Some of us let the reading on the scale tell us how we should feel about ourselves or even if we will have a good or bad day. Why do we give the scale so much power over us? No inanimate object should ever make us feel good or bad about our current weight.
A friend on Facebook mentioned that they have a love-hate relationship with the scales and on that day, it was a good day. At the time, I didn’t think much about my friend’s status, but it did catch my attention because I wondered why would someone have a love-hate relationship with the scales.
It didn’t dawn on me until after I listened to a lecture by Marc David, founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, that people do have a love-hate relationship with the scales and I learned why this happens.
I am no stranger to not liking the number that I see on the scale, but I don’t believe I have ever let the number on the scale affect how I feel about myself or let it have an effect on my happiness.
I took my measurements in July when I started working with Tamara Grand and when I learned my percentage of body fat, I was a little disappointed. Instead of being down about it, I put my energy and focus on decreasing my body fat percentage.
Today, I share why you shouldn’t have a love-hate relationship with the scales.
You are More than Just a Number
You are more than just the number the scale says you are. In the grand scheme of things, the number on the scale is a number and it can neither hurt you nor harm you.
It is a number that tells you your weight and weight is water, fat, muscle, bones, and more.
The number on the scale cannot tell you:
- how much you love yourself
- the kind of person you are
- how much you love life
- how much you love others
- if you are a good person
- if you are a bad person
- if you are a hard worker
- if you are an optimistic person
- if you are a pessimistic person.
Remember the scale measures your weight and only your weight. It doesn’t show the real person you are.
Who really knows for sure the ideal weight of any of us? Is there even a such thing as a perfect weight?
Always keep this in mind,
Today, I am the weight I am (it is what it is) and who knows what tomorrow brings?
Your Happiness is not Found in a Number
Some of you are probably thinking, “I will finally be happy when I weigh less.” I want happiness for you, but you must never let the number on the scale dictate when you will be happy.
Be happy now and be happy with weight you are today. There are some people who say, “I will be so happy when I lose 10-20 pounds.”
I am not talking about being happy about losing weight, I am talking about a person only being happy when they have lost the weight. If you aren’t happy where you are now, how can you expect true happiness when you finally reach your desired weight?
Happiness doesn’t come from a number nor does it come when you weigh 10-20 pounds less. There are people who lose weight, but are still unhappy. Be happy with yourself no matter how much you weigh.
Love is not Found in a Number
Some people believe (mostly women), think that they will only find love when they reach the perfect weight. Love is not found in a number on the scales.
If you believe that you can only find someone to love you when you reach your ideal weight, then you are being too hard on yourself. All kinds of people with different body types, sizes and weights find love.
This shows you love is not all about how much you weigh. Love yourself where you are now and the love you want will show up when it is time.
You are More Important
Stop focusing on what the number says on the scales and start focusing on yourself even more. Let go of the love-hate relationship you have with the scales. The scales don’t care one way or the other if you love or hate it.
Love yourself no matter what you weigh.
Focus on your happiness with yourself and with life. When you take the focus off the scales and place your focus where it belongs (on yourself), that’s when you really start living and enjoying life.
The good thing about this is that you can do it anytime and it doesn’t matter what you weigh and where you are on your weight loss journey.
Know that you are important and treat yourself like you are the most important person in the world. Focus on taking the best care of yourself that you can and when you do this, you forget about the scales. Your focus moves from the scales to yourself which motivates you to do what it takes to have a successful weight loss journey.
*****
Stop letting the scales have so much power. The only relationship we should have with the scales is one in which we weigh ourselves and that is a far as it should go.
The scale doesn’t care one way or the other if we love it or hate it. What matters most is that we love ourselves and are happy with ourselves no matter how much we weigh.
The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is trying to make you be somebody else. ~ E.E. Cummings
Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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