The Scale Isn’t Your Whole Story: Building Self-Worth Beyond Numbers
Do you dread the scale so much that you avoid medical appointments altogether? Or maybe the opposite—you feel the need to weigh yourself every day, and the number you see determines your outlook for the day?
If either of these sound familiar, it could be a sign that your self-worth is tangled up in your weight.
Now, full disclosure—as someone who loves bodybuilding and works closely with the fitness community, I’m not here to demonize the scale. In fact, it can be an incredibly helpful tool on many people’s fitness journeys. But tying your self-worth to your weight? That’s a completely different story.
Let’s talk about a couple ways to build self-worth beyond the scale.
Try a Quick Exercise
Think of someone you care deeply about. For the next 5 minutes, write down all the reasons why you care about them as a person. If you don’t want to write it out, at least spend that time thinking about them.
I bet their weight won’t be on your list.
That’s because we’re often much more compassionate with others than we are with ourselves. But that’s a double standard. If that person is worthy of love from you regardless of their weight, then the same should apply to you.
Explore Your Values
Much like in my previous post about staying motivated during a plateau (you can read it here if you’re interested), getting in touch with your values around weight can be incredibly helpful.
What values are behind your focus on weight?
Are you keeping an eye on your weight because you want to stay healthy for your family? That’s a meaningful goal—and there are plenty of other indicators of health and ways to be there for your loved ones that have nothing to do with the scale.
Or maybe you’re trying to lose or gain weight to feel more confident in your body? That’s valid too—who doesn’t want to feel confident? The good news is, confidence is built in many ways, and not all of them involve the number on the scale.
The point is this: there are likely other ways to live by your values that don’t involve putting your self-worth on the line every time you step on a scale.
Your view of yourself isn’t going to change overnight, but the internal work needed to get there is possible. And there’s no shame in seeking help from a mental health professional if you need some guidance along the way.
If you’re working on building a healthier relationship with fitness—and want support from people who get it—our personal trainers are here for you. At Forged Fitness, we meet you where you’re at and help you grow from there.
