If you’ve ever stepped on the scale and felt like you were weighing not pounds but your worth as a person, we see you. Diet culture has turned weighing into a soul-crushing process.
One of the most frustrating parts of this is that the messaging we’ve been getting about pounds is actually way off the mark. Science clearly shows that just knowing somebody’s weight is just one data point in their health story. That’s because scale numbers mean different things for different bodies depending on factors like your height and frame, how much muscle you have, and even your genetics.
You may have noticed, however, that we still ask you to weigh yourself. In fact, we also send you a scale and ask you to use it daily. This is not us trying to confuse you or being hypocritical with our science. It’s because we understand that we can only change what we know, and we can only know what we can measure.
By this we mean that while your weight alone is just one piece of data (it’s never the whole you), in context with other data it can tell you things about your health that are important to know. Within the context of Calibrate, your % weight change over time (and by “time” we mean weeks, not days) can provide a powerful signal for what’s working and what isn’t as you move toward better metabolic health. Having your % change helps your coach and your medical team to make tweaks that steer you to the very best results for you. That’s why in the Calibrate program we measure your % weight loss, not your overall weight—and it’s why while we don’t look for you to hit certain numbers, we do ask you to track your weight.
Recognizing this context doesn’t make the process any more fun, though. All of those cultural messages are still right there, staring at you. We built this guide to offer up strategies for reframing how the scale can fit into your life in a different way. We’re not going to pretend that these will take away a lifetime of external messaging, but we hope they’ll provide some tools and context.
Tips and tactics
Now, let’s get a bit more granular. Not all of these tips will resonate for everyone, but scan them and see if you can find something that works for you.