Health: It's more than #'s on a scale

tobj-0106, originally uploaded by befiitter.

The scale is a liar.

You've probably been using it for years to gauge a variety of things from your health to your self-image. While the scale may be a good way to keep yourself in check from time to time and monitor when you need to cut back it really doesn't give the complete picture of health. In fact, many people who would register as being in an acceptable weight range for their size may in fact be "skinny-fat". Skinny-Fat is a term that I use to describe people who are naturally trim without even trying. They are the ones who eat cheeseburgers at every meal, never exercise, and yet never seem to gain an ounce of weight. So, although they may be thin they are anything but healthy. It is quite possible to be very thin but have a very high percentage of body fat. It is also possible to be classified as overweight on the BMI scale but have a very low percentage of body fat.

Now I'm not suggesting that you throw out your scale but I am suggesting that you gauge your progress in other ways. Are you able to walk for longer periods of time without getting breathless? Are your jeans fitting more loosely? Do you find that you can carry your children around with ease? Are you lifting heavier weights today than you were 12-weeks ago? Are you exercising for at least 30 minutes 5 times or more per week? Are your eating habits improving? Are you sleeping 8 hours each night? These are all pieces of a healthy lifestyle.

Alright so maybe your numbers on your scale could stand to be a little lower, but just for today, instead of obsessing about numbers and getting down on yourself, go ahead and congratulate yourself for the others ways that you have made healthy progress. Health it's so much more than numbers on a scale.