A Slave to the Scale?

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Adele

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A Slave to the Scale?
16 Aug 2005

I weigh myself every day, still. Just to keep my face square out of the land of denial and do a simple daily check-in ritual to remind myself that my weight is still the biggest personal issue I have been able to ever conquer and change. Of course that number changes from day to day, anywhere from 139 to 144, depending upon where I am in my hormonal cycle or if I have had, say, several restaurant meals in a row, etc. I know few long-term successes who do not weigh themselves every day. I would say if you are an emotionally addicted eater, this daily routine is mandatory to success.

In my fat years, NOT getting on the scale each day was my first step into the land of denial. You know the place..."I didn't really do THAT much damage yesterday, I won't eat ANYTHING today then I'll eat really well the rest of this week and THEN I'll get on the scale"...and of course what I expected/hoped was that I would then lose even more weight—talk about setting myself up for failure and frustration! Not that I was ever able to follow through on that "plan" (let's call that a dream, not a plan, because it is PLANNING on planning. BIG difference.)

I have saved this quote from one of my own lowcarb mentors, Patricia, because I thought it was so simple and powerful. She's been at goal about a year longer than I have and she still weighs daily.

"I consider the scale a valuable, totally impartial bystander (not a judge), who knows no gender, has no opinion. It just says, "Here it is, what are *you* going to do with this info?" I gained a lot of weight over the years by fearing and avoiding it. Don't make it your enemy while evading your real ones."

Adele Stratton