4 Ways to Break Free from Emotional Attachment to Scale [Podcast Transcript]

Title: 4 Ways to Break Free from Emotional Attachment to Scale

Podcast Date: January 17, 2025

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Description

Does the scale determine whether or not you have a good day or a bad day? Does the scale's readout have a weird, mysterious power over you? Today, Christian body image coach and author, Heather Creekmore talks about why the scale holds such power over us, what that number means to us, and gives four strategies for doing the work required to break up with the emotional roller coaster that the scale puts us on. If you're tired of letting the number readout spoil your day, then these strategies will help you get on a path to body image freedom and help de-mistify why you just can't stop going to the scale, even though you know the readout may upset you.

If you know that your value is more than your gravitational pull on the earth and yet you still feel like weighing yourself is a compulsion or affecting your mental health, but you just can't stop, this episode is for you.

Heather also makes suggestions for when to weigh yourself if you are affected by morning weigh-ins, and what other things you can do in the morning so that you can grow closer to Jesus and embrace who he made you to be so you can learn to be less affected by the number on the scale or your reflection in the mirror.

Learn more about the ministry of Compared to Who and sign up for our email list to get a free resource packet every month here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Join us in coaching or on the 40-Day Journey by visiting improvebodyimage.com

Transcript

Disclaimer: This transcript is AI-generated and has not been edited for accuracy or clarity.

[00:00:02]:

Life audio. Hey, friend. Heather Creekmore here. Thanks for listening to the Compare To You podcast today. Tell me, has this ever happened to you? You wake up in the morning, maybe you feel your stomach feels empty. Maybe it feels flatter. Maybe it feels smaller. And you think I'm gonna get on the scale because all good things are gonna happen.

[00:00:25]:

I'm gonna see a number that I love, and it's gonna be a great day. It's gonna be a great week because I'm gonna get on the scale and whoo, it's gonna be happy town. And then you get on the scale, and you are shocked because that number is not what you expected that number to be. That number does not make you feel happy. It makes you feel stressed out. And then what happens? Well, you walk out into the world, or maybe actually first you go in your closet and you try to get dressed, and it seems like nothing fits, right, because you know that number. And then you go out into the world, maybe just your kitchen, and you find yourself frustrated, on edge, irritable. Maybe a snap at a kid.

[00:01:13]:

You snap at a husband. Maybe go to work later, and you just don't feel happy all day long because you are so frustrated and obsessed over that number. And then there's probably something else that's very true and you probably know and you don't really need a lecture on. You know it's ridiculous to let that number ruin your day. You know you shouldn't, quote, unquote, shouldn't. You should all over yourself. Right? You know you shouldn't let that number bother you. You know it's ridiculous to be so affected by a number.

[00:01:47]:

You know all of these things, friend. I don't wanna guilt or shame you anymore. You know them. And yet, the reality is it still bothers you. So what do you do? How do you stop the scale from ruining your day? How do you stop the scale from putting you on an emotional roller coaster? That's where we're going today. I'm so glad you're here for it. Hey. We started the 40 day journey already.

[00:02:11]:

It's amazing. Love this brand new group we have of women who want some body image freedom. They're tired of the scale, their weight, their appearance. They're tired of these things consuming their life. If that's you, you got a couple options. You can join us late. That's totally fine. You can watch the replays, and then I allow you to take the course again for a super reduced rate.

[00:02:34]:

So you can do that, or you can just plan on signing up for March. Just put it on your calendar that you're doing the 40 day journey starting mid March. We would love to have you. And as always, we're just here for you. If you want coaching, a new session of that's gonna start in February, we wanna help you get on your freedom journey. So reach out if there's any way we can help you do that. Now let's get to today's episode. Welcome to Compare To Who, a podcast to help you make peace with your body so you can savor God's rest and feel his love.

[00:03:07]:

Here, you'll find real talk about our body image and food battles, but you'll also find real grace filled hope for the ways we all struggle. You can find great resources like my books, coaching programs, blog posts, and even podcast swag on my website improve body image.com. And, hey, if this show blesses you, will you consider blessing us with a review or better yet, tell a friend about it? Now let's get to today's show. Okay. So some of you are like, hey, Heather. You promised me a part 2 to what we were talking about on Tuesday. And let me assure you this is part 2 because we started Tuesday talking about this reality that taking care of your soul health, your mental, emotional, spiritual health may be as important, dare I say, more important than fixing your physical health. In other words, you have to fix what's inside probably first before you ever have a real chance of getting yourself physically healthier.

