Suppose you’ve been perfect and didn’t mess up on your diet even once. But when you step on the scale on your weigh-in day, it reads exactly the same as the week before.
First, you feel shock and surprise; then you get angry. You can’t believe it! It’s not fair! You did everything right, but you didn’t lose even one pound. At that moment, you may hate your body and feel convinced it has betrayed you. [Read more…]
Margie hated going to the doctor. The biggest reason? The scale! Here’s how she explained it.
At home, my scale is becoming my friend. But in the doctor’s office, the scale is terrifying. I have to plan what I wear because I know it will become part of my “recorded weight.” I also make sure to empty my pockets and not wear any heavy jewelry. [Read more…]
For many years, Paula lived with a scale obsession that often left her feeling depressed and hopeless after weighing herself.
Then she decided to disconnect from all of the crazy thoughts and behaviors she’d struggled with for so long.
Instead, she began thinking of her scale like an email. Each day, it gives her a little input. But once she steps off, she never gives it any more attention and mentally walks away from the numbers. Here is her story: [Read more…]
Did you know that the barometric pressure or high ocean tides can influence the numbers you see on your scale? Or that stress can make your body refuse to lose weight?
I’m sure you’ve had times when it seemed as though your scale had gone crazy. Some days, for absolutely no reason, your scale number will bounce around like a ping-pong ball. Or your weight will suddenly drop several pounds when you haven’t changed anything in your routine. [Read more…]
Over the past years, you’ve probably heard lots of conflicting advice. Throw the scale away. No, wait! Weigh yourself every day. No, that’s not right either. Never weigh yourself at all.
In the field of weight loss, you’ll find plenty of controversy about using the scale. Lots of books and program leaders take an extreme approach and say, “Throw it away! Never weigh yourself again.” Sometimes, you’re told, “The scale is evil, and it will ruin your weight-loss efforts.” [Read more…]
Suppose you pick up a new diet book that includes a week’s worth of menus. As you plan a grocery list for your program, you are horrified to see that Monday’s menu contains spinach, which you hate.
Would you throw the book across the room or yell about the stupid meal plan that contained spinach? Of course not. When Monday came, you would substitute a different vegetable and continue to follow the plan. [Read more…]
After years of raising kids and working full-time, Judy was finally going on a vacation. Her husband had made all the arrangements, and they planned to leave in a few days for a trip to Florida.
The best part of this vacation was that all the expenses were being paid by her husband’s company. The package included seven glorious days in an oceanfront condo, the use of a convertible sports car and a three-day pass to Disney World. [Read more…]
Because my book Friends with the Scale is going out of print next year, I decided to post it one chapter at a time.
Here is Chapter 1.
That crazy, stupid piece of metal called a scale! Each morning, you cautiously step on it, hoping for good news. But instead, it tells you that, once again, you have failed. [Read more…]
When you start any kind of diet or weight-loss program around the first of January, you tend to stay very strong for the first month.
The second one can be a little tougher, but you probably pulled yourself together and stayed with it.
But for some reason, the last week in February is when dieters begin to falter. [Read more…]
“You’ve got to be kidding!”
Carol spit out these words as she stared at her doctor and the white piece of paper she’d just been handed.
“No, I’m not kidding,” replied the doctor. [Read more…]