Have you ever stepped on the scale to weigh yourself, and your whole day and mood immediately shifted? Yup, the power a number has over us is kind of terrifying.
In this post, I’m sharing why I don’t weigh myself, how that impacts my health, and why weight does not equal health!
Weight Does Not Determine Health
This may come as a surprise to many, but weight is not an accurate determinant of health. Pretty much, this means that a person can be healthy at any size. Even though each person can live a healthy life in their body, that doesn’t mean that our own body is meant to be at every size.
Let me explain… The Health at Every Size movement and book by Dr. Lindo Bacon explains how weight does not equal health. Our body has a natural set point weight range of 10-20 pounds that kind of acts like a thermostat. This is the range that our body is happiest at and doesn’t want to leave. Note, this is a RANGE, not a set weight.
Our body does not want to go above or below this range, so it will do everything it can to prevent that from happening. If you’re eating too few calories, your metabolism will slow to compensate, and vice versa for eating more than usual.
When our body is in this set point range, it is functioning optimally, meaning that you are “healthy.” As I’m in my set point range, it may not be what society deems as “healthy” or as small as I once was. Here’s a perfect example of that… When my body was at it’s smallest weight, I did not have a menstrual cycle. Now, I weigh more than I used to, but my body has a menstrual cycle and is functioning optimally. See what I mean?
The book also explains that those who are underweight have a higher risk of mortality and health complications than those in a larger body. Why is it that someone in a larger body is deemed as unhealthy and told to go on a diet when they’re the ones least at risk?
Bottom line: the size of someone’s body does not determine their health or quality of life.
Internal Feelings Over External Validation
By actively choosing to not step on the scale, I’m relying on internal validation and cues on how to feed and move my body. As soon as we step on the scale and happen to see a number that isn’t what we think is “healthy,” we shift into relying on external validation.
So…what even are the internal cues that I’m referring to? Some internal indicators that I use to assess my overall health are my energy levels, hunger, thoughts surrounding my body, menstrual cycle, and stress. Notice how none of these have to do with a scale or numbers.
Let’s think of a hypothetical scenario here to paint another picture. Let’s say that I was feeling great mentally and physically. I’ve had a lot of energy, want to move my body, and have been listening to my hunger cues. Now, I step on the scale and see a number that I wasn’t expecting to see. Knowing myself, I would probably start to restrict my food intake or increase my exercise, possibly without even realizing on it.
Even though my body is physically feeling great, I’m getting into the comparison trap from seeing that number. If I’m feeling happy and strong, why even bother weighing myself if it’s going to lead to restriction?
Now, I’m not perfect when it comes to external validation. I think we can all agree that external validation to some extent is a nice thing to receive. I’m human and still have days when I look in the mirror and am not happy with what I see, or try on clothes that don’t fit me right. That’s totally normal and does not warrant you beating yourself up for thinking that. The difference is what you choose to do with those thoughts, and not acting on or believing that they’re true.
Other Ways to Measure Health & Satisfaction
Now that we’ve seen that weight does not determine health or value, what are some other ways to measure health?
As I mentioned earlier, here are some ways you can determine the status of your body that have nothing to do with a scale:
- Energy levels
- Appetite
- Menstrual cycle
- Stress levels
- Overall mood
- Body image
- How you’re interacting with others
- Interest in activities
You Don’t Have to Weigh Yourself!
I hope that you’e realized that the scale really is bogus and does not have to be an indicator of health! It can be so hard in a society that worships a specific body to not want to attain that, but at what cost?
You don’t have to weigh yourself to “control” your weight or determine what you can/cannot eat. Remember that set point range I talked about earlier? That’s what is going to determine your weight. Only you and your hunger and cravings can determine what you want to eat. A scale doesn’t have a place in any of that.
Smash the scale if you have to. Throw it out the window, in the garbage, or wherever you need to. Start to live a life without the scale and experience the freedom!
xoxo
More Helpful Posts
- How Social Media Affects Body Image
- Is the Whole 30 Worth It?
- Why I Won’t Post a “What I Eat in a Day”
- Why I Don’t Count Calories
- The Problem with “Body Love”
