Those Numbers on the Scales
Those Numbers on the Scales.
They can make a day go from wonderful to less-than-wonderful in the fraction of a second.
They can be so a source of dread for many women (and men!), myself included.
We check Those Numbers religiously and regularly, because we are afraid of (heaven forbid!) falling into the overweight or obese categories. We know that our only value as a human being rests solely in being what the medical world has deemed a 'healthy BMI'.
Actually, forgive me, I need to amend that statement. We know that our value as a human being rests solely in being as light as we can possibly manage.
Our concept of beauty and health has been all screwed up, thanks to the media and advertisement. And, also, might I argue, because the whole 'BMI' system is far from perfect.
I've been scrounging around the internet for answers, perhaps to justify myself and my own weight, or perhaps to justify expressing my opinion on this blog post, in case it goes against all that is scientific, medical and logical. Turns out I may not be barking up the wrong tree, after all.
BMI (body mass index) was a system invented in the 1800s by a Belgian mathematician, Adolphe Quetelet,, to determine what a particular individual's weight "should be". It is worked out by dividing the body mass by the square of the body height. The answer then puts you into a category: underweight, ideal weight, overweight or obese.
Straight away alarm bells ring when you realise that it is just another label to slap on people. After all, it is much easier to label someone as 'fat' than to figure out if they really do carry too much harmful fat or if they are just rather muscular, heavy-boned, or a fluke of nature.*
According to 'Time', an 'ideal' BMI could mask the fact that you are carrying dangerous fat around your internal organs, while an overweight 'score' could simply be the result of an amazing new work-out regime. If you want to read more from this article, go here: http://healthland.time.com/2013/08/26/why-bmi-isnt-the-best-measure-for-weight-or-health/
Diet plans such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World use the figure on the scales to motivate and challenge. I wonder how many body-shamed customers and consumers these companies would still recruit, if they didn't rely on our fear of Those Numbers.
Think about it. The numbers of times we feel ashamed of having enjoyed a meal out with friends, because the number on the scales the next morning demonstrates our indulgence.
The number of times we vow to give up any kind of potentially fattening foods and start up an intense fitness regime because we are horrified by That Number. Then we fall off the band wagon of our good intentions - which are actually pretty unattainable for the average person - feel ashamed, hop back on the scales after indulging again, and the cycle continues.
We forget that our weight is subject to a million different factors, like water-retention, hormonal changes, time of the day, time of the month... the list is endless. I know that I weigh my heaviest just before my period. Like I am actually about 6lbs heavier than I am at the start of the month.
I don't know what it is about me. I'm not going to tell you how much I weight, because you'd be shocked. But I am definitely heavier than I look. The only logical explanations for this I can come up with are: 1) I am actually incredibly overweight, look fat to everyone who comes into contact with me and I am deluding myself to think that I look or am any other way OR 2) ample bottoms must weigh a. heck. of. a. lot OR 3) I am muscular or heavy-boned.
Whatever category I fall into, I have decided to do something radical, and for a period of time PUT AWAY THE SCALES and embrace a healthier attitude towards my weight.
Life is short. Life is beautiful. Why give up simple pleasures of life, like enjoying what we eat? Why starve ourselves, diet, limit or deny to reach a certain number? Do we truly believe that once we get to that number on the scales we'll actually be happy with our weight and the way we look?
I truly believe that it's about accepting and loving ourselves where we are, right now, however much we weigh.
I think the whole culture of fad-dieting creates a very unhealthy relationship with food. Many people spend their lives denying themselves and then rewarding themselves by over-indulging.
What if we were to change our attitude towards food and weight? I think my mum was wiser than she realises when she instilled the message into me from childhood, 'Everything in moderation.'
If you want to eat healthier, that's great. Try to listen to your body. Stop eating once, or even before, you're full. Try eating smaller portions. Cook from scratch.
Also let loose a little. Eat that piece of cake, if you feel like it! Just don't do it three times a day and you should be fine!
I'm not a health expert. I'm just someone who is saddened by the way our culture has taught us to relate to food. It is not the enemy. It is a gift to be enjoyed.
And you are NOT a number. You are a beautiful, unique individual with unique weight distribution, a unique body, and people who love you for just the way you are.
I think a psychologist by the name of A. Janet Tomiyama sums it all up really well: “If you’re eating healthy, exercising and sleeping well, I don’t care how much fat you have.” (https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/bmi-is-a-terrible-measure-of-health/)
Don't obsess over Those Numbers on the Scales. They're only numbers. And you, you are so much more.
*In the positive sense, of course!