>U Mom Knows Best: Don't Let Your Weight Define You

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Don't Let Your Weight Define You

Our bodies are so much more than a number!



 Who hates going to the doctor? I really don't like doctor visits for many reasons and I have not been to the doctor for a health check-up in a long time. It is not the outrageous cost of visiting the doctor or having to sit around and wait that keeps me away from the doctor. The one thing that keeps me away from the doctor is that big piece of metal in the exam room. You know that one that has numbers on it. That dreadful scale. I hate stepping on the scale in the doctor's office as that number can make or break my day. I can just hear the doctor say to me "you could stand to lose a few pounds."



I don't know how much I weigh
 Yes, I sure don't look like I need to lose weight, and I don't as I am perfectly happy with my body. Doctors have that stupid weight chart that I don't think anyone can measure up to. According to the scale and that weight chart, I am overweight. The only way I can beat that weight chart is if I don't eat or drink anything and have my doctor appointment first thing in the morning. Even then, my weight is near the top of the chart for my height. That weight chart is messed up and doesn't take into account that my body has a lot of muscle or that I may have had a glass of water or that my body is healthy. The doctor sure doesn't look at my body to notice these things but just that number on the scale.


 My skinny teen son has the opposite problem at the doctors and is told he is not healthy because of his weight. This boy eats like a horse, can run super-fast, lift super heavyweights, and is all muscle but has been told his whole life that he needs to gain weight. As a baby, the doctor even did unnecessary blood tests on him because he was meeting up to the number on that weight chart, even though he was gaining weight. I think it is time that we stop letting that number on the scale determine our happiness or who we are.



Throw away your scale
 It is time to throw away your scale or maybe just hide it. That's what I did many years ago. I have a scale but I stopped weighing myself five years ago and instead started focusing on health and not a number. I look back and wished I had done that sooner. I wished that I had focused on a healthy body and not a number on the scale when I was younger. I wished that I had focused on exercise as a thing my body needed and not a punishment for eating too much. I wished I had not focused on calorie counting and instead on nourishing my body with the nutritional food that it needed. I wish I had body positivity when I was younger and loved my body no matter what size it was.



I wished that I had focused on a healthy body and not a number on the scale when I was younger


Do you love my new running skirt? It is so comfortable and I wear it even when I am not working out. This pretty skirt comes in sizes to fit everyone. Check it out HERE so you can get one.

 Focus on health and not weight
 When I started to focus on health and weight, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I started focusing on feeding my body healthy food, most of the time. I still enjoy things like cookies, and candy but they are for after I eat my nourishing food. I focus on eating food from the farm and not the factory. I now exercise as it makes my body feel good and helps my lungs work better. It is amazing how 30 minutes of a high-intensity workout gets the gunk out of my lungs from my asthma symptoms. Eating food that my body needs and not ones that make my body sick like dairy and exercising helps me to control my asthma without prescription medicine. Sure I still have asthma attacks from many other triggers like smoke, pollution, weeds, and chemicals but keeping my body healthy means I can manage them better.

Breathing in peppermint oil or menthol helps my lungs to open up when I have an asthma flare-up

A dairy allergy was causing my asthma to be out of control

Teach your body to love healthy food
  Now that you are learning to love your body and not that dumb number on the scale, it is time to treat your body with love. If you want your body to feel good and be able to do things like walking, playing, and not ache, then give your body what it needs. Be kind to your body. I think most people treat their stuff like a car, a job or even another person better than they treat themselves. You would not give your car bad gasoline or not drive it for long periods of time as it would not work properly. So why do we expect to be able to put crapy food into our bodies and expect to not feel sick, tired, or have body aches? Why do we expect that we can be way too busy and not have the need for exercise? Then expect our bodies to feel good and not tired?  We don't need to obsess over exercise and eating healthy food, we just need to make them a lifestyle just like going to work and sleeping. If you don't have a lot of time then you need to learn how to sneak exercise into your busy day. I talk a lot about fitness because I enjoy it and it makes me feel awesome! I share my healthy tips because I want everyone to feel amazing!



 Healthy food does taste good and you have to give it a chance. Your taste buds have been deceived with chemically processed food. How much better would you feel if you were eating whole, nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein to supply your body with energy that lasts throughout the day? Give the nourishing food a chance and allow your taste buds to enjoy it. Trust me, the more you eat good food like an apple instead of sugary sweets, your body will start to like them. If I had a choice between a slice of everything spice bread or a cookie, I would reach for the bread as that is what I enjoy better. I find that with eating healthy food that has fiber and nutrients, I don't need to count calories as my body gets satisfied.

