The Dangers of the Scale

Being in the fitness industry, I always hear people talking about their weight and what the scale says. I also receive many questions on the topic of weight loss. As of lately I am getting very fed up with the emphasis placed on what "number" you are on the scale or how many pounds have you lost on this recent diet?It's already challenging for women in this society of perfect magazine models and movie stars, who have the money and time to train several hours a day, pimping their workouts, exercise wear and protein supplements. This is not real life and certainly not the norm for the average woman.Because of my background in dance and gymnastics, I have always been "heavier" on the scale than my counterparts in school who were similar in height and stature. I would always have to remind myself and others that lean muscle weighs more than fat. Fat cells take up more space in the body however, whereas muscle may be more dense but more compact within the body composition. So one can actually weight more than their counterparts but look thinner due to density of lean muscle over fat ratio. A funny story I will never forget was while at Cedar Point Amusement Park. I went to a booth where they either guess your age or weight. I actually thought I could win in either category but told the guy to guess my weight. I was probably in my best shape and had even started training for a body building contest with maybe 11% body fat. He guessed me about 20 pounds under.In hearing women talk about and be obsessed with what the scale says and beating themselves up over 3 ounces gained here or there, is devastating to our self-esteem. In any given day everyone fluctuates up or down about 4 pounds. Most of these fluctuations are water weight related.This past year in training for my triathlon, I was swimming, biking and running in some capacity almost daily. Within those 5 months of training, the scale only showed a 2 pound lose. However, I feel so much stronger muscularly and in my cardiovascular, plus my clothes fit looser.What matters is how do you feel. Are you staying active? Don't worship the scale, it will only disappoint. It is only a number. Mostly stop comparing yourselves to others, especially against those models. There are all types of bodies and God created you as such. Set out to create the best of you, where you feel energized and comfortable with yourself.