More Than a Number.....

More than likely, we all have one. We probably use it way more than we should. We definitely give it more power than it deserves. The Scale. Quietly nestled in the corner of your bathroom, or maybe hiding behind the closet door, this little device invites us to step on hopefully and many times, step off with disgust. "The number didn't change!" "The number went up!" "I worked so hard, yet the number didn't go down enough!" I'm guilty too. For a point in my life, I let this number define my success or failure. But I have good news for you- you are so much more than a number.

The scale is good for one thing- giving you a single snapshot of your total body weight at that given moment. It does not tell you your muscle mass, fat mass, organ mass, bone mass, how much food or fluid you have consumed, etc. Yet this number is so often used to assess health status without any other data.

A more accurate assessment of health status would include body composition measurements, blood glucose levels, cholesterol levels, resting heart rate, and blood pressure. Together, these measurements can tell you what your body weight is made up of, and whether or not that is healthy for you; because we know that everyBODY is different and one size does not fit all.

So much of our body makeup, shape and size is determined by a multitude of factors, some completely beyond our control. For example, women tend to carry more fat than men; a stressful environment or situation can affect the way your body stores and burns energy; your genetics can determine where you primarily store excess body fat. And there are many more- cultural influences, age, eating patterns, activity levels, etc.

I've often referred to achieving health through the use of many tools, and the scale is just another tool. You wouldn't build a house using just a hammer; you can't achieve health by looking at the scale alone. If you find that the scale has become a fixation for you, I challenge you to get rid of it! Treat your body with respect by fueling it with nutritious foods, moving it everyday, and resting it sufficiently. Recognize your accomplishments and choose to see your health journey in a positive light rather than focusing on how much more you have to go.

Try this challenge with me for one week:

• Make 4 meals per week at home (versus eating out)
  
• Pack 2 healthy lunches
  
• Eat 7 servings of fruit and veggies a day
  
• Run 1 mile without walking
  
• Do 15 push-ups every day
  
• Take 15 minutes (or more) of your lunch break and go for a walk
  

Always Refueling!

Taber