For years, women (and men) have looked at the scale to determine their health. We are given an “ideal” weight that we need to attain (even doctors use BMI based strictly on your weight to height ratio). This focus is unhealthy and causes us to seek something that may not even be physiologically possible. We are all shaped differently and that’s what makes us beautiful. Some people are built tall and lean. Others are beautifully muscular and strong. And, some gorgeous women are soft and supple. We are not built to look the same so the number not he scale will not represent our best selves. That’s why we invite you to break up with that number as a determination of health and beauty. There is so much more out there that makes up our ideal bodies and it’s not going to be the same for everyone.

What Are Your Goals?

Most people who are unhappy with their body immediately think they need to lose weight. While there may be medical reasons to lose some weight, you may want to approach it in a different way. Losing weight is a blanket statement that can mean so many different things. Instead, ask yourself what kind of change you are looking for in your body.

Are you looking to tone? Fit into a different size clothing? Run a mile (or more) without pain? Pick up your child easily? Lower a bio marker on medical testing?

All of those things are excellent ways to guage your goals and determine your progress. None of those are represented by the number on the scale.

A Few Things to Consider

Muscle is more dense than fat. This means that a pound of muscle is smaller than a pound of fat. So you’ll be smaller and more toned if your weight is predominately muscle. If our only goal is to lower the number on the scale, then working out and building muscle is messing with that. BUT, muscle burns fat. Well, that’s confusing, right? It is. That means that if we just focus on losing pounds, we will also need to lose muscle mass. The less muscle we have, the slower our metabolism. It’s a messy cycle.

You can weigh more and be smaller. What?? Yes, you’re getting hit with all sorts of crazy things today. It’s true, though. Someone can be a size 4 and weigh significantly more than someone who is a size 6. It depends on their body makeup and also their muscle to fat ratio. That means that someone who has less-dense fat can be physically larger than someone who has more muscle but weighs more.

Your physical makeup is not the same as someone else’s. This means that your hips may be wider or your bones may be bigger and there is nothing you can do about that. It also means that a healthy weight for you may be much higher or much lower for someone else. That’s why it’s important to know what your individual “healthy” is and work toward that goal instead of someone else’s.

Shoot For Your Best You

Instead of trying to live up to the standard society sets, take some time to figure out what your goals are, your current body composition, and what you need to do to attain the best version of yourself. Shift your focus from the number on your scale to something that truly helps you become a strong, healthy, and happy you.