Scale to Size or Wait for Weight to Show? (Nip it in the Bud!)

Weight-on-Scale-DenialI’ll admit, I was a little obsessed with the scale, most of my life. After all, if I didn’t weigh myself daily and aggressively nip any weight-gain trends in the bud, there’s no telling how large I might become, right?

But then, seven years ago, I discovered my low-thyroid condition. It seemed to explain my challenging war on weight. For years, I’d fought so hard to maintain a certain size. I had a positive self-image, but it meant a grueling diet/exercise program.

When I started taking a thyroid supplement, I was able to eat a bit more- like a “normal” thin person. And not gain weight. Yay- problem solved! I decided to throw my scale away.

Weight-Gain-No-ScaleFor seven years, I started eating “healthy” meals of whole foods, grains, beans, nuts, occasional meat, etc. I didn’t notice any gradual increase in size, and I didn’t have a scale to prove it, so all was well.

I should have noted that my weight at the doctor’s office once a year had been increasing. I had brushed that off (that’s just extra heavy clothing today, or that’s just water weight from all that salt yesterday)…

I finally got a new scale, and went back to weighing myself regularly. Realized I’d somehow gained an extra 8 lbs. or so in these past 7 years. Now, I don’t want to obsess about losing weight; ultimately, it’s about being as healthy as we can be. After all, God told us, “the body is the temple for the Holy Spirit”, right?

But I did start paying more attention to what I was eating. Mark of Mark’s Daily Apple has loads of dietary info. Entire websites are devoted to “Paleo This”, “Gluten-Free That”, and other health trends. Many bloggers who’ve suffered from ill health are quite enthusiastic about their new-found dietary solutions.

I learned that, apparently, the half-cup of nuts I had been eating daily contains lots of Omega 3’s, and could upset the Omega 6 to 3 ratio, leading to health issues. What? Could that explain the swollen, painful knee problems I’d been having? (I thought that was just because I was over fifty…)

So I cut down on the nuts (to maybe a tablespoon of macadamias daily, which are of a better Omega 3 to 6 ratio). My knee problem went away- wild!

I made some other fairly dramatic changes–I  went in with a few other families, on purchasing a grass-fed cow. I started finding organic, free-range chickens, making bone broth*, bartering for my neighbor’s duck eggs, eating less gluten, rice, and beans. Etc. A radical shift from the more vegetarian-style diet we’d eaten for years. The new Paleo trend in our house didn’t seem to foster any weight loss, but it did make me reconsider my previous habits. I had been eating soaked raw buckwheat groats for breakfast every morning. And while most raw fruits and veggies are awesome, the Paleo folk do not recommend raw groats at all. (They suggest cooking grains and beans after soaking, rinsing, even fermenting, to improve digestibility.)

How was I going to make the scale my friend again?! Well, a cleanse never hurt any. I had done them before. I liked the last one I did, a few years back, from Blessed Herbs. It had me juicing my organic apples, then adding back in psyllium powder (for fiber), plus a whole range of cleansing herbs and such at various times of the day.

But at this point, I was looking for a new routine that might adjust that tendency toward weight gain. Like, a new type of breakfast, not a temporary program.

So. I got a Vita-Mix. (Check this post for what I’ve been having for breakfast, and why.) So far, I’m not back to where I was, but I’m getting there!

*PS For more about how bone broth is good for you, see this article from Paleo Diet Lifestyle. You’ll want to make some tonight!

4 Responses to “Scale to Size or Wait for Weight to Show? (Nip it in the Bud!)”

  1. Reply sf

    That scale looks like it’s seen its days! Haha! Yeah, me too, with the daily weighing of myself. I never thought it helped me, when I would always be within 3 lbs every time I got onto it. But now that I’ve moved and am without a scale, yup, I’m packin’ on the pounds! So I shall check out your herb cleanse thingy. Thanks for sharing your own experience once again (Jen, I hope I look as good as you do when I’m over 50!!!) and great tips and fun pic again!

    • Reply Jennifer Cote

      Haha… Yup. I bought a new one, but the old one was still in the garage. Guess what? That old one was totally accurate! (Ouch.)

      Oh, and you’re welcome. It’s good to hear someone else had the same problem, losing “accountability” when the scale disappeared!

      • Reply sf

        In regards to your scale, isn’t it interesting how those “older things” work better, than stuff do nowadays? Like older versions of cell phones used to be more heavy-duty and less flimsy on the casing, that it wouldn’t do much damage to drop it. Not anymore! And older irons worked better too. If I’m able to find a good and accurate scale like the one that you have, then I won’t be hollerin’ at mine, that it’s lying to me and broken again, anymore. XD

        • Reply Jennifer Cote

          I have an iron that I bought from a thrift store in 1976. It still works great!
          I was surprised the old scale was still right on though. I thought for sure it must be a bit off, haha…

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