I'm not sure if you're like me, but sometimes when I step onto a scale, I tend to step off feeling like crap. As those numbers inch up, and the increase in ounces turns to an increase in pounds, I step off of the scale feeling guilty about that piece of cheesecake, that plate of pasta, or any other unhealthy food that I've recently eaten.

After I stepped off the scale at my last doctor's appointment, I came to the realization that I shouldn't let numbers on a scale be an identifier for myself— my value as a human being is not defined by what the scale says I weigh. I realized that there are so many things that I can be defined by. While I'm still working on bettering myself and getting my body to a healthy place, I decided that I needed to make a list of things that define me.

If you have been/are currently in the same kind of body negativity mindset that I was in, maybe making a list of things that define you would be beneficial to you, too. Here is my list of 10 things that define me, aside from the number on a scale:

So, regardless of the number on a scale, I know my worth. I'm worth more than what the numbers on a scale read, and I hope that you know you're worth more than what you weigh, too. I hope that this article gives you a little perspective, makes you believe in your own worth, and encourages you to take a step forward in the direction of self-love.