Goodbye Old “Friend”
I made a tough decision last week.
I dropped it off at Goodwill (along with a candle that I just love and a curling iron that I still can’t use).
I have had the same scale since I was in high school. I was planning on taking it with me. Over the years I’ve come to really like my scale. It’ve learned to see it as a tool and have cut most emotional ties to it. I’ve learned it’s erratic language. If I eat out the night before she will read higher or if I’m really active and forget to drink water it will read lower. Neither is worth getting disappointed or excited over.
When it came down to packing for a year I had to make some hard decisions and there just wasn’t room for it. (Just like there wasn’t room for my 7 wigs although I did find space to stow a pair of fishnets.) I considered storing it but there was limited space at Brent’s parents so I really couldn’t justify storing a 15+ year old scale. As far as I know, it’s not even accurate.
It’s going to be weird not weighing myself for a year or more. I go through stages of weighing myself once or twice a month or if I set a goal a few times a week. It can be a huge motivator for me. It’s not that the number means much, it’s mostly just data, but I love good challenge. I also know what number range is easy to maintain where I still look good and what range is more challenging to maintain where I look “great”. Even that is relative though.
Here is the thing. I need to learn to trust myself. I know what needs to be done to maintain but there is that little doubt that if I don’t see that number then I will go back to being overweight. I don’t want to go back there. I don’t have to maintain a six pack but being overweight wasn’t great. It’s not that life was terrible when I was overweight but given the choice I’d rather be lean. The scale does’t make or break my day but it does reassure me and now that reassurance is gone.
It’s a journey and I’m looking forward to learning from this experience.
I’m already learning a lot even though we’ve only been gone for less than two weeks.
Yesterday, I did my first workout since September. Brent and I worked out together. It was lovely to workout under the trees and in the dirt. It was short 20 minute workout (not including warm up and foam rolling) and I’m already sore!
I’ve lost a lot of strength. I’m a little bummed out but I will regain it.
After our workout I did some foam rolling in our little home.
I suppose this was my first strength training workout since September. Last week, I went on my first ever mountain bike ride to a beautiful remote beach. It was amazing not only the ride itself but overcoming a long time fear of bikes.
Like I said, it’s all journey.
Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn
Check out our family’s adventures at New School Nomads as we take a year long (or more) road trip through the United States!
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This is my (almost) sane quest for insane health. Let's 
Wow. That’s a big deal, getting rid of a 15-year-old scale and severing any last emotional ties you might have with it. Congratulations!
I’m also really curious about your seven wigs…
i never officially threw out my scale but i hid it. somewhere, in the house, a few years ago. so liberating. i have no idea where it is – but i do need it now that i have to travel and weigh my bag for check in!
I was also a scale junkie for a while. I haven’t weighed myself in months and I don’t even think about it anymore. It wasn’t that I was tied to it emotionally, but like you said, that reassurance was nice. And if the number was really high or low, I usually could pinpoint a reason. So I started to think, why bother? And one day I didn’t step on it. or the next. Or the next….etc.
But now I’m curious. 😉
Yay for learning to trust yourself:) I bet you won’t miss it at all with all the excitement of this next year!
Hey Jen, just catching up with you! It will be fun to follow your adventures this year!
Thanks for saying hi! Nice to “see” you again!!! 😀