The Scale: A Love/Hate Relationship

(BlackDoctor.org) — Does seeing a higher-than-you’d-like-to-see number on the scale make you crazy? Many people find that a “bad” weigh-in ruins their mood and saps their motivation, making it difficult to keep doing what they know they need to do.

Things don’t need to be this way. You can learn to use the scale as a helpful tool, instead of giving it the power to dictate your feelings and your actions.

Do You Really Need A Scale At All?

Many experts and experienced dieters will tell you that the only realistic way to take the stress out of your weigh-ins is to skip them altogether—or at least keep them to a bare minimum. After all, there are many other ways to measure the progress of your health and fitness goals, especially since weight loss is rarely predictable.

Yes, we talk about weight loss in terms of numbers, but your body is neither a calculator or a checking out. A number of things (like fluctuations in water weight, increased muscle mass, and your body’s anti-starvation mechanism) can and regularly do conspire to make the number on the scale one of the least reliable measures of weight loss success.

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