To Weigh or Nay

 For the past 6 weeks I have been pushing myself to the absolute limits in my workout program. I’m lifting heavier and I’m getting stronger. I’m also being very strict on my 80/20 nutrition.  I weigh myself once a week and the scale has steadily been creeping up. About 1/2 pound per week. Today I weighed myself and gained another 1/2 pound. It doesn’t sound like a lot but that’s 3 pounds in 6 weeks. I am now less than a pound away from my never again weight. I lost it. I was sobbing on the bathroom floor for a good 10 minutes.  

There is no way I can push myself any harder. My body is so sore that some days I find it hard to walk. Short of a starvation diet there is nothing more I can do.  The issue is my weight. My clothes fit and my measurements are either down or the same.  So should I just stop weighing myself because it is causing me angst or is it important to know that number for health reasons?  I know it’s just the effect of gravity on your body but since I am already overweight should I continue to monitor it?  Or do I take the philosophy that I’m doing all I can to live a healthy lifestyle so my weight just is, whatever that number is?

My doctor seems to agree with the latter. So why can’t I stop weighing myself?  Why can’t I just throw the scale away?  I think it is because our society places so much value on weight. You should be this weight or you aren’t healthy. Skinnier is better even if it means that you have to be unhealthy to get there.  

I think it is time for these societal norms to change. I am not advocating for obesity because that leads to all kinds of unhealthy issues. I’m advocating for health. Move your body every day, honor your body by eating healthy things most of the time. Get enough sleep. And above all LISTEN to your body. Keep track of when you feel good and when you don’t feel good and try to find the root cause and avoid those things. 

I need to take my own advice. I’m not very good at deciphering what my body is trying to tell me. I’d much rather have someone just tell me what to eat every day or what exercise to do. But everyone is different and your needs change day to day so that isn’t likely to happen.  For now I’m going to try to get off the scale and listen to my body.  Maybe eventually I’ll figure out what it is trying to say.