3 Things I've Learned from Trashing the Scale

Ohhhh the scale. That square piece of metal that makes or breaks the day. The number that haunts some of us all day long, and makes us question everything we are doing, down to the food we are eating or whether or not we are wanted and beautiful. I've had a rocky relationship with the scale since I was 12, sometimes giving it up and sometimes taking it with me on family vacations to make sure I kept myself in check. I would weigh myself after binges in order to punish myself and make myself feel even worse for being a failure...again.  I used to hop on daily, and sometimes multiple times a day, in order to assess my self-worth and let it dictate how I would (or would not) care for myself that day. 

Back in October, I was on a team call with the team of coaches I'm a part of as a Beach Body Coach (yayyy Team Inspire Joy!) and we were talking about life and things as we typically do, and I was sharing my struggle with measuring my self worth by the scale. My mentor/friend Anna, as well as the rest of our team, encouraged me to just trash the thing. I had done this in the past, but I'd always end up buying a new scale a few days later, because I could just not let go. But this time, I felt like it would be different. I had the support of an entire team of amazingly strong women to back me up, and I knew that I could give up owning the scale once and for all. I decided to dump it that night, and no, I never bought another one! 

I've never felt more peace and joy in my entire life. Giving up the scale and my emotional attachment to it was one of the best decisions I've ever made, along with starting my intuitive eating journey back in December (post coming soon about that!) I've learned so much about myself, my body, food, and my overall sense of worth by getting rid of the thing that has tormented me for 15 years. Some things I have learned include:

• Trashing the scale has taught me to base my progress and my fitness journey on how I feel. Numbers don't mean everything. I started asking myself "how do you feel?" "how are your energy levels?" "do you feel nourished?" "do you wake up hungry" --> **FYI it is GREAT if you wake up hungry! Means your metabolism is on point!** Getting rid of the external validation/disapproval I'd get from the scale forced me to look at other, more important aspects of living a healthier life. 
• I was able to indulge and not automatically see a "punishment" on the scale. In the past, if I would eat more than usual, I would hop on the scale the next day, see it go up a couple pounds, and throw a hissy fit. Guys, having treats now on then will NOT make us gain real weight. It is likely water weight or undigested food still sitting in your body. Now that I don't see that immediate "punishment" for a couple cookies or a few servings of chow mein, I can fully enjoy my indulgence and move one to my next healthy meal without a second thought. Which brings me to...
• I think about food SO MUCH LESS. I focus more on how I feel and how my clothes fit vs. what I'm eating and what number I'm seeing every morning. Food is not my focus. I already naturally love healthy foods (it's an acquired behavior and it's possible...trust me!) but I don't focus on what I can and cannot eat anymore. I eat LOTS of plants, superfoods, and foods that make me feel good, but I do also indulge occasionally and I don't beat myself up about it or worry that I'm up a couple pounds. Because guess what...I don't know if I'm up a couple pounds, and I don't care! I don't need number to dictate if I am healthy or if I am taking care of myself. 

It's been SO freeing to get rid of the scale, and I am grateful to our team for encouraging me and standing behind me to do so! It was hard the first few weeks, but after some growing pains, it was so incredibly liberating to not stare at that number every morning. I will say that I work in a medical facility, and there is a scale at work, right in front of my office...#irony haha...I hop on the scale once a month or so just to keep myself in check. BUT, since I'm not weighing myself daily anymore or obsessing about it, and because it is not IN MY BATHROOM staring at me every morning, I have such a healthier relationship with the number I see, with the food I eat, and with the woman I am. 

If your story is similar to mine, know that you are not alone and not the only one who is struggling. I've gotten to know so many amazing and strong leaders since becoming a coach, and many of us have dealt with the same insecurities and struggles. It can be hard to take that initial step, but if you feel led to get rid of whatever is weighing you down, I'd say get rid of that scale. It's fine to weigh yourself once in a while, but obsessing about it and letting it dictate your life is NOT OK. And for me, keeping it in the house preventing me from using it as a "once in a while" method. I had to purge my house of it, and that felt empowering. You were made for more then being a number, and you deserve more too. Trust the process, trust your body, and trust yourself! 

