Why the Scale is a Liar.

I've never liked the scale.  I mean, really...who does??  That sucker can be your friend one day and then  your enemy the next.  And I used to have an unhealthy obsession with it.  Like, to the point that we had a get together every morning...me buck naked, after I've gone potty (because everyone knows that you lose at least a pound by doing that, right??) I would hold my breath, close my eyes and then look down to see what my "frenemy" had to say.

Sad thing is, whatever it said, totally set my mood for the day.  If I saw a number that I liked, then I would feel great, automatically be in a positive mood, and nothing could bring me down all day long.  Then, the next day would roll around and I would be up a pound or two, or three...and then I did a 180 with my mood that day.  The complete opposite of the day before.  It was awful.  Why would I do that to myself??

That's when I decided to take a hiatus from that sucker.  Just cut it out of my life...cold turkey.  And guess what?  I haven't been on my scale at home since my last post a couple months ago about breaking up with the scale.  Until today.  (Although I did have to weigh in on my annual exam visit about a month ago, which I talked about in this post.)

I''ve always found that my "happy weight" is somewhere between 130-132...that's just where I felt good about myself.  I could handle those numbers.  But the minute I was over those, I would immediately be pissed off.  Well, I have been the happiest, felt the greatest and have just been, overall, in the best mood since not having to have a morning date with that devil.  So I always figured I was in that range.  Until I stepped on it this morning and saw this:

 Yep.  134.2.  A little over 2 pounds over my highest "happy weight" number.  In the past, if I would have seen that I would have gone into complete panic mode.  I would immediately have gone and ran on the treadmill for over an hour to sweat off what obviously was water weight, right?  Ha!

But for some reason, today, I had a completely different reaction.  I was content.  Actually, I was happy with that number.  What's different now, versus a couple months ago?  Well, I've actually been able to enjoy myself.  My entire mood wasn't based around that number, so I have learned to live.  To not freak out over that donut that I had for breakfast on Saturday morning, or the chocolate sundae I had on Sunday night, for fear that the number would reflect that the next morning.

I worked hard to get to where I am.  And I still continue to work on it every day.  I used to think that if I ate bad things, even on occasion, that I would go back to where I was three years ago.

Then.  180 lbs.  And terribly out of shape.

But that's not true.  The difference between then and now is a WHOLE lot!!  I actually eat "clean" 75% of the time and work out six days a week...versus "then" when I wasn't eating clean at all and not working out even a single day out of the week.  There's just a slight difference in those scenarios, huh?? 

Today.  After the weigh in...And guess what?  I'm actually happy and smiling!  That number ain't got nothin on me!!

So, moral of the story is this: you can't let that dang devil of a scale control you.  That number isn't everything.  In fact, the only thing that is "everything" is how you feel, and how healthy you are.  Whether you are where you want to be or not, as long as you are working to be a better you, or the best you, ultimately, that is all that matters!

Will you join me in saying "adios" to the scale?  I'm not hopping back on there for at least a couple more months...if at all (unless it's necessary at the doctor's office).  Will you do the same?  If you can't do it all at once, do it in baby steps...maybe just once a week.  Then every other week.  Then once a month until it's cut out of your routine.  Try it and see what a difference it makes in you!

Until next time...