Why does the word Scale make you cringe? You may be feeling great and following a regimented balanced fitness plan but suddenly when it comes time to stepping on a scale or even just the thought of a scale, you suddenly feel oozy!! If you attempt to step on the scale, you close your eyes and keep your fingers crossed that it is going to deliver a number you desire. If it does, you are going to have the best day ever but if it doesn’t, you suddenly want to crawl up in bed and throw in the towel. Does this sound familiar? Why do we allow that small little bathroom piece of technology to determine our success?

Is the scale a bad thing? Not if you don’t take it literally! If you use it as a marker and gauge or should I say tool, it can be a okay but if you use it to determine your success, it is something that you can live without. If you are one to let the scale determine your success, you should consider throwing out the scale and using your clothes and mirror as a gauge. You can also monitor your progress by taking measurements, on a monthly basis. If your numbers are all coming down in the right places and going up in the right places, you are doing awesome!!

How do you know if you are a candidate for ditching the scale?

-You let the scale determine your mood. You are having a great day, until you step on the scale and see a number you don’t want to see. Everything is great. You are following a fitness plan and doing so well. You are getting stronger, faster and most of all feeling amazing and loving your new positive outlook on life! Suddenly, you decide to step on the scale the number is more than you had expected. Instantaneously, everything in your life is horrible and you want to throw in the towel!! You let the scale change your mood and more so change your outlook on everything you have been doing. Suddenly you doubt yourself!

-You let the scale define you. When you step on the scale, if you see a number that is more than you want, you let the scale define you as a failure. We allow the scale to tell us that we are not good enough and are not working hard enough.

-You wake up and immediately jump on the scale. You are someone who can’t live your life without knowing what your number is, on a daily basis. You are addicted to what that number is going to be and just pray that it is going to be a number that is going to allow you to move on with your day happily. You let the scale determine the outcome of your day!!!

-You step on the scale throughout the day, hoping to see a different result that you once saw. You are literally addicted to the scale.

If any of these situations sounds familiar, it is time to ditch the scale and use other means to determine your progress and success. YOU are in control, NOT the scale beneath you! YOU determine the outcome of your day, not the scale. YOU are in control of your results and how you feel, the numbers on the scale are not the determining factor!

YOU are more than a number on that scale. You are beautiful, you are amazing. You are not a number. You are unique individual who determines who you are and what you want to be. This is the only scale you should allow in your home… The only scale that doesn’t lie!

Your weight is a NOT a reflection how well you are dong. It is the sum of your skin, blood, organs, bones, tissues and your body fat but not only your body fat.Your weight is effected by more than just your body fat. How much water you drank or didn’t drink, what you ate, or didn’t eat, your cortisol levels, if you are sick, hormones, salt intake, medications, etc. There are so many factors that effect your weight. You may have had excess sodium or taken a medication that may make you hold water and it reflects on the scale. Even though it isn’t a reflection of your progress, those numbers can take a toll on you, But why when it isn’t even reality???

You have to determine if the scale is helping or hurting you? If you are able to use it as a reference, that may be okay. If you use it to define you, that is not okay and it is time to say bye bye to the scale. This could be the one things holding you back from reaching your goals. Simply removing the scale from your life may not only help you finally reach your goals but offer you a piece of mind!!

It’s time to not let our weight define us! Allow your efforts and how you feel to control how we feel and how well we are doing on our fitness plan. We determine our success and our outlook! We are in control NOT the tiny square box on our bathroom floor!!

Decide whether the scale is helping you or hurting you. If it is what you use to define you, it is time to say bye bye! Say good bye to the negative little box that sits on your bathroom floor and is nothing but abusive, toxic and just plain mean. Replace your scale with a positive note that makes you feel good, smile and start your day out right!!