Stop doing this

Yeah, I kind of did the click bait thing there again. But I'm experimenting with new headlines this year. :)

I took the scale out of the bathroom at our gym this week.

Removing the scale was kind, as what I really want to do is take a sledge hammer to it. And while it was 95% about helping our clients stay in a positive mindset when they come in to workout, if I’m being totally honest, it was also about keeping me in a positive mindset.

Though I discourage clients from using the scale as progress, I don’t always practice what I preach. Partly because every time I go in to pee, I’m just sitting there staring at the scale and can’t resist the urge to get on it. 

It’s there, I’m curious, I get on it, and depending on what I see for a number, it shakes up my day a little, even though I know better. And I see it happen with our clients often. They come in to work out, look like they’re having a bad day, and when they finally admit what’s bugging them, they confess that they got on the scale and hadn’t dropped any pounds since last week. 

Or in some cases, yesterday. 

I took the scale out Tuesday morning, and on Tuesday night, I got an interesting text from one of our clients:

“So you took the scale out of the bathroom and about half way through my work out. When I pointed at you is about when I realized you had derailed my usual inner monologue. Instead of demeaning myself during my workout because once again I did not lose 10 pounds since I stepped on the scale the day before my, head was clearer. I also noticed I felt more positive in what I was doing.”

That’s some pretty good self-awareness on her part, but I think sometimes we don’t even realize the kind of inner dialogue that creeps up on us when we do decide to see how much we weigh. That number affects us, many times more than we want to admit. And while we can intellectually tell ourselves that we are ok and we are doing good things all day long, trying to overcome that emotional connection to our weight can feel nearly impossible. 

I’ve written about the scale before, and how it sucks as a way to measure progress. Muscle weighs more than fat, so as you build muscle and lose fat you may even see your weight go up depending on where you start. Use a pair of pants that used to fit a certain way. If you need a number to look at, measure your waist in centimeters.  

But for the love of all things holy, take that &^%(*%^&)(*^%$*()(#$ scale out of your bathroom.