I was drying my hair in my mom’s bathroom this morning, and found myself staring at the scale she had in her bathroom. Since today is Tuesday, it got me thinking about that love-hate relationship we all have with that little machine in our bathrooms.
When I was in college and struggling with an eating disorder, I remember the nurses and doctors would make me stand on the scale backwards so I could not see the number. I would try to take a peek at my chart to see if I could see what number they had recorded, but they were always very sneaky about hiding it from me.
When I think about it, what would it have mattered if I saw the number? I wouldn’t have been happy either way. Any number would have been “too high” in my opinion.
Isn’t that still the case? I’ve read that you should weigh yourself at the same time of day every day. In order to not become obsessed with the number, I weigh myself every Monday before I get in the shower for work. And as I continue to see the numbers move between the same 5 digits, I have to wonder the value of going through this ritual.
There are all sorts of articles regarding the accuracy of digital scales. While I think it’s important to know your “number” on average, I like the commercials that tell you to measure your progress by seeing how your clothes fit. After all, health is not just a number: it’s a lifestyle! You can weight 120 pounds and be healthy, but you can also weigh 120 pounds and not be able to complete a 5 mile brisk walk. Let’s make sure we’re focused more on how we feel than on what the scale says! I just hope I can remember this today when I try on my wedding dress for the first time since I ordered it!!
How do you make sure you’re looking beyond the number?
No comments:
Post a Comment