I wake up happy, rested, and ready to take on the day. This lasts five minutes. Or the precise amount of time it takes me to reach my bathroom scales.
Yep, I’m one of those girls. And if you’re not, chances are you know someone who is.
On a good day, I step on and I’m the same weight. If I’m particularly lucky, I’m 200–300 grams less. Cue fist pumps. Even though this weight is no more than a glass of water, I’m still stoked.
I sing in the shower. I chirp about my day’s plans. I dress in a firm, feel good outfit. I’m on top of the world. I’m Beyoncé. I got this.
On a bad day, my weight’s crept up. My body feels the same, but the number staring back at me tells me I should feel shameful. I curse myself for the glass of wine/extra helping of dinner/hot chocolate I had the previous evening. I stay silent as I prepare for the day.
This was my reality for years. A cycle of hell beginning at 7am each morning, no matter the date or occasion. Birthdays, holidays, workdays, and weekends always began one of two ways – with cursing or fist pumps.
That was until I asked my husband to hide the scales. I wanted them out of sight. It was becoming all too much.
Bec Sparrow talks about her journey to self acceptance. Post continues below.
Cue catastrophe. Spiralling weight gain. Low self-esteem. Jeans that don’t zip up... Right? Wrong.
My pant size is the same. My top size is the same. That little belly I have when I sit with my legs crossed is the same. The persistent bulge over the side of my bra? The same.
But I’m not the same. I couldn’t be more different.
For the first time in a long time, I’m happy with my body. Big smiles, little-tummy-jiggling, carefree happy.
Not the type of happy that only occurs if the scales appease me. The type of happy that sticks around.
Celebrities on body image. Post continues below.
We love these celeb quotes on body image
It doesn’t mean I’ve given up. I’m not eating KFC as I write this post (and if I was? Great choice).
I’m still clocking kilometres on the treadmill, jumping on the bike every other day and lifting weights.
But I'm doing this for me, not for the scales.
Letting go of the scales doesn’t mean “letting go” of our bodies. It doesn’t mean not caring if we gain weight. It means trusting ourselves, being healthy and active for positive reasons – not because we’re 800 grams heavier than we were yesterday.
Using the scales is meant to help women feel in control of our bodies, our bumps and our curves. But more often than not, it makes us feel the opposite - that we have no control. It becomes a dictator of our mood and the way we feel about ourselves. It has to stop.
Watch the trailer for 'Embrace', a documentary about learning to love your body. Post continues below.
When we step on the scales daily as part of our "pursuit of happiness", we’re letting a piece of battery-operated plastic define our happiness. We’re smarter than this.
I’m not going to pretend changing my relationship with the scales was easy. It wasn’t. It still isn’t.
But, boy, has it been worth it.
Top Comments
I did that about 6 years ago. I didn't think anything else changed as far as eating and exercise went and I'd monitor it by how I felt and how my clothes fitted. Except that I don't really carry weight on my waist and I don't wear tight clothes. 2 years later I did venture into the scales and even though I was still a size 12 in the waist (although I knew it was getting tighter) I'd gained 20kg! Now I'm back to the scales every day, not excuses! I ended up losing 30kg and I've never felt better. I know my weight fluctuations and I'm ok with that. A .5kg increase might be fluid or it might be the burger from last night but it means today I'll watch things a bit more closely and see what happens tomorrow. It's my incentive to eat better today because I face it tomorrow. Not with shame or disgust, just honesty. I eat the food I enjoy with no guilt as I know what impact it will have and I'll adjust my habits (eating and exercise) to ensure it doesn't have a long term impact. My relationship with food has never been better, if I want the chocolate, I eat the chocolate. I know some people can throw away the scales and have no major impact. I am not one of those people!
Yeah, I don't weigh myself either, ever. I have semi-regular weigh ins with my PT, but he is under strict instructions not to tell me what the number is, because otherwise I'll obsess over it either in a good way or a bad way. It's not worth the mental energy, and besides, I live in my body and am fully aware of whether or not I've gained or lost weight.