The Scale Doesn't Matter, What Matters Is How You Feel
The forever looming number of the "ideal" body weight shouldn't be what you strive for in the gym.
At some point or another, every single person has weighed themselves and been surprised at the number. Either because you're more. less, or exactly what you thought you were. Usually, I see this number at the doctor's office, throw it in the back of my head, and move on with life. For me, the scale defines nothing. For other people in my life, I've seen the scale destroy them, and all of the happiness life has to offer. Here's why the scale doesn't matter. (Disclaimers: healthy body weight is important, but definitely not something you need to obsess over because they vary hugely.)
The number on the scale should tell you one thing, how much you weigh. That does not determine your self-worth or anything about what people think of you. What really matters, is how you feel every single day. If you feel happy, have lots of energy, are motivated to go out and do the things you love, and generally are eating a healthy balanced diet, you are doing life right. If you don't feel this way, it might be a good time to talk with a doctor.
To be healthy and happy is the most important thing in your life. Your diet and exercise should support you in a way of creating a healthy lifestyle and providing you with the things you need daily. If you're finding that you obsess over cardio and do hours of it a day, or only eat lettuce because you think that is the best way to keep yourself happy, you're failing yourself.
I'll be honest, I personally eat food from every food group each day, and that includes treats! "Treat yo self," is so important to maintaining a healthy relationship with food and exercise. Why? Because, eating the things I want with the things I need (and also enjoy, just not as much as cookies,) keeps all of me happy.
The number on the scale does not represent my happiness. I've been 127 pounds at 5 foot 5 for three years. During that time, I've gone from relatively average to relatively muscular. And? my body weight has not budged. Why? Because that's where my body is happy, it's what I maintain with my exercise and diet. I go to the gym in the mornings, I usually don't do a whole lot of cardio because it's not my favorite thing to do, and yes, I eat cookies! But, what matters more than anything to me is that I feel good. I don't ever weigh myself, and when I step on the scale, its usually a surprise to me that hey, I'm still 127 pounds.
Don't let the scale rule your life, determine your self-worth or your happiness level. Make sure that you're healthy, happy, and overall feel good and motivated to do the things you love every day because that is what actually matters. Help your friends, remind them what's really important and stop letting a little metal box tell you how much gravity you're feeling today.
