My scale does not define me.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Good morning! So, it’s been over 2 weeks since I’ve actually stepped on the scale. Bad? Good? Neither, more like a huge sigh of relief. My scale has been living my life for me for the last 6 years. It has defined who I was, and it was the precursor on how I would feel that day.

I go up a few pounds? Bad day and everyone around me look out! I go down a few pounds? The world is a beautiful place and everyone and everything are super duper!! Why is this?

In the very beginning of my Sleeve journey (not my pre-band and not my band journey) I was only weighing in once a week. Every Wednesday I would jump on the scale and see how my week went. Pretty much every single time I stepped on I was down at least a few pounds. Awesome! Some weeks it would drop huge numbers, sometimes only one pound. They were all fine with me – if you only knew what I went through with my band, you’d know that for ME EVERY SINGLE POUND lost WAS A BLESSING!!

For the record that has not changed. I’ll tell you what has changed. How often I was stepping on that scale. Over time my weigh-ins would increase. From a few times per week, then up to a few times per day. For me, this really started to mess with my mind! In the beginning it was no big deal. But the closer I started to get to some very huge weight milestones I started to really let it affect my mood. NOT GOOD!! I did always promise that if it did affect me negatively then I would take a step back and not do it anymore.

…and that leads me to today. Today I have not weighed in two weeks! I think this is for sure the longest I’ve gone since my sleeve surgery. I think I’m almost ready to get back on. *Almost*. Wednesdays have always been my weigh day – but I may change that. Before my sleeve I always liked to weigh in on Fridays. I think I may go back to that. The reason for this is during my workweek I am excellent!! I do my workouts, I eat perfect – I’m just really on point during these days. It’s always nice to see the fruits of my labors at pretty much the end of this. The weekends are a lot harder to manage. Hubby and I are always really busy and whatnot, it’s just not as structured. I’d rather not see the bounces if at all possible. Is this avoiding the truth? Who cares??? My sanity is at stake here!! LOL!! IMO as long as the scale is going down, I’m happy. Even if it’s one little pound – ya know that’s still ONE POUND closer to GOAL!! Gotta love that. Especially since I’ve only got about 30 or so to go.

Most folks tell me that I don’t look like what I weigh. Awesome! I wish I did though. I would most likely at this point just try to wiggle myself into maintenance mode at this point. However, the fact is I DO still weigh what I do (199.6 at last check) so I still have a little bit to go. I was going to go for the maximum weight according to the ridiculous BMI charts. For me that would be 154 Lbs being that I’m 5’6”. Knowing this I’d still have 45.6 Lbs to lose. Ummm… no. I’m already fitting in some 10’s and mostly all 12’s now. My 14’s are pretty much ready for donation but I’m wearing them until they fall off me… LOL… which is not too far from now. Who knows what size I’ll be in 30-35 more Lbs. I will surely be done by then.

Anyway like my title said, My Scale Does Not Define ME!!! I do.

Blessings to all on your journeys. I know this is long winded – but that’s how I do things...

[Rev Me Up! 75]

Yay for you!! You know I am a big fan of the bi-weekly weigh in. There is no way I wanted to put extra pressure on myself of fluctuations in the scale. I know for sure that I weight up to 5 pounds more in the evening than I do in the morning, so its only morning weighing and once a week AT THE MOST.

Good for you - working through this is hard. It is so hard to change obsessive habits, isn't it? food, scale, work, etc.

I was enjoying your post and realized I am a little too obsessed about my clothes size. You and I are the same height and I weigh less than you, but I am just squeezing into size 16 pants. I am excited about it because last week I was in an 18 - but in order for me to be a size 10, I would have to weigh around 150. We each have our demons, eh?

Your scale does not define you

My clothes size does not define me

What else can someone add to this list, I wonder?

[Beadingnurse 116]

I am glad to see this post because I have been obsessing about the scale recently and have been telling myself that I was NOT going to weigh myself everyday (for all the reasons noted above!) but still I pop onto that scale each morning. This morning I was depressed because it had "only" gone down by .4. I KNOW I would be better off to weigh weekly and I like the idea of a Friday weigh in.

I think I will try weighing on Friday and then not weighing until the following Friday! It is also hard to not get obsessed about clothing sizes. I was thrilled this weekend to buy (and wear) some size 14 slacks and a skirt but I also bought a size 12 pair of jeans! They are tight as all get out but I can zip them and I estimate that I am about 5-7 lbs from having them look good and not like they were painted on.

LilMissDiva...you probably have a LOT of muscle (which weighs more) because your pictures look like you weigh a lot less that you do!

[cludgie 81]

Awesome post - thank you!

I battle the scale, I had some really serious eating dosorder stuff going on about ten years ago, and my hubby had to literally lock the scales up to save my sanity, he would only release them for 10 minutes a week, no matter how much I begged him, before he did that though I'd weigh myself several times an hour whenever at home - bonkers!

I'm down to once a day now, and have a little morning ritual, which includes weighing myself 3 times to make sure its accurate, and I hate to admit it, but it also involves me flushing the toilet at a certain time - how is that going to change my weight???? Ah well its a HUGE improvement!

I take my hat off to you being able to avoid the scale for 2 weeks though that is supreme control, well done!

I'll add my random one to the list for good measure though;

I am not defined by my scale

I am not defined by my clothing size

AND I am not defined by meaningless rituals (although they are damn hard to shake! )

I am defined by me!

[Disney 20]

Great post! I love the way you put things into perspective. Keep up the great work

[sunnyd 32]

Great post! I think this hits home with most of us. That dang scale! I also like to weigh once a week but if the scale is on the floor in the bathroom I won't pass up weighing myself in the morning... every morning! So my solution was to weigh myself and then put the scale in my laundry room in a small space between my dryer and wall. It is out of sight and not as tempting as in the bathroom. Last time I lost a lot of weight I was on it daily- if not more. I will not do that this time! I need my sanity!

Great job passing up the scale for two weeks! I'm impressed!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

I realize I have a problem when it comes to my weight, and I can tend to get a little obsessive with it. I really have to maintain my composure in all ways I can. For lots weighing daily is not a big deal - and those are the folks that deserve the credit!! Me, I just can't seem to do it with fluidity. It comes off being irrational where I'm weighing even more than twice a day and it was starting to affect my moods and that was when I was forced to look at this habit and realize it was not a healthy one.

I too had to hide my scale while I am not looking at it. If it's anywhere remotely visible and with easy access, I will try to look at it. So, now it's in the garage and I really don't like going in there in the early morning, it's really cold. Now, who's to say how I'll feel once it warms up in the morning? LOL I might have to get my hubby to hide it from me at that point. We shall see!