The Dreaded Scale – repost from Tending the Healthy Hearth 4/16/2010

I have a lovely scale in my bathroom and am amazed that when I step on it and loose even ½ lb, I’m elated. However, when I gain or even stay the same on that weight measure for longer than I think I should, I’m sunk, sometimes for the whole day.

Why don’t I lose weight? I’ve been so good. Why bother? I may as well eat whatever comes to hand if this is the way it’s going to be. All these messages fly through my mind as I stand staring down.

Almost every weight loss program centers its existence on the results of that scale. The power of such programs is based on losing weight. People will pay dearly ($30 billion per year) to see the scale go down. The proof and effectiveness of these programs has to be evident when you step onto the scale-right? Not necessarily. The greatest foe for anyone who is trying to get thinner is the very thing that so logically seems to be the barometer of success — the scale.

When you use the scale as a measurement of success it only works as long as you are losing the amount of weight you think you should be losing. If you do not lose as much weight as you think you should — or horror, actually gain weight — this trusted tool of the weight loss program backfires and the whole process is sabotaged by the traitorous scale.

Weight by measure is an indicator of health. The Body Mass Index is an important gauge in the medical community. To compute yours enter your weight and height below:

Another simpler measure is waist circumference. Waist measurements over 34.5 inches for women and 40 inches for men indicate glycemic stress and the related Metabolic Syndrome, which is the precursor to chronic degenerative disease including diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke and cancer.

And while the measure of scale has some relationship to this, the weight itself is not the problem, only the indicator of the problem. Much like a fever is the indicator of infection. The fever is what makes one uncomfortable and lethargic, but simply taking a fever-reducing tablet will not solve the problem of the infection, only the symptoms. Losing weight will improve health, no doubt. However, how one loses weight and the ability to sustain the lifestyle of healthy weight is of great importance.

The scale becomes foe when it indicates our success or failure. Better to have other indicators of success. Do you have sugar cravings? No? Then celebrate. Sugar quickly available to the bloodstream over months and years is what trod this path to Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance, the underlying problem. Solve that problem and the weight will come off. Just because it doesn’t come off in a week or two or more, is not an indicator that your efforts are in vain. Rather, as your metabolism heals, your weight will be released. The healing comes first.

If you haven’t already seen it, click here to take a look at the clinical research of Dr. Ray Strand documenting the results of his program upon which our program heavily relies.