Is stepping on the scale a good thing or bad thing?
The evil nutritionist thought I should never step on a scale again. That I should only be measure through her machine in the office and let her monitor my health.
We all seem to feel a little guilty about stepping on the scale, enough that we, embaressed, call ourselves "Scale Hos".
My therapist says that obsessing about scales would entail jumping on before each meal, jumping on during the meal, jumping on after, and freaking out about what it says each time.
I weigh myself each morning. I weigh at the same time, after I brush my teeth and go to the bathroom, before I get dressed for the day. I weigh three times and average it, then write it down on a slip I keep on the wall above the scale. Every couple weeks I enter it into an Excel document and take a look at how I am doing.
When I make a change in my diet or exercise, I look at the slips or my Excel document (named "Weigh to Goal") to see how it is affecting my weight.
Sure, I measure myself, and I do assess how I look and feel in my clothes. But the scale is my tool...one of the best ones in my aresenal, and I treasure it.
Is this obsessive? I don't think so, but I worry. I figure that since I can leave the scale for days at a time on vacations and not worry about what I'm weighing, I'm okay. But when does this cross the line?
Found this interesting quote at the Lean Plate Club (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...04Aug16_2.html )...you may have to sign in to view the whole article:
Quote:
Monitor your weight. Stepping on the bathroom scale is important for weight maintenance, since "individuals have no practical way . . . to know if they have a calorie deficit or excess in a day," the committee noted. Think of it like monitoring your bank account or 401(k): It helps to know the bottom line from time to time.
So, what do you think? Is weighing yourself daily a measure of dedication to your health or an unhealthy habit?Monitor your weight. Stepping on the bathroom scale is important for weight maintenance, since "individuals have no practical way . . . to know if they have a calorie deficit or excess in a day," the committee noted. Think of it like monitoring your bank account or 401(k): It helps to know the bottom line from time to time.