MAKING PEACE WITH THE SCALE
Most of us exist in one of two camps around the scale. There’s the camp that swears up and down that the scale is a useless piece of plastic and we should avoid it at all costs and/or smash it with a hammer (I used to be in this camp!). On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the camp that believes the scale is the best tool we have to evaluate if what we’re doing is “working” and we can and should use it to base our decisions and emotional well being off of. If we’re honest, most of us are either terrified of being confronted by the number at the doctor’s office, or we completely obsess about if it went up or down on any given day.
But is there another option? Are there actually people out there who see the scale as just a data point? The answer is YES! But for so many of us, the scale is so emotionally fraught that it seems impossible that we could ever see it as “just a number.” What I’m here to suggest is that it IS possible to make peace with the scale - to not fear it or obsess over it. It is possible to see a number on the scale, understand it, and then move on without emotional upheaval. And I’m here to give you some practical tools to do just that.
Disclaimer: To be clear - I am not suggesting that every person should weigh themselves daily (or even at all). There are absolutely circumstances in which self-weighing would not be an appropriate choice for an individual, such as people who have suffered from or are currently suffering from eating disorders.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IN SEEING THE SCALE AS DATA…
When we look at the research on how the scale can impact our psychological state, there’s very limited information and what’s available has shown mixed results. While some very vocal personalities in the social media nutrition/wellness space would claim that weighing ourselves can wreck self esteem and cause eating disorders, the evidence we have doesn’t seem to support that. While there are some situations in which weighing can lead to negative emotions, the data suggests that for the most part, self-weighing does not have a significant universal effect on psychological well being (Benn et al., 2016). The effect of self weighing seems to be related to the specific demographic of the group being studied, i.e., college aged females were impacted differently than people who had weight maintenance goals. This suggests that it is possible for the scale to be viewed as data and have a positive or neutral effect on our emotional well being.
Here’s the thing - the scale actually is just data. All it can tell us is how much force we are expressing onto the earth’s surface. But for many of us, that number has been associated with a strong emotional response instead of just an expression of our gravitational pull. We’ve been taught that “if weight is up this is BAD, if weight is down this is GOOD.” And many of us will extend that to ourselves as people, as in: “if weight is up I AM BAD,” or “if weight is down I AM GOOD.” As such, it can be extremely difficult to see the scale as data. So, if we want to be able to see the scale as data, the primary goal is to be able to see the number and NOT have an emotionally explosive reaction. We need to be able to be emotionally neutral about the number that pops up when we step on the scale.
THAT MEANS THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF LEARNING HOW TO SEE THE SCALE AS DATA IS PRACTICING EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE TO IT. And part of that process requires us to be willing to sit with negative emotions that come up and work through them. This can be extremely uncomfortable. We don’t like experiencing negative emotions, and very rarely do we willingly put ourselves in a position to feel them on a daily basis. However, to get to the other side of a dysfunctional relationship to the scale and experience peace and neutrality around body weight, it’s a necessary part of the process.
STRATEGY TIME…
So, how do we start to change our relationships with the scale? I’ve outlined a practical strategy for making that happen below:
COMMIT TO WEIGHING YOURSELF DAILY FOR A FEW WEEKS OR COUPLE MONTHS. Use weekly or monthly averages to observe long term changes. Make sure to do this around the same time daily. It’s especially important to weigh in no matter what happened the day before, so we can break the connection between being “good” or “bad” and collecting data. Data collection is, by definition, neutral! Think of yourself as a scientist performing an experiment.
ANTICIPATE WEIGHT WILL FLUCTUATE UP AND DOWN. This is normal! Try to think of the daily fluctuations in the scale like tides in the ocean. We know that it takes lots of time and consistent environmental change to see actual sea levels change. The daily swells & tides are a normal part of the ocean’s function. Our bodies are similar. They will change over time (think months and years) with consistent environmental stimuli, and day to day weight changes are not indicative of long term change.
Pay attention to what influences the scale. Notice what makes YOUR bodyweight fluctuate day to day. Daily fluctuations are usually related to our bodies moving fluid in and out of our tissues to maintain a stable internal environment. Some examples of things that make the scale fluctuate day to day are: more carbohydrates the day before, eating a later meal, a very challenging workout, an extraordinarily high number of steps, alcohol, higher sodium intake, lower water intake, warmer climates, colder climates, hormonal fluctuations around ovulation and the menstrual cycle, illness, injury, stress, lack of sleep, allergies or intolerances, and more.
ANTICIPATE THAT ALL SORTS OF EMOTIONS WILL COME UP. Observe them, note them, explore them. Take a step back from them. This is the most important piece of learning to see the scale as data.
Practical strategy: before you weigh yourself, write down the primary emotion you’re feeling, your mood, or mental state. Then, step on the scale. Take note of the number, and how your emotional state is or is not altered. How do you feel? Write that down. Where does your mind go? Write that down, too. Notice and name physical sensations associated with your emotions as well. This is a form of mindfulness that can help us to separate ourselves from our emotions, allowing us to be more resilient against them.
For example, you may see a higher number and immediately feel an intense sensation of shame. You may notice that your face feels hot, your stomach drops, and you feel panicked. Your thoughts may start revolving around obsessing about the past, “what did I do wrong yesterday?” or fixating on the future, “I need to punish myself today by exercising more and eating less.”
DON’T CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT HOW YOU TREAT YOURSELF THAT DAY BASED ON THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE. This is crucial. Practice staying consistent and sticking to your plan regardless of what the scale says or how you feel about it. If today was a planned rest day and the scale is up, don’t add in an extra workout. If the scale is up, proceed as normal with your eating. Part of disconnecting emotions from the scale is not perpetuating the practice of changing our behaviors based on the number OR the feelings. One mantra that can help with this is, “my body is deserving of respect and care unconditionally.” Your body needs consistency to thrive, and when our behaviors change every time the scale goes up or down, we deny our bodies of that basic need.
RINSE & REPEAT! If you’ve struggled with an emotionally fraught relationship to the scale for decades (as so many of us have), this will take time and practice. Research suggests that it takes anywhere from 18 days to 8 months to form a new habit. Give yourself time to adjust to seeing the scale in a new way, and don’t get down on yourself if it doesn’t happen right away!
IT IS POSSIBLE…
If you’re struggling to believe that it’s possible to see the scale in a neutral way, here are a few quotes from real life people who have undertaken this process:
“Something that’s really been a huge shift is that when I have a treat or eat a yummy meal or something, the next day I might see the scale go up. But I am retraining my brain that the scale going up isn’t a moral failing, it’s not that I wasn’t mentally strong enough to say no to something I wanted. It’s DATA on how my body responds to certain things.” - Taylor
“I know my weight may spike when I go up in calories, but I know what to watch for - stress, especially since trauma season is upon us at work. I’m gonna continue track just so I can watch the data.” -Jen
“My mindset about the scale going up this week is a huge strength and a huge win. I know I'm building muscle and I'm so proud of myself.” - Dana
At the end of the day, the decision to weigh or not to weigh is a personal one. You do not need to know your body weight to live a healthy, active, and fulfilling life. At Level TEN, we want to give you the tools to understand your body, help you break through limiting beliefs, and feel empowered to make the best decisions for yourself. And we hope that you can make peace with the scale - whether it’s a part of your regular routine or not!
WITH GOOD VIBES - COACH SARAH