The 4 Best Reasons to Ditch your Scales for Good in 2022

Ladies and gentlemen, having a scale in your home sucks.

I threw mine out about seven years ago — it just caused too much stress for me.

The results weren’t accurate, I wouldn’t ever be consistent with weight in’s, and it threw me into a negative mindset about my body.

What killed the scales for me was a device called “body scan”, which is available in some hospitals, but happened to be in a clinic that I regularly visited for skin treatments.

Once a month, I’d get on it, and during my period, I would increase body fat, weight and lose muscle mass — all in the space of 5 seconds.

This is entirely normal, by the way, but the psychological effects had me at the mercy over some inaccurate numbers.

That’s when I decided these scans were killing my confidence and that they had to go for good.

I’ve not gotten on a scale unless, of course, for medical reasons — and I prefer to stay off them as much as possible.

Here are four reasons why you need to ditch the scales too!

One: It’s never accurate

We lose and gain weight throughout the day, and for women, during our cycles is probably the worst time to weigh ourselves.

One day we may jump on, and suddenly, three or more kg’s show up.

That can harm the way we feel about ourselves and may set us up for a day filled with anxiety regarding food choices.

So many factors go into how much we weigh, from the amount of salt we have, water consumption, exercise and, of course, hormones.

When we start our diet plan, weight loss can become rapid because of the amount of water we lose. The same goes for low carb diets too.

Getting on the scale can set you up for failure and place a dent in your self-confidence.

We cannot control the never-ending fluctuations our bodies experience, but we can pick up the scale and throw it in the bin — for good.

You don’t need it, and if it causes you that much trauma, ditch it.

Two: It can bring on some mighty unhealthy obsessions

Weighing yourself every day can lead to an unhealthy obsession.

That one figure you see on the scale can impact our moods, whether to skip social gathering’s with the people you care about the most, drain your life energy and take over your mind.

How can one number have so much power to take over the quality of life we lead and cause more severe issues, such as an eating disorder and addiction to exercise?

That’s because WE let it!

I, too, once fell victim to that number, and it drove my overall day — every single day.

It became too hard, and after I did the math, my life seemed out of control, hidden in an innacurate meaning behind numbers.

Was it worth the trouble it caused? Fortunately for me, that answer eventually became a no.

If one thing can significantly affect your life and isn’t directed towards a positive and empowered outcome — get rid of it!

People feel more empowered saying goodbye to negative people, but when it comes to the scale, without it can magnify fat gain fears!

Do yourself a favour and think long and hard about this.

The habit may be hard to break, but once it’s done, you’re rid of it for good -and will get your life back.

Three: Just because you weigh less than most people doesn’t mean you are healthy

Being skinny, or weighing less doesn’t give you the right to a “healthy ” label.

So, stop looking at skinny people like they have your ideal body.

You have no idea what lifestyle they lead, energy levels and health quality.

There are absolutely no quick fixes healthy solutions to losing weight.

It takes time, conscious effort with nutrition and exercise daily.

Unfortunately, due to our rush for results, we can bypass the often long road for something more straightforward and faster instead.

Eating too few calories per day can lower your metabolism and put your body in a muscle loss environment.

We have to think of calories as a means to fuel the fire, and dropping them won’t give us enough of a furnace to keep going strong.

That’s why low caloric diets don’t work.

Instead, they cause too many health and nutritional problems, often leading to weight gain when we eat normally again.

It’s always tempting to fast track your way to success, but jeopardising your mental and physical health in the process is not worth the price.

If you want to fast track weight loss the right way — adopt an intermittent fasting regime.

It lowers your calories by cutting one meal per day. This puts your body in a healthier environment, both mentally & spiritually while providing long term benefits beyond any other diet.

Four: Remember that muscle weighs more than fat

Muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less surface area but weighs more.

You won’t put on lots of weight when you build muscle, but there may come a time when the scales don’t reflect the absolute truth.

You can lose weight on the scales and not see it reflected at you in the mirror or the way your clothes fit.

Scales are a number that isn’t considering all the things you are eating and doing; therefore, it brings on a lot of insecurities and confusion.

It may also cause you to become frustrated with your progress and lose all motivation towards your journey.

It’s wiser to focus on your body composition rather than weight.

But we stop ourselves from doing this because of those numbers flashing in our faces.

If this isn’t enough to make you ditch scales, then I should come over to your house right now and get rid of them for you.

Takeaway

I understand that we want to check on our progress, and we have a right to do that.

But may I suggest picking something more accurate that gives you a complete breakdown of your fat and muscle levels, as well as your hydration and several other factors?

They all play an essential part in your weight loss progress, and they will help you set more realistic goals based on where you are now.

Plus, it gives you a more in-depth look at your overall body, rather than just looking at one single number.

I recommend a DEXA scan, but only once per month!

I know that’s hard for many people, but once per month is perfect, as it gives you enough time to commit yourself to eating well, exercising and knowing you have a proper scale that will reveal it all.

This is one machine you can’t hide from!

Make it a game to get the best results possible from that scan.

It’s one of the best ways to find out what’s causing you any health or weight loss challenges. Far more beneficial than those $10 scales from a bargain store.

Now, for Pete's sake, go get those scales and throw them— right in the back of the bin!

Story posted on Medium

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