Healthy Body Image - 2 Powerful Reasons to Put the Scale Away

Ever been on a diet where the food comes out of a box, hardly qualifies as food, and you have to be weighed every day by someone who sits in judgment of your obedience to a program?

I have... and it messed me and countless others up for years. In fact, one client told me she would faithfully drive to the storefront of the latest "diet castle" and sit in her car trying to get her courage up to go in and get on the scale, knowing that she had "been bad" the night before. She told me she would often just drive away, feeling guilty without getting out of her car.

I have to ask myself "Why would otherwise powerful and smart women subject themselves to being continually weighed and measured and often found lacking?" "Why is a healthy body image so elusive?"

What is it with the Power of the Scale?

After years of yo-yo and restriction dieting, I finally figured out how important it is to put the scale away, or at the very least, quit giving it so much power.

#1. The Scale is a poor substitute for a Higher Power

You stand in front of your scale... before you eat or drink, wearing nothing but your underwear, hoping for the best.

Did you get away with that late night snack? Will you pay for that extra helping at dinner? You didn't exercise yesterday, will it show?

You take a breath and step on... waiting for the moment of judgment. What will the scale-god say? Are you worthy of feeling good or should you feel bad for the rest of the day and obsess on what you did wrong and what you should do to be better?

Sound familiar? You are not alone. I have been there and so have many others.

#2. Your self worth will not be found in a number on the scale.

Giving the scale the power to evaluate your self-worth is not healthy.

Your self worth will only be found in knowing that you are taking wonderful care of yourself and that has nothing to do with constantly checking the numbers.

The scale may shame you into submission, but it doesn't have your best interest at heart. It doesn't have a heart. It can really mess with your body image issues.

You are so much more than a number on a scale. If you have anxiety about your weight, a better approach is to get support that focuses on your inner health, find a food plan that has long term sustainability and use the scale as a supportive tool only.

Some wonderful support groups for eating disorders advocate only weighing yourself once a month as a way of keeping on track.

Don't make your healthy body image just about numbers.

So, do yourself a favor...take your scale off it's pedestal and put it in the garage. Go visit it once in a while.

Wishing you Peace & Abundance...
Joyce Lee
"Your Life Empowerment Coach"

2008 joyceleelifecoach.com

Are you ready for more opportunities to explore, reflect and improve self confidence?

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Joyce Lee is a certified Life Empowerment Coach, Personal Growth Facilitator and Law of Attraction Practitioner, specializes in guiding women seeking a deeper, richer life experience.

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