I know I’m not alone in saying that in the past I had a scale obsession. Actually, I may even call it an addiction.
I feel quite grateful that I now seem to live in a much better place and rarely weigh myself or worry so much about the number it may display. (Though, my past still sits at the back of my mind reminding me that I never want to go there again.)
My happiness was dictated by a number
It’s hard to admit now but there was a time in my life when I weighed myself weekly, sometimes daily and even sometimes multiple times a day. I’d find myself fixated on the number staring back at me, letting it dictate my mood, self-esteem, and overall happiness. It was an addiction, a cycle of anxiety and guilt that I know many midlife women may also relate to.
Mostly, it was destructive
It could go in all sorts of ways depending on the day.
If I weighed more than I wanted, this could either send me into feeling horrible about myself and I would eat an entire block of chocolate because ‘what was the point’, or the same number could make me feel horrible about myself and send me into starvation mode because ‘I had to be stricter’!
On the other hand, if the number on the scale was somewhat ‘good’, then I may also go into starvation mode because well, ‘if I just keep going, I might eventually hit that magic number’ or, I might to into ‘binge’ mode because it’s time to celebrate that the number was ok!
Writing this is embarrassing – because it sounds like completely insane behaviour! And it was. I reflect now about how may hours, days and years I wasted, thinking about a stupid number on a scale!
It’s time to do things a little differently
One of the best things about midlife for me? It’s been a wonderful chance to take a step back, reconnect with myself and reimagine how I want to live this next part of my life.
Midlife is a juncture where we’re gifted with the opportunity to do things a little differently, so that we can thrive in our new era.
For me, that includes not weighing myself. I believe there are much better ways to evaluate health. The scale doesn’t tell the whole story. It fluctuates due to various factors, often unrelated to true health and wellness. More importantly, it doesn’t determine our value as individuals.
What to do instead
First, I want to acknowledge that it’s really hard to break free from long ingrained habits and messaging. If you are a midlife woman, then you would probably have grown up immersed in diet culture, and the ‘you can never be too skinny’ mentality where weight was a determining factor.
There are some instances where it is helpful/necessary to know your weight but much less than what we might imagine. It’s also challenging to challenge long term beliefs.
Ditching the scale requires a conscious effort. However, replacing it with more meaningful ways to track your progress, like focusing on the healthy habits you are creating and how you feel rather, than a number, are great steps forward.
Shifting your mindset to embrace self-love and acknowledging that you don’t need to be a certain weight to feel beautiful, happy or worthy is also important. It’s about acknowledging your inherent value and deserving happiness right now.
A healthy lifestyle will help you achieve a healthy weight – for you
Cultivating a healthy lifestyle is not about fixating on scales but rather embracing a holistic approach.
With my MELT method – Move Beautiful, Eat Beautiful, Live Beautiful, Think Beautiful – you can forge a path to your healthiest life and weight without relying on numbers. When you prioritise nourishing foods, engage in regular physical activity, foster positive thoughts, and savour the joys of life, then your body will eventually find its own best weight.
If you have been embroiled in decades of yo-yo dieting then it can take some time for your body to recalibrate, however it is possible.
What if?
So, what if you could break up with your scales? What if you could live a healthy life that is enjoyable, sustainable and even feels effortless?
And, what if your weight was, simply, your weight? Because, you are leading a healthy life and your body has adapted and finds where it’s supposed to be? Not the weight your sister is, or your friend, or the woman on Instagram – the weight that is right for you?
I finally, after many decades, decided that was the approach I wanted to take. Do I still sometimes have unhelpful thoughts about weight? Yes! I’m human and it is hard to completely remove all of those messages and behaviours from the decades of my past.
However, I now mostly recognise that life extends far beyond the confines of a scale. It’s about actually living, enjoying the richness of experiences, and creating a healthy lifestyle that makes me feel good.
Is it time to break free from the shackles of scale obsession for you as well?
Our bodies are incredible vessels capable of so much more than a number can define. Let’s celebrate our unique journey, acknowledging that real beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Midlife is our time to stop obsessing and start living. Let’s embrace the freedom of throwing away the scales and live with radiance, energy, strength, and empowerment.
After all, we deserve to thrive, not just survive.
It’s time to reinvent our new era and live our most beautiful midlife.
Tania
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