Why I Stopped Weighing Myself
I was Finished Playing a Game of Numbers that Didn’t Work
It Started in March
I decided it was time to try and lose weight for maybe the 100th time. Even though I wasn’t overweight, I was definitely not at the weight I wanted to be. I can relate to Zita Fontaine who recently wrote about labels and body image.
As a distance runner, I knew that I could achieve my goals as an athlete if I weighed less. I understood what I needed to do ultimately, run more and eat less.
For some reason no matter what I did, I did not see success.
What I was Doing Wasn’t Working
Sometimes novelty is the answer to solving a problem. Changing course and trying something new can make a big difference in not only our results but our mindset. I decided I might as well try something new. I decided to stop weighing myself period.
I was tired of having a good or bad day based on the numbers shown on the scale. I was too excited to see a half a pound lost. And, when I gained a pound or two (even when I thought for sure I had lost weight) I was upset.
I was Not a Good Role Model
As a mom of Athletes, I knew I needed to do better. I did not want my kids to grow up obsessed with the scale. And, I did not want my kids to associate my weight and body type with being overweight. I want to continue raising confident kids who feel good about the way they look and grateful for what their body can do.
My Decision
I decided that if I was working out, and my clothes still fit, I was most likely not gaining weight. And that is what I would focus on. I wanted to get excited about numbers, but numbers that represented miles I ran, or numbers that captured a Personal Record in a distance.
I did it. I stopped cold turkey. I haven’t been on the scale since one of the first days in March of this year.
I have no idea what I currently weigh.
And honestly, I don’t care. It is the most liberating feeling to not play the numbers game on the scale. I am more confident, am less stressed and and am excited about what I can do as a runner. Plus, my clothing has gotten lose and I am a much better runner. I would guess that I have lost weight. However, I don’t want to get on the scale to end up disappointed.
I am Playing A Different Numbers Game
If you can’t change something, the advice is to change the way you think about it. Standing on the scale each day works for some people. It did not work for me. For the first time as far back as I can remember, I love the way I look, feel and run. I am grateful for my body and am happy about who I have worked hard to become.
I can use numbers to my advantage now.
I enjoy explaining to my kids in a healthy way that I want to drop my 5k time by a minute or work on my pace per mile by shaving off an extra 30 seconds. These are the numbers that motivate and inspire me.
