If I told you a machine will tell you that you are a failure or a success. That a machine will put you in a good mood for the day or will absolutely ruin your day. You would probably say I’m mad.
Well that is exactly what is happening on a daily basis when you step on a weighing scales.
You are allowing that machine to control your emotions.
Too many of us will feel terrible when we don’t see the result we wanted. It can ruin everything.
We end up saying f**k it and start bingeing.
This mentality needs to change
The weighing scales is one of the most volatile forms of measurements we can use.
Yet, in some places it is treated as the sole measure of success!
Trust me when I say this.
The scales can fluctuate 5/6/7/8 times in a day. (Read that again)
Your weight changes throughout the whole day and every day.
There is a difference in knowing it and actually accepting it.
The scales measure your bones, muscle, organs, blood, body water, the food in your stomach and body fat.
To use it as a sole measure of success is ridiculous.
You are made up of mostly water in your body. This is what causes volatility.
Your weight can change daily due to:
A high salt meal. A high carbohydrate meal. Not drinking enough water. Not getting enough sleep. Feeling stressed. A hard training session. You haven’t gone to the bathroom in a couple of days.
Weigh in early morn vs late evening. You have overeaten. You consumed alcohol. You are wearing heavier clothes.
It is even more confusing for you ladies as your menstrual cycle plays a huge role in water fluctuations. From week to week you are different person physiologically. Your body water fluctuates drastically week to week. So, comparing last weeks weigh into this weeks weigh in simply doesn’t make sense.
Comparing week 1 to week 1 next month etc; would be more accurate.
Creating a comfortable relationship with the scales is key.
Understand how volatile it is, if you are OK with it. I would recommend stepping on the scales daily to simply see the weight yo-yo as it will and understand just how crazy it is.
A machine should not determine your mood for an entire day/week.
Especially one that is as volatile as the weighing scales.
Use it as one measure but use it correctly.
Find other ways to measure progress.
Measurements, pictures, a weekly chart of how you are feeling, strength in the gym, being able to walk/run harder or longer, your mood, your energy levels, your sleep, your stress.
All of these can be measured progress.
Change your thinking about the weighing scales.
Own your relationship, don’t let it own you.
Have a great weekend
Ian
ATP
P.S.
Health is multi factorial. Step outside the bubble and create ways for you to measure success in the areas of your life.
What is measured gets managed.
