Put an end to excessively weighing yourself

You might feel that the scale is ruling your life. Does the number the scale dictate how you will feed or move your body? Whether you interpret the number as “good” or “bad,” in the long run, weighing yourself will likely have a negative influence on self care behaviors, not to mention contribute to feelings of low self worth.

Ask yourself, “why do you weigh yourself?”

What is it that you’re looking to get when you step on the scale? Whether you realize it or not, weighing yourself is a way to cope with anxiety stemming from a negative view on body weight or size by feeling in “control” over your weight. If you’re feeling guilty about eating, you might look to the scale to check and see how “bad” you were, and how much you need to compensate. Or, if you’re feeling like you’ve been “good,” you might turn to the scale hoping for validation. Often there is a fear that weighing yourself is the thing keeping eating and exercise “in check,” and without it you would just go out of control.

Why You Should Stop Weighing Yourself

To be frank, weighing yourself can be dehumanizing, stressful, and can reduced the sense of people’s value to a number. There are a lot of variables that affect the number on the scale that are outside of our control. Hydration is a major one. Did you know 2 cups of water weighs one pound? Even if you weigh yourself first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom, your hydration status will still vary based on time of the month (higher estrogen levels leading up to a period cause fluid retention), dietary sodium intake, the temperature, sweat, and the previous days activity. There’s also poop! Yup, even if you’re going regularly, there’s still some amount of poop in you, and that will fluctuate from day to day.

The scale can trigger disordered eating behaviors (not to be confused with an eating disorder)

Consciously or not, the number on the scale can have a profound impact on how you eat. That’s because it’s near impossible to look at the number on the scale neutrally, and the number can set the tone for the day. A “bad” number causes shame, anxiety, and often binging/”screw it” eating. On the flip side, a “bad” number can cause a very common restriction/binge cycle. Even a “good” number can have a negative effect, by reinforcing unhealthy restriction or eating foods just because you feel like you’ve earned it.

Weight does not equate to health

Your weight can not accurately diagnose your health status. Although we’ve been taught that higher weights are unhealthy, correlation is not causation, and there are many factors that play a much greater role in health such as stress, fitness, eating habits (regardless of weight), socioeconomics, access to healthcare, etc. There are many thin people who are unhealthy, and many larger-bodied people who are perfectly healthy, and there’s no way to know by simply looking at someone. You should be focusing on positive behaviors, not the number on the scale. Even if you are in a larger body and have health concerns, you deserve to focus on behaviors that promote health, not weight loss.

Now lets talk about..

How to Stop Obsessively Weighing Yourself

Breaking up with the scale can feel really scary. In my own experience and also helping clients ditch the scale, the biggest fear is that they’ll get out of control with food. Remember, although the scale might give you a sense of security, the scale is much more likely to contribute to your feeling out of control with food than to help you feel confident.

Here are some tips for how to stop obsessively weighing yourself:

SMASH THE SCALE

Just get rid of it! And why not do it in dramatic fashion? Take it out back, and smash that thing to smithereens. I’ve even had clients write a break up letter to their scale to read to it first. Might feel a little silly, but it’s super therapeutic! If you do this, make sure to tag me on instagram so I can add you to my “scale smash” collage!

HIDE THE SCALE

If smashing the scale completely feels overwhelming, see if you can place it somewhere it’s out of sight. By placing it out of your field of vision, hopefully you’ll reduce the trigger of seeing it each morning on the bathroom floor.

JOURNAL

Use your scale as a prompt to journal. Place a journal on top of your scale as a reminder to write it out when you’re feeling the need to weigh yourself. Before hopping on the scale, journal about what you’re looking for in revealing your weight. This can help prevent you from impulsively weighing, and help you get more insight into triggers for negative body thoughts.