So why do we expect to be able to put crapy food into our bodies and expect to not feel sick, tired, or have body aches? 



What is the best exercise to stay fit and in good health?

Look at fitness in a new way
  Instead of looking at fitness as a chore start looking at it as something that makes your body feel good. Look at your exercise time as something powerful that your body is able to do. Exercise for me makes me feel good, look good, and keeps my asthma symptoms away. At 54, I have no medical problems like so many of my friends do. I do not have arthritis or high blood pressure. I started to go through the "change" or menopause and have not had any symptoms like hot flashes or weight gain thanks to exercise and healthy eating. So if 30 minutes a day of exercise and eating healthy food leaves me feeling terrific than I will keep doing this program. I may not have the ideal shape as I have plenty of cushion around my middle but I am ok with that as I exercise to feel great. I know that making exercise and healthy eating a lifestyle choice will keep me healthy as I age. So don't exercise and eat healthy for a number on that scale but as a lifestyle choice.

Get healthy for yourself not to reach a number on a scale!





29 comments:

AiringMyLaundry said...

I so agree! I don't even own a scale anymore. I tossed them out. I don't want to focus on it, nor do I want my daughter to focus on it. So long as my pants close, I'm good to go.

Mom Knows Best said...

Love this!

Cristina Petrini said...


It is very difficult to ensure that the weight does not affect our person, but I believe that it should not be an obsession but rather a monitor for our health.

Liz Mays said...

I think this is a good way to look at things. It's easy to get caught up in the numbers on the scale.

Jaredamy said...

The last 15 years for me have been about the scale. I am finally in a good place and losing weight, but it is because I need and want to.

Mom Knows Best said...

That is awesome that you are doing it for you!

Romy Schorr said...

For some people, it's very difficult that their weight affects their mental well-being. I feel that if people can love themselves for how they look and not obsess, they would feel better.

Lisa Joy Thompson said...

This is sooo true. It's so easy to let your weight define you. I'm learning that it's not about the number of the scale, but the choices I make on a daily basis. And even if I never hit my goal weight (I lost 100 pounds last year and have less than 30 pounds to go to hit my goal), I am so much stronger, healthier and happier than I was before.

Katrina said...

I love all of this. My weight and everything that defines me has been something I've been battling the last few years and it can be really hard to pull myself out of the rutt.

Celebrate Woman said...

Love and appreciate your post, Tara. Powerful reminder: Enjoy the health of my body!

Kelly said...

I totally agree with not letting your weight define you. Until a few years ago I had always been around the same weight throughout my life and it was really eye opening. Knowing that you're more than just a number and you are able to take control of your life and weight again is so important.

The Super Mom Life said...

This is something I definitely struggle with. It's hard to not look at the number. I do need to be healthier and more fit.

Sherry said...

I haven't stepped on a scale in almost a year. I really do need to start exercising and eating healthier but I'll judge any weight lost by the fit of my clothing more so than what the scale says.

Why Girls Are Weird said...

I'm really struggling with my weight. Not the actual number but just how I feel. Thanks for sharing this with us friend.

Ruth I said...

So true! I always get frustrated when I look at my weight on a weighing scale. I never checked mine again. lol! But I am now trying to eat healthier and stay active.

Fatima D Torres said...

Sometimes the number is just there to remind you that you have goals. Regardless of what the scale says, it's up to you to decide on what changes you want to make to your everyday life.

Ckrusch said...

Love all you've said, but for people like me with a slow metabolism, unfortunately monitoring what I eat, does reflect on weight!

Cindy Ingalls said...

I threw out my scale years ago. Instead opting for using how my clothes fit as a guide. I think focusing on health is better then focusing on the number on the scale.

Amanda said...

Yes! We all put to much focus on actual numbers! All my boys to are under the growth chart according to doctors but I was the same as a kid.

Anonymous said...

Yes I agree with this so much. It's more than just the numbers on the scale.

Mom Knows Best said...

Love that your attitude

Mom Knows Best said...

Yes, I used to obsess with the number

Mom Knows Best said...

This is a good way to look at it.

Mom Knows Best said...

A slow metabolism does not sound good. Have you tried Matcha green tea powder? It helps with metabolism. https://www.momknowsbest.net/2015/11/how-to-make-fat-free-iced-green-tea.html

Mom Knows Best said...

Congrats on loosing the weight! It is about the daily choices we make.

Shalini said...

I've always struggled with my weight and I've always felt bad. Thanks for this pep talk. Inspiring to say the least.

Lyanna Soria said...

True! We should focus on eating healthy instead of watching the numbers on the scale. Your running skirt looks great btw.

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Ghazi said...

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