Oh, the dreaded scale! It’s the first stop at any doctor’s appointment and for some the first stop in the morning before food touches the lips and clothing is donned. How important is it really to know how much you weigh? Well that depends. For some it can make or break their day. How often should you weigh yourself? That too is debatable. Some diet programs suggest you weigh in once a week in order to avoid getting discouraged by the day to day fluctuations. I’m pretty sure I heard Dr. Oz say to weigh yourself every day or two. Some people don’t go near a scale and when they go to the doctor, they look away and ask the nurse not to give the number out loud. I have experienced the latter a couple of times when giving a fitness assessment to clients at the gym. I later found out that one of them had suffered from an eating disorder in her youth and had never come to terms with hearing the numbers. Maybe she’s on to something.

I always know what I weigh. Just ask me about any past event whether it be a vacation or a wedding, and not only will I be able to tell you what I wore and how long or short my hair was, I will be able to tell you my weight at the time. I weigh myself often because it is much easier to deal with the little ups and downs than the peaks and valleys. Sometimes it is a disadvantage though. Have you ever had a “thin” morning, where you awoke to a flatter than usual abdomen and just somehow felt lighter? You smile to yourself and think about the skinny jeans you thought you were too fat to wear a couple of days ago. “Ah”, you say to yourself. “This is going to be a feel-good-day!” Even your step is a little lighter and you seem to just glide through the air. Confidently, you approach the scale to see if you are down a pound or two and your smile gives way to horror as the scale indicates that not only have you not lost weight but you have gained a couple of pounds! You step off. You step back on. You step back off again. You adjust the scale. You step back on. You jiggle it a little then you step off and surrender. Eyes toward the floor, the robe goes back on and sullenly you head for your closet to find a tunic to wear to cover the top of the jeans where the button and button hole will surely not meet. You were delusional. You are having a fat day. The hair isn’t looking too great either and darnit, even your mirror won’t lie. This is the day you are sure to run in to your leggy nemesis at the grocery store. Thanks to the scale, this is going to be a feel-bad-day.

You might as well smile at yourself, project that wonderful personality and tell yourself that muscle weighs more than fat. And although the Great Oz has spoken, wait another week before weighing in!