Day 26, The Scale and Measuring

This morning, on the day that I am creating this content, is the day after my daughter’s birthday. The bathroom scale read 131.8 pounds which is a full 1.8 pounds above my healthy weight range. However, I was actually okay with it. Yesterday was her day. We began the day with birthday mocha pie, had McDonald’s for lunch, popcorn at the movies, and pizza for supper. Honestly, the scale reflected what I already know about my body: lots of salt and sugar = inflammation. That is my normal pattern. What I am more concerned with, is that there might be a lot of mind chatter about those foods and so I am deliberately making sure that a lot of fresh fruits and veggies are part of my diet for the next few days. That will bring my inflammation down and remind my brain of what is important to me right now. 

There can be so much drama around the way we track our success. Yes, I think the bathroom scale is a great tool and that the data is incredibly useful, but it should not be a way we tell ourselves that we are “bad” or “good”. I in no way told myself I was “bad this morning” because of my almost two pound weight gain. Instead I was thankful for the information because it gave me clues to how my body was doing and helped me make good choices about what I will be planning the next few days. 

What about you? If the scale is up, or you are measuring a smaller waistline, or on a 26-day streak, have you told yourself you are “good” or “bad”? My love, if you do this, you are missing a way to love yourself better. When you approach that data with the mind of a judge & jury, you will inevitably miss out on the opportunity to be a student of your unique body and life. 

Having the mind of a student instead of a personal judge, will allow you to be more confident with an elevated self esteem. A student will look at that waistline decreasing and become curious about what is working and making it successful. A student will look at a 26-day habit streak and take the time to document what is allowing him/her to keep things going. And, when things get rough or progress stops, a student will stop to evaluate what is not working and make a plan for trying a new approach. 

Today, I want you to be blessed by the instruction your life and your precious body give you. Proverbs 16:20, NIV, says, “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.” 

Journal Prompt: Whatever scale or system you are using to measure your success, what do you make it mean? Do you find yourself to be more of a personal judge or a student? What can you do to make sure you are learning instead of judging?

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