Thursday, June 9, 2011

HI MY NAME IS JESSICA AND I'M ADDICTED TO THE SCALE



While I was looking online to to buy a new scale I found an article (4 signs it's time to step of the scale by, Jason Anderson), and I felt like the arthur was talking about me. But I feel like; everyone is obsessed with the scale when they're trying to lose weight. Right? Anyway I pasted the article below (I got this article via http://www.sparkpeople.com/)


1. You constantly worry about weighing in. When you're trying to lose weight, it's normal to experience some hesitation when it's time for your weekly weigh in. After all, you want to see the numbers go down as confirmation that all of your hard work has paid off. We all want to be rewarded for our efforts, and it can be discouraging when you have done everything right and things still don’t pan out. However, if you find yourself preoccupied with worrisome thoughts of what the scale is going to say tomorrow or the next day, then you might be a little too obsessed with the scale.
2. You weigh in more than once per day. SparkPeople recommends weighing in once a week (or even less). Ever wonder why it's not a good idea to do it more often? Your body weight can and will fluctuate from day to day, and change throughout a single day, too. There is no sense in putting yourself on that roller coaster of ups and downs. In the war on weight, if you become so concerned that you weigh yourself daily or several times a day, you are fighting a losing battle and you will be discouraged. If you feel like you can't control yourself or stop yourself from weighing in each day, then you could be headed for trouble.
3. You can recite your weight to the nearest fraction at all times. This is a sure sign that you are relying too heavily on the scale. Anyone who can tell you not only how much she weighs each day, but measures her weight loss  to the nearest quarter of a pound is probably weighing in too often. There is nothing wrong with wanting to see a lower number on the scale, even if it's a quarter pound lower, but remember that weighing in is more about trends (an average decrease or consistency in weight over time). 
4. The scale determines how you feel about yourself for the day. When the number is down, you step off the scale singing and have a jump in your step all day. When the number goes up (or stays the same when you expected a loss), you feel like Charlie Brown walking around with a rain cloud above your head. To me, this is the saddest situation of all—to let the scale dictate how you should feel. How would you feel about yourself if you hadn't weighed in that day? What other ways would you determine your self-worth if weight didn't exist? If one (or all) of these situations sound familiar to you, it's time to step away from the scale. Go cold turkey. Or at the very least, weigh in less often. But what's a "compulsive weigher" to do?Instead letting the scale alone determine whether you're a success or failure, use more reliable measures to determine your progress. My philosophy is that weight loss is not a goal, but the result of healthy habits like a better diet and regular exercise. When you do step on the scale and don't see the reading you had hoped for, ask yourself these questions: Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? Am I making healthy food choices most of the time? Am I exercising consistently? If you are, then rust that your body is making positive changes, and the results will come. If you are not, then resolve to be consistent in healthy behaviors to see the results you want. Weighing yourself is definitely helpful and it has its place. Just make sure you don’t go overboard and give too much credence to this one measurement! After all, other measures (like how much energy you have, how much easier it is to climb a flight of stairs, or how well your clothes fit) might not be as precise or scientific, but they're sure to make you feel happier and more successful than a scale ever can.

I hope this article was as useful as it was for me. Until next time...




Love,

Jessica

4 comments:

  1. Oww that used to be me a couple of years ago!! Not anymore...I have a scale now...but its more for decorations! lol

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  2. I sware I'm obsessed with the scale unless I know I've been over eating. Then I try to hide from it lol

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  3. I have this problem seriously. I try my best to avoid it but I can say at least once a day I find myself standing on it stressing.

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  4. Monica- the only time I avoid the scale is when I know I've been eating like a pig lol

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