Guest guest Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 Hi, , I totally respect everything you say, and I can see how not weighing could be really liberating, especially if weighing is something that's plagued a person for a number of years. My problem is that I'm so darned good at blocking out information I don't want to know, that I tend to err on the side of being too lax. I guess between "permitter" and "restricter," I've nearly always fallen really far over on the "permitter" side of the spectrum. I've been uncommonly lucky that my excess weight hasn't yet shown any effect on my health except very slight hypertension, and despite being well into the obese range by any chart one could consult, I've been a fairly hard exerciser (on and off) for long enough intervals in my life that I can easily do moderate-level cardio and weight training without becoming winded. So it's easy for me to ignore, ignore, ignore, and it's my preferred M.O.! So right now being a little more conscious of what's happening with my body is a very new thing. And yes, I may indeed not weigh next month, or the next, or the next. I do want to postpone my decision on that, though, so I can assess later what seems like it would be most helpful for me. Like so many of us, I'm feeling my way to what would be more normal, more mindful. And I'm totally open to hearing what works best for others (that's the reason I wanted to be on a list like this), and reconsidering it as an option myself. So I've not at all discounted never weighing again--though not doing so would not be much of a stretch for me: it's what I did for well over 10 years. All best, Laurie wrote: >>>Hi Laurie, For me, and according to many intuitive eating books I've read, the scales have a whole bunch of power. Your mileage may vary, and it's everyone's personal viewpoint. For me, I am giving myself a year because in a year it doesn't really matter if I gain or lose 10 or even 30 lbs. As far as "talking yourself into thinking you weigh less than you do" or "that you're losing too much" etc. I think many authors believe that one should stop being attached to even that much detail about weight. Because at the root of weighing oneself is a belief that the numbers on the scale indicate health, and that the goal is radical weight loss. This all seems kind of Zen to me. In order to lose weight, if that's what our setpoint allows, we need to lose attachment to losing weight altogether. And I love that!!! I too considered whether outlawing the scales was making it taboo or causing problems, I really resisted doing this, but once I did I felt more free. And since I'm giving it a year it's more an experiment than a taboo. pp. 56-59 of Intuitive Eating have good commentary. Here's a bit of good quotes: "The dieter relies on external forces to regulate his eating...also validates progress by external forces, primarily the scale, asking 'How many pounds have I lost? Is my weight up or down?'...The scale ritual sabotages body and mind efforts; it can in one moment devalue days, weeks, and even months of progress...Ironically, 'good' and 'bad' scale numbers can both trigger overeating--whether it's a congratulatory eating celebration or a consolation party." I know, for a fact, that as I exercise regularly and eat according to my body cues, that I can TRUST MY BODY TO BE MORE HEALTHY. Throwing out the scales, for me, was a rebellious act against the scale as false idol, against that feeling that "I should weigh myself once a month just to make sure". That was my attitude for years, that weighing myself "occasionally" was okay, and yes I only weighed myself every month or so. However, the numbers became my new gods. Like it or not, they were. This is just my take, and everyone is different. I am not saying that my approach is better, because we all live in our own bodies and have to gauge our own internal cues. I myself am pretty die-hard anti-scale, and know a few women who have come to great internal peace and happiness when they stopped weighing themselves as well. Geneen Roth doesn't know what she weighs right now. That's a nice approach! Cheers, <<< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 Hi, , I totally respect everything you say, and I can see how not weighing could be really liberating, especially if weighing is something that's plagued a person for a number of years. My problem is that I'm so darned good at blocking out information I don't want to know, that I tend to err on the side of being too lax. I guess between "permitter" and "restricter," I've nearly always fallen really far over on the "permitter" side of the spectrum. I've been uncommonly lucky that my excess weight hasn't yet shown any effect on my health except very slight hypertension, and despite being well into the obese range by any chart one could consult, I've been a fairly hard exerciser (on and off) for long enough intervals in my life that I can easily do moderate-level cardio and weight training without becoming winded. So it's easy for me to ignore, ignore, ignore, and it's my preferred M.O.! So right now being a little more conscious of what's happening with my body is a very new thing. And yes, I may indeed not weigh next month, or the next, or the next. I do want to postpone my decision on that, though, so I can assess later what seems like it would be most helpful for me. Like so many of us, I'm feeling my way to what would be more normal, more mindful. And I'm totally open to hearing what works best for others (that's the reason I wanted to be on a list like this), and reconsidering it as an option myself. So I've not at all discounted never weighing again--though not doing so would not be much of a stretch for me: it's what I did for well over 10 years. All best, Laurie wrote: >>>Hi Laurie, For me, and according to many intuitive eating books I've read, the scales have a whole bunch of power. Your mileage may vary, and it's everyone's personal viewpoint. For me, I am giving myself a year because in a year it doesn't really matter if I gain or lose 10 or even 30 lbs. As far as "talking yourself into thinking you weigh less than you do" or "that you're losing too much" etc. I think many authors believe that one should stop being attached to even that much detail about weight. Because at the root of weighing oneself is a belief that the numbers on the scale indicate health, and that the goal is radical weight loss. This all seems kind of Zen to me. In order to lose weight, if that's what our setpoint allows, we need to lose attachment to losing weight altogether. And I love that!!! I too considered whether outlawing the scales was making it taboo or causing problems, I really resisted doing this, but once I did I felt more free. And since I'm giving it a year it's more an experiment than a taboo. pp. 56-59 of Intuitive Eating have good commentary. Here's a bit of good quotes: "The dieter relies on external forces to regulate his eating...also validates progress by external forces, primarily the scale, asking 'How many pounds have I lost? Is my weight up or down?'