Enemy or Ally

For sure the scale is one of the worst enemies of most overweight people.  I have a scale that goes up to 330 lbs (150 kg).  When I bought it, I weighed  around 320 - 330 lbs (145 - 150 kg).   Then for months I didn’t want to step on it because I knew that I would pass the maximum capacity.

So I bought another one that goes up to 380 lbs and the first time I used it  I was 382 lbs !!!!!!!!!!.  F____ me how could I go from 330 lbs to 380 lbs (150 to 172 kg) in only  one year?!  I noticed that I had gained some weight during that year, but I never imagined that it was 50 pounds.

If  I knew that I was gaining that much weight I would have taken some action much sooner than I did.  In a certain way, I believe the fear that most of us have to the scale is a problem because at least in my case, I was totally oblivious to my real condition.  In my mind I knew I was gaining a few pounds, but I  was in that denial phase thinking that a chocolate or a cookie or some ice cream or cake or  a hamburger wouldn’t make a difference and that I could  compensate the next day which never happened.

These days I try to see the scale as an ally, and you may well ask why?  First of all, it forces me to  accept that I’m hugely overweight (and that’s a fact) and secondly I try to see it as a guide because it’s going to tell me if my efforts are working or not.  For example, if you’re experimenting with different exercises, you can see which one is more effective by verifying how much weight you are losing or if you suddenly start to gain weight you can check what you’re eating.

Of course you have to keep in mind that sometimes you can be doing everything right and still not lose any weight,  but I’ll discuss this another time because there are many variables that could explain why.