Question Of The Day: What Does Your Scale Really Say?
August 4th, 2008 · Filed Under: Motivation · blog · fat loss
I thought I would start this week’s blog off with a question, instead of my daily fit tips. I encourage all of you to chime in, by posting your comments below. I am very interested in reading your response.
Question: When you stand on your scale, do u really know what that number means? Also, do u let that number define you or dictate your fitness, diet, or quality of life goals? Does it motivate you or hinder you? Why?
Click 
August 4th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I used to rant and rave about how the scale lies, muscle is heavy, water and glycogen, yada, yada, yada. And so I basically stayed off the thing. Do you know what happens when you stay off the scale? You get fat. LOL
So, while I don’t think it’s a good idea to be a slave to the scale, or to let the number determine your self-worth or your mood, I do need to get on it at a fairly regular interval to see what’s up (or down).
I’ve become much more Zen calm about the whole thing since I got one of those Tanita scales that measure body fat and hydration. Even though it’s ultra-flaky, it gives the lowest body fat readings at night. So, I’ve developed the ability to hop on the scale at odd hours, see the numbers, and not have a seizure. That’s progress!
Renee
August 4th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Used to be hung up on reaching a certain #…always wanted to weigh 125…sounded like a good weight…not anymore…at 5′2″ and a size 6, I’m OK with the fact that I usually weigh in (every morning) at 135…I have a lot of muscle…most people who see me can’t believe I weigh that much…they guess 115-120…feels good now, but for a long time, I couldn’t get over the idea that I had to “lose weight”…now I just use the scale to monitor myself. I tend to put weight on easily if I don’t watch it, and once I’ve put on 5 lbs or more it’s hard to get it back off, so if I’m up a couple of pounds, I’ll be “good” for a few days so it doesn’t get away from me…for some people, a daily weigh-in may seem excessive, but it works for me. So to answer your questions: for me that number means I’m still “stable & maintaining”…I let it dictate my diet, because having been heavier at one time, I find this healthier and more comfortable and want to keep it…and any gains or losses motivate me to continue what I’m doing, or cut out the extras for a few days…hope you’re having a great week…Rainy
August 5th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Hey Renee, I like what you said about having a “Zen” calm when stepping on the scale. It’s amazing how many people get scale anxiety and almost goes into spasm if I ask them to step on a scale during an assessment. However, it’s even more amazing that, in private, I’ve been told by quite a few of my clients, friends, and readers, they get on the scale multiple times a day. Some even get on as soon as they finish a meal.
I agree that it is good to use it simply as a monitor, and get a reference point to see where you are. Maybe weighing yourself the first thing in the morning, before breakfast, in at the beginning of the week and once at the end of the week (i.e. Monday and Saturday) should be enough.
However, remembering that the scale is just a guide, and not the “end all-be all” to achieving the right weight for an individual’s body, is the key.
August 6th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Hey Rainy:
I know we discussed, over on my Myspace page, the whole BMI (body mass index - or your weight-to-height ratio) confusion, as well as those charts that suggest what we should weigh, according to our height.
Ughhh, those pesky charts (which have been around since the mid part of last century). You’d think they’d update them, with all of the advances in research, especially in the area of discovering more lean muscle trumps fat.
Surely, by now, the medical profession would modify those charts to a person’s activities as well. According to those charts, I am supposed to be 155 pounds at 5′8.” That’s doable if your body feels good at that weight.
However, mine does not, especially after recovering from my type of training. So, I feel you on the “charts.” Also, according to my BMI, I am nearly at 30 (or nearly obese). Hmmm, that’s kinda odd for someone that floats between 12-14% bodyfat.
However, these charts are intended for those overweight to basically tell them what they usually already know….they’re overweight. Yet, it takes more than a scale and some outdated charts to help someone who needs to shed some pounds, get on the right track.
August 8th, 2008 at 5:33 am
When I found myself using the scale as a measure of my character instead of my weight, I had to institute a boycott of that assessment tool for a while, too.
Now, I use step on it once a week or so and get hydro-weighs every 4 or 5 months.
A life coach once taught me a trick about using a coin to help with a difficult decision. Instead of tossing the coin and using the side that lands up as the “final answer”, notice the way you feel about the coin’s choice. Are you suddenly relieved or secretly disappointed?
I know approach the scale the same way. I imagine stepping on it and getting a # that’s really high and then seeing how I feel about that. Is it going to ruin my day, motivate me to bust it during my next workout, or laught it off completely? I do the same thing imagining the # being really low. If I’m mature enough that day to handle the feedback, I go for it. If not, I save it for another day.