[00:04:12]:

You have to do some work with what's been going on in your body. And that's what we talked about last time. We talked about the body keeps a score and some other related concepts. We know stress, trauma. There's all sorts of things. Attachment, I did episodes on that last year. All sorts of things that can affect why we are the way we are and can affect our physical health. And we tend to believe just because of the culture we live in, that it's just all food and exercise.

[00:04:44]:

And food and exercise is what determines how you look and how you're shaped and what your body looks like and what you weigh. But, friend, that's simply not true. That's way too simplistic of you of the human body. Our bodies are so complex. There's so much variance in our genetics, and the experiences we've had, and the ways our bodies have processed those experiences. There's so much there, friends. We talk about that in our 40 day journey. We talk about that coaching.

[00:05:14]:

So that's like a whole realm we could dig into, and we'd love to do that with you at some point. But today, I wanna talk about the scale. And I wanna talk about what happens when we are too focused on these physical things, appearance things, and what is actually happening with our feelings, emotions in our souls that perhaps is maybe keeping us focused on these physical appearance things. Because perhaps we are using these physical appearance metrics, like the number on the scale, like the way you look in the mirror. Perhaps, we're using them to deflect the real feelings, thoughts, emotions we have about hard, true things happening in our lives, we deflect those feelings onto our bodies. And in doing so, we do a couple of things. Thing 1 is by keeping the focus on my body, like keeping the focus on my weight, keeping the focus on my appearance. Right? I kind of avoid having to feel those feelings.

[00:06:23]:

Right? I know I feel anxious, and I just keep my anxiety to my size. I know I feel shame, and I just keep my shame to my body. I keep it focused there. And then I don't have to think about those other things that might actually be contributing to my shame or my fear. I just keep it on my body. And why do I do that? Well, because number 2, I kinda have the perception that if it's related to my body, I can fix it. I can change it. I can make it better.

[00:06:55]:

And so in some ways, I reinforce my own false belief that I'm in control and that I don't have to feel hard feelings. I can just control my body in such a way where I won't have to feel those yicky hard feelings anymore if I just do everything right. So here's a real illustration of this. Not a scale illustration, but this is kinda something I was just thinking about yesterday, actually. I was looking at my nails, and y'all, my nails are a mess. I have so many issues with my nails when it gets cold. I know some of it's like, thyroid stuff. But here in Austin, it's cold for, like, 2 weeks, and it's just all of a sudden, like, it's 90 degrees, and then all of a sudden, boom, the next week, it's winter.

[00:07:36]:

And my nails, they peel off. Like, they break off when I'm trying to, like, pull up my pants. Like, ridiculous things break my nails. And so my nails are a shambles. And it's funny here in Texas, like, having nails is a thing. Like, a lot of women are really focused on their nails. We got a lot of nail salons. Like, getting your nails done regularly is just kind of a normal maintenance expectation for women.

[00:08:01]:

And I used to do that for a really long time, but I haven't in a lot of years. And I was looking at my hands today, and I was thinking, well, maybe I should at least try to shape them. I need to, like, get out the file and try to, you know, give them a shape, to do something to make them more presentable. But as I was thinking about this, I was thinking how 20 years ago or so, you guys, I would have totally obsessed over my hands. Like, I would have been thinking about my nails all the time. In fact, I would have maybe not wanted to go somewhere without my nails done. I would have squeezed in a nail appointment even if it was inconvenient, so I wouldn't have to show up with unkempt hands. And if I broke a nail, especially when I had tips on, if I broke a nail, Like, I spent some time thinking about that.

[00:08:43]:

Like, I would think about how I could get it fixed, when I could get it fixed, like, how urgently I needed to get it fixed because how ridiculous my hands looked with that one broken nail. And I'd be riddling around, like, temporary solutions, like, how to make my hands look better. Should I go buy that color nail polish so it's not as obvious that that tip fell off? Like, all of the things. And y'all, it took a lot of energy to think about my hands. Really, not even my whole hand. To think about my nails and how my nails looked. And I'm so glad I'm free from all of that. But as I think about it today, I was wondering why? Why did I think about my nails so much? And in some ways, it feels like all of that obsession on my nails may have kept me free from thinking about other hard things going on in my life and feeling difficult emotions.

