On January 1st, I threw away my scale.
I didn’t really know what would happen after that. I just knew I was tired of letting a number decide whether I felt good about myself that day.
Now it’s almost July, and six months have passed.
If you’re hoping I’ve figured it all out, I haven’t.
I’m still learning.
A few months into this journey, I stepped on a scale once. I never ended up publishing the blog I wrote about it, but maybe that’s part of the story too. Throwing away the scale was easier than changing the way I think.
The scale may be gone, but sometimes the desire to measure everything is still there.
I’ve caught myself focusing on calories, protein, fiber, steps, blog views, Pinterest views, and all kinds of other numbers. It turns out that when one number disappears, it’s easy to replace it with another.
What I’ve learned over the last six months is that this was never really about the scale.
It was about learning a different way to care for myself.
For years, I thought getting healthier meant doing more. More exercise. More rules. More restrictions.
I’ve tried a lot of those things over the years. Some of them worked for a while.
But they never lasted.
This time, I wanted something I could still be doing next year.
And five years from now.
And hopefully when I’m seventy.
So I’ve been strength training a few days a week. I walk most days. I try to eat protein and vegetables. I still have dessert almost every day. I go on vacation. I enjoy time with my family.
In other words, I live my life.
And maybe that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned.
Health doesn’t have to become my full-time job.
The older I get, the more I believe God never intended for me to spend so much of my life obsessing over a scale. I think He simply asks me to be a good steward of the body He’s given me.
Some days I do that better than others.
But that’s true of most things in life.
I’m stronger than I was six months ago.
I move more than I did six months ago.
And I don’t feel like I’m constantly starting over.
That may not make for a dramatic before-and-after story, but it feels like progress to me.
When I started this blog, I wasn’t trying to build a platform or become an expert. Honestly, I was journaling. I needed a place to put my thoughts and stay accountable to the promise I had made to myself.
If other people find encouragement in that, I’m grateful.
And if you’re reading this while feeling tired of diets, rules, and feeling like you’re never doing enough, maybe this is what I want you to know:
You don’t have to be extreme.
You don’t have to be perfect.
You can take care of yourself in ordinary ways.
You can go for a walk.
You can lift some weights.
You can eat a vegetable.
You can have dessert.
You can miss a workout and start again tomorrow.
Six months ago, I threw away my scale because I wanted freedom.
Six months later, I’m learning that freedom isn’t found in finally getting everything right.
It’s found in showing up, extending myself a little grace, and trusting God with the rest.
Six months later
On January 1st, I threw away my scale.I didn’t really know what would happen after that. I just knew I was tired of letting a number decide whether I felt…
Comments
10 responses
Love this blog! I can relate on so many topics and it’s nice to know I’m not the only one struggling with grace, not only for myself but towards others as well! Maybe I’ll keep telling myself, may even post a note on my desk, Grace = Freedom! That’s a great reminder to take a moment, stop over thinking, & breathe.
Thanks for sharing your journey & letting others acquire the encouragement thats specific to their life.
Thanks Bonnie! I completely agree, Grace does equal Freedom!!!
I agree God is the balance we all need .
🙂
Love this one! You are so strong!
Thanks Katie ❤️
So good, Michelle! Can’t wait to catch up with you!
Thanks Jayme!
Me too!
Love this and absolutely needed to hear it! Thank you for sharing! ❤️
Thanks Judy!!