I’ve never owned a set of scales. Those who may be familiar with my healthy living journey will know that I became obsessed with weighing myself and from that point on I vowed never to own a pair of scales or use them to determine my health for a number of reasons.
Weight in some cases is not a true measurement of health. A seemingly healthy person considered to be of an ideal weight can be seriously unhealthy because of poor lifestyle choices, lack of exercise and an unbalanced diet. On the other hand, someone who is clinically obese can actually be a lot healthier and happier despite their larger size.
OK, so maybe the title of the post is a little extreme and in some circumstances numbers can be helpful when it comes to health. I know counting calories has been a great success for some in helping them lose weight and become healthier. So many times, I’ve heard health care professionals and nutritionists using weight as a direct measurement of health and physical fitness (don’t even get me started on the use of BMI!). Body weight is a great way to track weight loss and progress, but too much emphasis is put on weight rather than how you feel on the inside.
Being a certain size or number on the scales doesn’t determine how happy you are going to feel. You can be a size zero and the most miserable person alive. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you can be morbidly obese and simply be loving life. A number cannot determine your emotional state, which is also important if you are looking to be truly healthy and happy.
Your weight doesn’t make up who you are, what you stand for nor is it a reflection of you in any shape or form. A number shouldn’t hold you back because society says it should – continue to eat for health, doing the forms of physical activity you enjoy and have fun no matter your size! Even if you feel that you do need to lose weight, there’s no shame in this. Don’t turn in on yourself and think that your size makes you any less beautiful or less of a human being because your weight doesn’t determine your self-worth.
Being healthy means something different from person to person, so therefore, it comes in all different shapes and sizes. A set range of numbers that someone has said makes you a healthy human being isn’t going to work for everyone and isn’t something that we should even conform or try to aspire to. You can be your own version of healthy whatever your size maybe and a number on the scales shouldn’t have any control over this. To compare ourselves to each other over a misleading number is one long road to unhappiness and destroys any dream of us becoming our most awesome.
Sorry for the rant, but I hope that I can be a voice of reason in a world that is determined to undermine the true meaning of being healthy with faddy diets and misleading ideals of body positive images. Don’t get me wrong, I’m far from being immune to social pressures when it comes to weight and body image. I just wanted to put it out there that weight is not a true measure of health, nurturing a beautiful body with the food you love and following your passions to make your soul happy is also part of living a happy and healthy life.
I totally agree with this, I think it’s more about how you feel and if your happy with how you look rather than a number on the scale. sometimes it can be really demoralising if you think you’ve lost weight/look better but the scale says other wise!
Absolutely! I do think the scale has a place in healthy living, however I think too much focus is on the numbers as opposed to how you’re feeling.
I couldn’t agree with you more. My body mass index told me that I was dangerously overweight… when I was really probably only on the higher scale of average, bordering overweight according to my doctor. Thing is, it’s distressing and demoralising Hx
It can really have a massive impact on your self-esteem, when in fact you were probably feeling your best ever!
I’ve always been lucky that I’ve never really needed to worry about my weight but I agree that it is easy to get caught up in the numbers when health and happiness are much more important.
That’s really great Emma! Healthy and happiness are certainly more important than a number.
I fall somewhere in the middle of this. For me, I do track my calories as I struggle with portion control and I do weigh myself every couple of weeks just to see where I am, but I know that I can do that without obsessing over it.
What I hate is how most doctors only look at the number on the scale and don’t care about anything else.
Soo true, for doctors the scales is the first port of call rather than asking how someone is actually feeling.
Absolutely agree with this. An external number which is influenced by a ridiculous number of factors is a silly thing to have affect your happiness. How you feel, how you sleep, whether your healthy or not, exercising etc. should be more of a determinant. And visually how you look as well – how much muscle and fat you have. One number can’t tell you what you need to know.
Totally Anna! There is so much more to health than just a number and I really wish health professionals would realise this.
I love this post, so very true and I hope people pay attention! BMI is the biggest load of crap going and numbers on the scale definitely mean different things, no one size fits all. I don’t weigh myself unless I have to, say for a GP or currently for a midwife appointment, I judge my health on how I feel and look xx
Good for you Hannah ! I totally love your attitude to health and wellness.
While I’m not necessarily educated enough to form an opinion, I tend to agree with you on this- there are far to many variables to make it as cut and dry as a numbers game.
Exactly! I don’t think you need to be educated to form an opinion Jessy. 🙂
Health is so much more than what you weigh, and I think a lot of people think it is just that. It is to do with quality of life, stress levels, sleep, happiness….
Too much stress is put on numbers when there are so many other factors involved. Sleep is an overlooked factor too.
Up until recently I was like you: obsessed with weighing myself, making sure I didn’t eat too much, and when I allowed myself a piece of cake or another sweet snack (my favourite kind of snacks) I felt really guilty. It drove me and my boyfriend mad, so he forbade me to weigh myself. Now I’m a lot more relaxed and I can enjoy life to the fullest with the food and the people I love
So happy for you Anneleen. I’m so glad that you’ve found a happier place and more relaxed about your weight. Great that you’ve got a super supportive boyfriend too!
So true! Your not defined by your weight or BMI! I am considered underweight for my BMI and yet I am not underweight for my height. It is a weird paradox!
It is a strange one isn’t it! BMI is such a poor measurement of health!
Great post. I am usually not too bothered about my weight/BMI. Can’t be bothered.
Ha! Love your approach! 🙂
Health numbers can be a good starting point. Someone who is 5’1″ like me but weights 200 pounds (not me!) is obese. But once you get to borderline numbers, you have to look at the whole picture.
It is a great starting point, but health is about so much more.
I do focus on the numbers as a way of motivation. But I do agree. You have to feel happy to be happy
They can be motivating, but there are so many other factors that are overlooked in order to feel healthy.
Yes i totally agree! I think everyone knows whether they feel great or not and how clothes fit!
Very true Claire! 🙂
It’s a good point! I’m always fixating on getting to a certain weight on the scales but I never get there and I’m not sure what difference it would actually make to my life
Tracking your health isn’t an issue. It’s when it takes precedence over how you feel and the other areas that contribute to feeling healthy become neglected.
I completely agree with you. It feels quite old fashioned that ‘healthy’ is size 8-10, slim legs, flat stomach and so on, yet this image still seems to be projected upon us as the ultimate image of health. Healthy to me means eating really well most of the time but allowing room in my diet and lifestyle to eat pudding or have a glass of wine, but also healthy means having a happy mind. Everything works full circle and I think to be the healthiest version of yourself, you need to do your very best to ensure your diet, fitness and mind etc are all in the best places they can be. Live a balanced life and fingers crossed, you should be alright : )
She’s So Lucy
I do mind my weight and I have lost a lot recently but in saying that I don’t eat that healthy. I mean I don’t have take away everyday, just once a week but I don’t necessarily watch what I’m eating. I do eat a lot of fruit though.
I do seem to obsess with the numbers on the scale. X
I don’t weigh myself nor do I feel the need to. I’d be an average 10-12. I try eat healthy but also like a treat. I can’t think of anything worse than obsessing of a scales. Eat in moderation and exercise regularly and you should be fine.
I couldn’t agree with this more. I don’t weight myself or monitor things by numbers I tend to go on how I feel when I look in the mirror and how I feel in myself. If I have energy, feel good in my clothes then I’m happy.