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What’s with the scale?!

June 8, 2013 14 Comments

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Can we talk candidly for a minute?  I don’t get a lot of “hate mail” but I do get some comments from people who have different views on health and fitness and I think it’s perfectly healthy to have a discussion when that happens. 

So recently I got a comment from someone who was criticizing me for “being dependent on the scale” to make me feel good about my post baby weight loss.  I thought about it for a while and finally think I have a response. 

So let’s talk…

For those that have been pregnant, you know how magical, wonderful but sometimes daunting and frustrating it can be.  You are not in charge of your body, a little being is renting it for 9 months and I’m perfectly ok with that. 

But once the renter vacates the premises, it’s up to you to care for it and get it to whatever desired state you want it to be.  Some are happy as is…That’s great.  Some mamas want something different, either to be the size they were when they got pregnant, or some may even want to be smaller.  Some don’t even think about it that way…some think in terms of fitness and endurance levels. 

In my mind, none of these are wrong.  You are you, your goals are your own. 

For me, my goals are a combination of weight loss and fitness.  I know I want to be able to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half in July in Chicago and eventually get my pace back so I’m definitely focusing on getting fitness and endurance.

But it doesn’t stop there. 

I wish I could stand up here (on my invisible soapbox) and tell you that I shun the scale and that I have no desire to see what it says but I’d be lying.  I’m human and I look at the scale.

I want to be able to fit into my old clothes.  I want to feel confident like I did before.  I don’t want that to come off wrong.  I’m content but I’m not “there” yet.  So the scale, is just another measure for me.  It helps to keep me on track and shows me that all the hard work I’m putting in is paying off. 

I don’t look at it everyday, once a week if that.  I’ve said before I don’t have one at the house so it forces me to go to the gym to weigh in which is not easy to get to these days.

In my line of work, we use things called KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) to track how work is  going.  My weight is just ONE of the things I’m tracking.  It’s not a holistic view of me but it is one  indicator that I’m on track.

So to the criticizer I say…Watching the scale?  Yes.  Dependent on the scale?  No. 

In the next couple days I’m going to be opening up about how I’m getting back to my pre-baby form and hopefully sharing some tips and tricks from other new mamas.  I think it’s important to share so if some of it works for you great!

Ok, so there it is.  I’m being honest.  Fault me if you want but it’s the truth.

What KPI’s do you use to monitor your fitness, if any?  How do you stay fit?

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Comments

  1. Ann says

    June 8, 2013 at 10:11 pm

    I have heard the same complaints. The scale is very helpful for an athlete. It can be damaging if you allow yourself to judge by the numbers but I have found it helpful. Medically it has helped me to diagnos big gains and losses, alerting me to issues. Currently it has shown me that something really is going on with my metabolism in that I cannot drop weight even with a big calorie deficit. That is simply wrong. Anyway, each to his own, right?

    Reply
  2. Jan says

    June 8, 2013 at 10:32 pm

    I weighed myself daily for years on end. If I started to gain, I ate less. The only reason I quit is because our scale broke a few weeks ago and I’m too cheap to buy a new one. Just because some people have an unhealthy relationship with the scale doesn’t mean no one should ever weigh themselves!

    Reply
  3. Carli Alice says

    June 8, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    Boy.. I hope I wasn’t the one who said that. If so, I’m sorry. I like to go by how my clothes fit and bodyfat% (measured with calipers). I’m not saying I never get on the scale but it’s pretty rare. It used to be an unhealthy source if fixation for me and even though I was tiny I was not healthy. So I do tend to poo poo the scale. You’re using it in a healthy way, though, and it’s what works for you.Baby weight IS hard to deal with.

    Reply
  4. Dawn Robinson says

    June 8, 2013 at 11:01 pm

    I fall victim to the scale from time to time and then I remember that the scale does not tell an entire story. Do what feels right to you at the time. It’s all a learning process and figuring out what works best for you.

    Reply
  5. Jen says

    June 8, 2013 at 11:21 pm

    I am 100% with you. Losing weight after baby and using the scale as an indicator is great motivation. But like you, I don’t rely on the scale. Sometimes the scale says one thing while how my clothes fit says another. I like to see that number and know where I am but I don’t let it run me. 😉

    Reply
  6. Nicole @ Work in Sweats Mama says

    June 9, 2013 at 12:16 am

    I definitely used the scale as a KPI after both pregnancies. I didn’t weigh in daily, and I knew the number was just one piece of a larger equation. I also cut myself some slack while nursing b/c I knew my body was working overtime to provide nutrition & wouldn’t be willing to let go of those last few pounds until my girls were weaned. The scale didn’t define my success but it was an important tool.

    Reply
  7. Brittany Chapin says

    June 9, 2013 at 11:16 am

    Definitely a combination of cardio and strengthening plus healthy eating keep me fit. I still want to lose weight because I’m not back to my prebaby fitness level either. The scale is one of my KPIs too and I use it once a week. I also always look at how my clothes are fitting. I think what you are doing is totally normal and healthy!

    Reply
  8. Cheryl says

    June 9, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    Being a mom of a 2 week old, I am right there with you. I have promised to be good to myself, but I am definitely ready to set goals and that includes weight loss and toning up. Can’t wait to race again…hoping for August!

    Reply
  9. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says

    June 9, 2013 at 1:20 pm

    I don’t think there is anything wrong with using the scale. I stopped using it for awhile because I WAS getting dependent on it, but now I have a good relationship with it and it keeps me on track!

    Reply
  10. Linz @ Itz Linz says

    June 9, 2013 at 1:43 pm

    good job being so candid! 🙂 while there are MANY indicators of weight loss, fitness, etc. i do think that the scale is ONE good measure! itz not the only way, like you said, but it does hold SOME weight (ha)

    Reply
  11. Elizabeth says

    June 9, 2013 at 1:45 pm

    I made the mistake of using the scale to set a goal in November (end date: this Thursday). Of course, I am more fit, healthy, and my clothes fit better…but I am just shy of that number on the scale. I’d like to think that if I had read this post prior to goal setting, my goal would be different, but I doubt it. I think I had to experience this frustration. Looking forward to Birthday cake on Thursday…and running 13.1 on Saturday. Oh, btw…my baby is 9, and my healthy choices dropped 25lbs, and a PR!

    Reply
  12. RunningWithSass.com says

    June 9, 2013 at 5:48 pm

    I think you are right it’s different for every person. I weigh myself each day BUT I have a healthy relationship with my scale and don’t freak out if the number isn’t what i want it to be. I just know I need to cut back on the sweets, etc. etc. Some people can’t do that Iknow and they get hooked ont he number.

    Reply
  13. Laura @ Mommy run fast says

    June 9, 2013 at 6:57 pm

    Great response, Katie. It’s very hard to ignore the scale post-baby. Especially after the entire pregnancy is about getting weighed every visit! I like your point about using it as one of your key performance indicators, but being careful not to be dependent on it.

    Reply
  14. thelazymarathoner.com says

    June 10, 2013 at 5:43 pm

    I see nothing wrong with using the scale, as long as it doesn’t become an obsession. It is generally a healthy way to track your progress, along with the other factors you mentioned.

    Reply

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