Fuck the Scales
Like other plump kids, I was teased. I went to high school where everyone had their own problems, so it didn’t last long. However, there was one bully who persisted. Even after losing weight, he happily shamed me as much as he could – this bully is a scale and he probably still bullies you.
If you’ve ever struggled with fitness, a scale isn’t just equipment. It can determine your mood, self-confidence and self-esteem. This is the deity to whom you pay your respects by religiously treading on him and anxiously awaiting an auspicious number from the dietary gods. If you’ve lost weight (or gained weight if that’s your goal ), then your motivation will be refreshed and you look forward to continuing. If you see an unfavorable number – especially after a tough week – your motivation goes down.
Do not misunderstand me. A scale can be a useful tool most of the time. Noticeable progress in fitness can be slow, and it is natural to rely on one primary metric. The problem with this song and dance is that the scale can be misleading as an indicator of short-term progress … which wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that the scale is downright emotionally abusive.
Libra is fickle
The number you see on the scale can be broken down into the following components:
Scale weight = true weight + weight deviation
True Weight : The number you really weigh in an ideal world without any hesitation.
Weight Deviation : A value that is added or subtracted from your weight. The difference can be caused by a number of factors, including:
- Glycogen stores. This amount depends on your current carbohydrate intake. For every gram of carbohydrates the body stores as glycogen, there are also three grams of water. If you are low in carbohydrates, your variance will be lower. Conversely, if you are consuming carbs, your variance will be at the upper limit.
- Water retention / sodium depletion. If you suddenly consume more sodium than you used to, you are likely to conserve water. Conversely, if you suddenly consume much less sodium, you will excrete water. Your body adjusts to new levels accordingly with the help of the hormone aldosterone , so don’t assume you can keep this level low by simply eliminating sodium from your diet.
- Cyclic bloating. Women will retain water during their cycle . For this reason, it is better for women to compare weight only by month.
- Food / water intake. Your weight will obviously fluctuate depending on how much (or how little) you eat and drink.
Because of the variance of the scale, you cannot simply compare any two measurements of the scale to gauge progress. Your weight will fluctuate depending on the time of day and time of the week .
For these reasons, when it comes to accurately measuring your progress, the scale can be incredibly expensive to maintain .
The scale may lag behind
Let’s say you’ve carefully tracked your calories in one week and created a 5,000 calorie deficit. In short, you had the perfect diet week. The scale should reflect that, right? Not necessary. You can be in a calorie deficit for weeks without budging . Hell, you can even gain weight in a few weeks.
It sometimes takes a while to see physical changes in the mirror, and it may be impossible to tell, but weight loss is still occurring during this time . Imagine how frustrating it is to do everything perfectly just to be told that what you are doing is not working. This is when the scales are no longer just a household item. Instead, he becomes a living being that demonstrates the relationship between you and your body.
More than once clients cried because the scales did not budge, despite the fact that everything was done perfectly. Whether we like it or not, our weight carries with it emotional baggage. Failure to change this, despite doing our best, can make us feel powerless.
Libra encourages unhealthy fixation at target weight
In psychology, there is a concept known as anchoring , which essentially says that people will overly rely on the first piece of information that is given to them.
Imagine an employee discussing their starting salary with their boss. Their boss is willing to pay between $ 60,000 and $ 90,000. If an employee opens an offer of $ 90,000, it is much more likely that the negotiation result will be closer to $ 90,000, because the employee is “attached” to $ 90,000, and the employer is fixated on this figure.
Now consider that you can get a lot slimmer by gaining weight. This image (courtesy of Borge Fagerli) shows this in a nutshell. I have personal experience with this: I once weighed 160 pounds, but now I am slimmer when I stand 190 pounds .
From what I have seen, almost everyone is anchoring the desired weight. They get hung up on it (even get hung up on it). They let him define them. They lose motivation when their current weight is too high, and they also worry if there is any deviation from their desired weight after reaching it.
In truth, I am terribly afraid to see the number on the scale increase, even if it is healthy. Objectively, I know that I am better at 190 pounds (I eat more, I am leaner and healthier), but I want to be 160 pounds. I understand that this is irrational, but this fear still exists. This number is so programmed into my brain that every pound I stray from scares me a little more.
It is great to have goals, and it is beneficial to strive for improvement. However, it’s not good to dwell on a meaningless, arbitrary number to the point of letting it define you. You may feel happier with a different weight, or heck, look even better. What difference does it make if you weigh 160 pounds or 190 pounds if you are happy and healthy? Remember, you are not your weight.
How to treat scales
So what about weight? Remember, the scale can be your friend. When properly interpreted and combined with other measurements, it can be a useful benchmark for assessing your progress. I am not saying not to use it, because most people should.
I used to think that the correct attitude towards the scale is an objective attitude towards it. I would tell clients, “Just don’t be emotional.” I was wrong.
Whether we like it or not, for many (including me) weight is an emotional thing . Now that the scales upset you and you are honestly doing everything right, I advise you to look at the scale and say:
“Hey scale, fuck you.”
No, seriously, look straight into his little beady eyes and say “fuck you” when he starts to act. Then say it again because it’s got to fuck when you feel bad.
Indeed, let’s look at it objectively. Let’s say you had a relationship with a man or woman who requires special care, beats you emotionally, tells you how to define yourself, and, oddly enough, gets turned on only from your legs. You should probably flip them over with a bird and throw them to the side of the road.
Unfortunately, most people shouldn’t give up on weights entirely. This can be helpful, especially when it comes to generating positive feedback from the beginning . All I’m saying is that when it starts to cause emotional stress, don’t be sad because you think you will never change, and don’t get angry with yourself for being emotional. Instead, you have permission to let him fuck you properly.