope, short-term success, frustration, disappointment and ultimately quitting) often reflect an underlying issue that has not been fully addressed. It’s easy to fall into this vicious cycle, which only makes you more vulnerable to ever-enticing fad diets that promise to solve all your problems.

Healing the body and mind from within should be the first step and core component of any nutrition and fitness journey. Learning to lead a healthier lifestyle is the foundation for long-term success.

See Goal Setting: Don’t Focus on the Scale.

Beyond the scale, there are so many other ways to determine your health, fitness and nutrition successes that will allow you to maintain sustainable wellness.

Focus on these 10 measures:

1. Measurements  – Dropping inches is a great measure of fat loss.
2. Clothing Size – Do your clothes fit better?
3. Energy – Have you stopped crashing in the afternoon?
4. Mood – Do you feel happier throughout the day?
5. Digestion ­– Do you notice more regularity when you are active and eating healthy?
6. Relationships – Do you find you have more meaningful connections?
7. Sleep – Is your sleep more restful and uninterrupted?
8. Hormones – Do you feel your hormones are more balanced with a healthy lifestyle?
9. Hair/Skin/Nails – Have you noticed a new glow?
10. Mirror – Do you look in the mirror and see positive changes?

On your health and fitness journey, external physique cannot be the only measure of success. We often forget to include our internal measures, day-to-day activities and relationships into the equation. Balance across the board is key.

When you eat healthy, exercise regularly and focus on a positive mindset, you will reap the rewards of increased health, vitality and well-being. These are gifts that the number on the scale can never give to you. Feeling good on the inside will inevitably lead to an improved outer appearance. It takes time and patience, but it’s worth it!