Self-Sabotage, Fear, and Freedom

Those three words speak volumes to me as I sit here trying to gather my thoughts. Self-sabotage has been on my mind for a while, and it completely baffles me. I often wonder how we as humans, who are pretty self-centered and out to better ourselves, can actually be our own worst enemy. We try to blame those around us for our short comings and failures, and sometimes yes, life is rough and things happen that we don't have control over. But so many times, WE sabotage our own efforts. I wonder if it is fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the unknown, or all three meshed into one confusing mess. I think back on my life (yes, I'm only 26 years old, but things have happened to me too!) and I see so many patterns that I wish I knew how to put a stop to at 15 years old. I'd like to share my thoughts and experiences with this topic and hope to inspire those around me that it is not a pattern we have to get stuck in!

Growing up, I always had a lot of goals and lists. Finish a certain number of books in a week (I was a huge bookworm), getting certain grades, practicing piano every day, etc. And for some reason, as a child, I always accomplished what I set out to do. However, starting in high school, I started to almost fear accomplishing my goals. I would get SO close to reaching a goal, and then at the last minute throw in the towel, give up, and even move in the opposite direction of where I was headed. The best example I can think of is my journey with my weight.

I was always a thin child but once I hit thirteen, the pounds started to stay with me. I couldn't do sports because of a knee problem, so my sedentary lifestyle and my love of goldfish and cookies lead to gaining 30 lbs in high school. It was a roller coaster for me: restricting to lose weight, then gaining it all back when my "diet" was too hard to follow. I finally got out of the resticive pattern in college and was able to lose weight in a healthy way. But even then, the minute I started getting into the "groove," nourishing my body, and actually feeling proud of myself, I would slam the breaks and turn towards my destructive food habits, gaining the weight back.  Even things that should motivate a person, such as an event or vacation, would only motivate me for a while. But then, literally 2 days before the event, I would give in to all my cravings and feel like I backtracked on all of my progress. It was a vicious cycle, and I've finally realized that I'm not alone in it.

Many of us sabotage our own health journeys because of fear. We fear being uncomfortable because we are "used to" the way we live. We get comfortable not reaching our goals and we think we are destined to be stuck in a destructive cycle.

It's time to stop this cycle! We deserve happiness. We should fear being complacent and NOT fear success! I've realized in this past year, and more so even in these past few weeks, that I am worth success. I am worth reaching my goals. There is nothing scary about achieving what you set out to accomplish. There is so much freedom in finally doing what you have always said you want to do.

But how do we do that? I think it really starts with a decision in our mind. We have to choose to believe that we are worth it. I believe God created each and every one of us. The Bible says we are more than conquerors in Christ. That means we were made for more than defeat! Believing what God says about you is the first step.

Then, it's changing your inner dialogue. I don't know if you've noticed, but there is always a script running through our minds, and our words can either be our best friends or our worst enemies. And guess what? We have the power to decide! God has given us a brain to think and decide things, so let's choose today, right now, to see ourselves as successful. To tell ourselves that we CAN resist those treats in the breakroom, or that it IS physically possible to fit in that 20 minute walk somewhere in our busy day. The more times you tell yourself you can, the closer you get to actually achieving your goals.

Lastly, I think you absolutely must have a plan. Take pen to paper and jot down your goals, then jot down all the ways you can think of to reach these goals. Do you have to set aside a couple hours during the weekend to meal prep? Do you have to go to bed a little earlier so you can get your workout done in the early morning? Do you have to look up some healthy recipes to change up your diet and not get bored? Write it all down, then DO THE THING! You deserve to be known as someone who follows through, attacks the day, and reaches his/her goals.

Now, if all of this seems a little daunting to you and you want some additional help, support, and guidance, please feel free to contact me! I am seeing clients and I would love to get to know you and more personally help you reach your goals. I even do Skype consultations if you aren't in the area. I am so passionate about helping people find freedom from the things that are holding them back. So, if you have any questions or want to work with me, please email me at TveenRD@gmail.com.

I hope someone out there was inspired by me pouring my heart out today! What is one thing you took away from this post? And what is one goal or task you will focus on achieving? Remember, you were made for success, and deserve every bit of it!