Why I Love the Scale

A post from Emily:
Why I love the scale….
You might be totally confused by this statement. Thinking “wait, what, trainers talk all the time about how the scale doesn’t matter”. Well for me it does. Here is why.

This week I have multiple clients say a similar statement to me. TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC. Time for them to be measured at our gym. “I’m dreading this, I’ve been avoiding this” I hear this a lot. But it is coming from a good place. People ready to move out of denial into action. It is their first step.

As painful as it is to face at times we all need a mirror to show us when we are off course. This wake-up call comes in many forms. A pair of jeans that won’t fit anymore, a comment from another person, a picture of yourself, and often the scale. I have seen people cry over their measurements, body fat, weight, inches, and I have seen what comes after the tears and the wake-up call. Let me tell you it is all worth it. Living in denial and not facing the “music” does not move you forward.

Having the courage to face where you are, and where you have been is the first step in preparing to move forward to where you want to be.

This is why I love the scale. Not everyone has access to our ability at the gym to measure what makes up people’s body weight, how much is fat and how much is muscle. So, the scale brings people in my door, sends them seeking out help, keeps them somewhat in check if no better body composition measurement is available. The scale will wake you up, and provide you with reality check at times. It is a health barometer, not the greatest one, but it can let you know if you are at risk for diseases, or sometimes a weight fluctuation can let you know if something is wrong in your body.

See the scale is not the enemy here. BUT…. yup here is the but…. your relationship with it can be.

I do want you to have a healthy relationship with your weight. Just like anything else there is too much of a good thing. It is good to know how much you weigh, it is good to know that at any weight, high or low, your weight does not determine your worth. If you are “overweight” it does not make you a bad person, just like people that are at a healthy weight do not all have halos.

Your weight is just  number, you are not defined by it, unless you define yourself by it.  Healthy relationship with your scale means using it on occasion. Don’t be a scale junkie and weigh yourself everyday. Once a week is plenty, once a month is even better. I prefer my clients to weigh themselves only at the gym. Judge your progress by clothing fit, and body feel is so much more effective. Because lets be honest we are after feeling good, truly wanting to feel good. This is not a number, it is a feeling.

What is going to be your wake up call? It is never too late to start, or get back on track. Remember we all have to start somewhere. It is okay to loose your way, and get of course. What you do once you realize your are off track is what counts the most. Time to be honest about where you are so you can get to where you really want to be. Be real with yourself, is it time for you to wake up and get back to work?

My mission is to help as many people as possible, and if the scale is one more way to do that, then I’m I okay with it.

Now that you had your wake-up call get to work!

You might be wondering what the best measurement of your healthy is based on external examination, and without all the blood work. As stated above body composition is what we trainers like to use.  I always describe body composition as getting a look into someone’s house. That whole skinny fat thing. See a house (body weight) can look great on the outside, but be a hot mess inside.

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