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Small Steps
A journey of a thousand miles begins with
a single step.
Lao-tzu
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What does that number on the scale say about you? Probably not as much as you think it does, if it's the only feedback you're looking at.
For example: What did
155 on the scale say about me at 5'7"?
It depends on what else I was doing at the time. In 2006, when I weighed 155# I was training for a 5K
run. But in 2009, I was at the same weight but I had stopped running and was barely getting my walks in. Sure I weighed 155# then, but my jeans fit a lot differently. The number on the scale said I was at a healthy
BMI both times, but I'm pretty sure I was healthier when I was more active and aware
of my food choices.
The number on the scale is just a number. It provides only one piece of information which may be influenced by things outside of your control (or understanding). I still haven't figured out how I could gain 3# after drinking a cup of coffee one day and the next day lose a half a pound drinking the same amount of coffee. I would discourage you from weighing yourself too often, but one week I decided - out of curiosity - to see how much my weight could fluctuate throughout the day. I weighed myself several times and several days
in a row. I finally gave up because there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to any of it. So now it's just once a week (with no sneak peaks).
The scale is one of several data points that you can use to
access your improving health. You could also take body
measurements (particularly your waist), take notice of how your clothes fit differently, track how your other numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugars, etc) have improved, or focus on how much further you are walking, swimming or doing whatever you do to move.
What other ways can you access your health this week?
P.S. If you gauge how your day is going by the number on the scale, you may be addicted to your scale. If you can't go a few days (or even a few hours) without stepping on the scale, the scale may be the problem, not the number on it.
P.P.S. If it's been several months or even years since you stepped on the scale, today might be a great day to get on it again (with no judgment attached, please; just feedback).
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What did you do anyway last week?
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Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
World Health Organization
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