My training has been going great recently. Considering the time of year, and the amount of work that I have on at the minute I’m doing pretty well. My clothes are fitting better, I feel tighter and less chubby and my energy levels are up. On Wednesday morning, I decided to hope onto the scale. I was surprised to see that I hadn’t lost any weight and started to feel frustrated. I started to scrutinise my self more negatively and started thinking about all the changes that I could make. Then I took a deep breath, and just walked out of the bathroom. I made a decision that day that I was going to judge my results on other methods other than just the weighing scales. I realised I was falling into a negative programme of thinking just because I had weighed myself and I started judging the value of doing this.

I resolved in myself to see the scale for what it is. The scale is a form of measurement. It’s nothing more than that. How was it that in the past, my sense of self worth and confidence were so intimately linked to the number that popped up on the scale? It was because I was putting more meaning onto the result than I had to. Yes I have to face reality, but that doesn’t mean we have to irrationally heap misery and anguish to the result.

So screw the scales. I’m not a boxer so I don’t need a weight class. I would like a form of measure though, and so I’m going to use the tape measure as well as the scale to get more of a clearer picture of the progress I’m making. When I looked back and reflected on my results, it dawned on me that I have been working on strength training for a few months now, and the number probably reflected an increase in muscle. That makes even more sense since my clothes are fitting better although there has been no movement on the scale.

To be honest, because I have removed emotional attachment to the result of weighing myself, it will become a far more valuable tool. I will use it to judge my methods and not myself. I invite anyone out there who has had similar issues with weight to try the same thing. It’s incredibly liberating to be able to step on the scale and accept whatever it shows you. This approach to results is applicable to all areas of life as well, because it stops you from defining yourself by your bank balance, career, or any other external measure.

Don’t get me wrong, just because I accept something, it doesn’t mean that I will be satisfied with it and not take action. I now just choose to take action without all the emotional baggage.

I’m not convinced that your weight tells you the complete picture either. I feel energised, strong fit and healthy. In the past I have weighed less but looked fatter and felt worse than I do today. The scale can’t measure the amount of muscle or fat that you’re carrying. So it stands to reason, that the number on the scale can sometimes be unreliable. Bear this in mind when you do use the scale and whatever you do, don’t become a slave to the weighing machine.