POP QUIZ: What do these women have in common?
ANSWER: They have the same weight.
Surprise?
Let me tell you a little secret. The number on the scale, is just a number. And it doesn’t define you.
It doesn’t define your value or worthiness. And guess what? No one will ever know that number on the scale unless you tell them. In fact, so what if people can tell your weight? Shouldn’t how you feel matter more?
Do your clothes fit? Are you healthy? If you say yes to these questions, maybe it’s time to step away from that scale and focus on what’s more important.
The thing is, the number on the scale on any given day can be influenced by so many factors that is not really within your control. Your cortisol levels (these affect your weight too!) may be sky high due to the stress you are experiencing, or you are having crazy water retention from your period or having a tad too much sodium during dinner.
We’ve been taught to believe that our Body Mass Index (BMI) defines our health. However, this 200 year old method does not take into account the difference between fat and muscle. In fact, many athletes would easily be classified as overweight or obese. Case in point, the average BMI of professional football players is 31.35 which means they are obese.
I’m not saying that you should ignore your weight as a health indicator, I’m saying that it’s probably more valuable for you to rely on other numbers as well. Your clothes size, your belt size, your fat percentage – these numbers are real too.
Or how about just focusing on taking care of that body of yours? Eat well most of the time, exercise regularly and recover well through stretches and foam rolling. Throw in some massages and breathing exercises. These are things we know we can control.
Truth is, our body goes through a lot for us, so how about showing it some love, rather than all that loathing? Many of you who are reading this has probably been working your butts off and still feeling frustrated just cos that number on the scale won’t budge. Hey, how about stopping to admire that new muscle you gained or the compliments you are getting from others, rather than obsessing over how much you weigh?
We beat ourselves too much, too often. Perhaps it’s time to be more forgiving of ourselves, and learn to be more grateful for what we have achieved. Ultimately,isn’t it a healthy body and mind that you want? Well then, it really isn’t just about weight loss.