We Broke Up! How I Ditched the Scale and Gained a Life
http://www.askdrmanny.com/2015/01/28/ladies-dont-sweat-your-monthly-weight-gain/
It was about time; things just weren’t working out between us. There was too much stress, far too much comparison, and little to no cooperation between us. Not only were we constantly working against each other, I actually started dreading our time together. So, tired of trying to win every disagreement or chasing a dream that just wasn’t materializing, I decided it was best we go our separate ways. You could say our relationship had simply outlived its utility, and it was time to move on. It has been a good five years since I went splitsville on my weighing scale and ladies, I am thrilled to announce- life has never looked better, and neither have I! For this was the first time in my life that I did not measure or assess the way I looked or how healthy I am by a number. Looking in the mirror I didn’t see my weight stamped across my reflection; instead I saw myself and all the hard work I was putting in, as well as the tiniest of results as they popped up in the mirror. I began to notice how my health expressed itself- not as a mathematical figure or just my shape and profile, but the quality of my physical being as seen in my eyes, skin, hair and pretty much every inch of my body. From dreading to look at my overweight reflection in the mirror, I now actually began to look forward to my time infront of it. But I didn’t just ditch the scales and gain a life; more than simply revolutionizing my relationship with my mirror, the move actually allowed me to optimize my workout and health regime. It might sound counterproductive- locking your weighing scales up when you are working hard at shedding excess weight. But really, it works wonders.
You see the weighing scale works on a law of averages- establishing a universal benchmark for you to follow and adhere to. But there is little to no intelligence to how a weighing machine works within your weight loss efforts, failing to take into account individual body types, workouts or any of our rhythms. You might just naturally weigh a lot more than someone else your age or size depending on your gene pool, body density, muscle mass and build, and does not always mean you need to shed weight. Think about it- five pounds of fat occupy three grapefruits worth of space in your body, where five pounds of muscle occupy three tangerines worth of space; therefore you could weigh just as much as someone else and be a lot slimmer and leaner than them. Further, your workout may actually cause you to gain a little weight as you increase your bone and muscle mass. Really, this is a moment to celebrate when your hard work is paying off and your body is getting stronger; but what does the weighing scale do- cruelly reprimand you for moving away from the norm! Also, women naturally tend to fluctuate in their weight through their menstrual cycle, which is pretty all month every month! Through natural processes and the water retention that often accompanies it during the first three stages of their cycle, women are known to put on 2 to 10 pounds of excess weight, losing this during the final stages. So really, for many of us the weighing machine is not the honest friend it claims to be. That weight gain may not be a cause for concern but just your body doing what it does best- thrive! Choosing to ignore the mathematical fallacy of our weighing scales allows me to focus on more tangible signs and results. I don’t follow the movement of that dial but the movements of my physical self- how well my body is functioning, how enhanced my stamina is, and just how good I feel about myself, within myself. Really, not for a second have I regretted this breakup.