...The scale ritual sabotages body and mind efforts; it can in one moment devalue days, weeks, and even months of progress...Ironically, 'good' and 'bad' scale numbers can both trigger overeating--whether it's a congratulatory eating celebration or a consolation party." I know, for a fact, that as I exercise regularly and eat according to my body cues, that I can TRUST MY BODY TO BE MORE HEALTHY. Throwing out the scales, for me, was a rebellious act against the scale as false idol, against that feeling that "I should weigh myself once a month just to make sure". That was my attitude for years, that weighing myself "occasionally" was okay, and yes I only weighed myself every month or so. However, the numbers became my new gods. Like it or not, they were. This is just my take, and everyone is different. I am not saying that my approach is better, because we all live in our own bodies and have to gauge our own internal cues. I myself am pretty die-hard anti-scale, and know a few women who have come to great internal peace and happiness when they stopped weighing themselves as well. Geneen Roth doesn't know what she weighs right now. That's a nice approach! Cheers, <<< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 Hi, , I totally respect everything you say, and I can see how not weighing could be really liberating, especially if weighing is something that's plagued a person for a number of years. My problem is that I'm so darned good at blocking out information I don't want to know, that I tend to err on the side of being too lax. I guess between "permitter" and "restricter," I've nearly always fallen really far over on the "permitter" side of the spectrum. I've been uncommonly lucky that my excess weight hasn't yet shown any effect on my health except very slight hypertension, and despite being well into the obese range by any chart one could consult, I've been a fairly hard exerciser (on and off) for long enough intervals in my life that I can easily do moderate-level cardio and weight training without becoming winded. So it's easy for me to ignore, ignore, ignore, and it's my preferred M.O.! So right now being a little more conscious of what's happening with my body is a very new thing. And yes, I may indeed not weigh next month, or the next, or the next. I do want to postpone my decision on that, though, so I can assess later what seems like it would be most helpful for me. Like so many of us, I'm feeling my way to what would be more normal, more mindful. And I'm totally open to hearing what works best for others (that's the reason I wanted to be on a list like this), and reconsidering it as an option myself. So I've not at all discounted never weighing again--though not doing so would not be much of a stretch for me: it's what I did for well over 10 years. All best, Laurie wrote: >>>Hi Laurie, For me, and according to many intuitive eating books I've read, the scales have a whole bunch of power. Your mileage may vary, and it's everyone's personal viewpoint. For me, I am giving myself a year because in a year it doesn't really matter if I gain or lose 10 or even 30 lbs. As far as "talking yourself into thinking you weigh less than you do" or "that you're losing too much" etc. I think many authors believe that one should stop being attached to even that much detail about weight. Because at the root of weighing oneself is a belief that the numbers on the scale indicate health, and that the goal is radical weight loss. This all seems kind of Zen to me. In order to lose weight, if that's what our setpoint allows, we need to lose attachment to losing weight altogether. And I love that!!! I too considered whether outlawing the scales was making it taboo or causing problems, I really resisted doing this, but once I did I felt more free. And since I'm giving it a year it's more an experiment than a taboo. pp. 56-59 of Intuitive Eating have good commentary. Here's a bit of good quotes: "The dieter relies on external forces to regulate his eating...also validates progress by external forces, primarily the scale, asking 'How many pounds have I lost? Is my weight up or down?'...The scale ritual sabotages body and mind efforts; it can in one moment devalue days, weeks, and even months of progress...Ironically, 'good' and 'bad' scale numbers can both trigger overeating--whether it's a congratulatory eating celebration or a consolation party." I know, for a fact, that as I exercise regularly and eat according to my body cues, that I can TRUST MY BODY TO BE MORE HEALTHY. Throwing out the scales, for me, was a rebellious act against the scale as false idol, against that feeling that "I should weigh myself once a month just to make sure". That was my attitude for years, that weighing myself "occasionally" was okay, and yes I only weighed myself every month or so. However, the numbers became my new gods. Like it or not, they were. This is just my take, and everyone is different. I am not saying that my approach is better, because we all live in our own bodies and have to gauge our own internal cues. I myself am pretty die-hard anti-scale, and know a few women who have come to great internal peace and happiness when they stopped weighing themselves as well. Geneen Roth doesn't know what she weighs right now. That's a nice approach! Cheers, <<< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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