[00:09:43]:

I could keep my anger focused on myself and what I did wrong, like not letting the polish dry enough or opening the refrigerator wrong and breaking the nail. Like, I could keep my worry and my anxiety focused on ready for it? Hand or nail maintenance. I wasn't thinking about the real issues in my life. I was thinking about my nails, my fingernails. And for some of you, this applies perfectly to maybe what you do with the scale. You let that number on the scale determine what you will think about or worry on or be upset about all day long. And friend, it may be keeping you from thinking about or processing real issues and feelings. You just keep all your feelings focused on your weight and appearance, and you keep that illusion of control.

[00:10:42]:

Yikes. Yes. I said that again. But you keep all your problems focused on your body, and then all of your problems feel fixable because you're sure you can fix your body if you just have enough determination or you get serious or you get back on the program or whatever whatever whatever. But, friend, what are you missing out on while you do that? So here's another thing I noticed. When the scale and the mirror and my nails and my body and the size tag in my clothes, all of those things, when those things had the power to ruin my day or my week, I was not in a place in my life where I spent any time processing any emotions or feelings. This was just not a thing for me. Like I was a power through why stop and wallow in it.

[00:11:34]:

I am a strong woman. I keep going. Yeah. Maybe that bothered me, but I'm gonna not gonna let it get me down. You know, that eighties song, ain't nothing gonna break them my stride. Like, you know, why stop and fret and stress and feel you just keep going. And really the only feelings that I had room or space for were negative feelings about my body. And those were so incredibly uncomfortable.

[00:12:05]:

I hated those feelings. Oh, they just drove me crazy. And so I just wanted to change them. I just wanted to not feel them anymore. I just wanted to do anything possible to make sure that I didn't feel the stress around my body. It was just awful. And it was definitely a fight or flight, hyper vigilance sort of stressed out state. I spent all my time focusing on how I could get rid of those feelings, what I needed to do to take care of the problem, what I needed to do to fix those bad negative emotions that I was feeling and were overwhelming me and were suffocating me and were drowning me and all of those things.

[00:12:42]:

Like, I needed to take care of that problem. And the problem I needed to take care of was the number on the scale or the reflection in the mirror. And I would work, work, work, work hard, hard, hard. Stress. Stress. Think about it. Obsess over it. Think about it.

[00:12:57]:

Do something. Do something. Do something. And then it wouldn't feel better. Right? And maybe the scale wouldn't cooperate, or I would feel like I looked the same, or the pants that were too small that I bought 2 sizes too small hoping to fit into them by a certain date didn't fit in. I didn't fit into them by this certain date. And then it would shift to kind of a hypovigilance. I kinda give up.

[00:13:23]:

I'd be depressed and discouraged. I'd feel like I failed. And then I'd have all these feelings again, feelings focused on my body, but I'd have all these feelings that just kinda made me feel low. Until hopefully, I could muster up enough energy to go back into hyper vigilance and start stressing again and get back on the scale and motivate myself and shame myself and work myself harder and make those bad feelings go away. And it was just this cycle. And the truth is I had very big feelings, but all of these big feelings were in a very little box labeled my body. And I was, by and large, ignoring feelings about everything else in my life. Now, like, don't get me wrong.

[00:14:11]:

Every once in a while, a feeling would come out about something else. And most of the time, the feeling that would come out would be anger, sometimes almost rage level anger with a kid or with my husband. And I wouldn't really know why because I hadn't really acknowledged any bad feelings about marriage or parenting or anything else in life. And then it was almost shocking because I'm, like, why am I so angry? You know? Oh oh, now I know I'm so angry because I weigh too much. If I could just fix my weight, then I'd be a better mom, a better wife, a better employee. Like, it was, like, the weight problem was the biggest problem. And if I could fix my emotions around that, then it would be able to handle everything else. And again, back to what we talked about on Tuesday, It's the chicken or the egg.

[00:14:55]:

It's the belief that if I just fix my physical stuff, then the emotional stuff will take care of itself. But friend, it's not the right order. You got the chicken and the egg mixed up. We gotta fix the emotional stuff first. And then we're safer, more comfortable. We're in a better place to fix anything physically that actually needs to be fixed. And maybe there's nothing that actually needs to be fixed. I'm gonna hold space for that.

[00:15:26]:

And maybe there is. But these feelings you have, they're not to be ignored. And they're about so much more than just how you look. Are you following? If so, we're gonna get into these 4 tips I have for you on what to do if you have a bad relationship with the scale, and the scale can ruin your day. We're gonna do that right after this quick break. So, friend, let me tell you what's changed for me, and this didn't happen overnight. This was a years long process, but I did start trying to feel my feelings. And some of you are already like, that's so lame.

[00:16:07]:

Oh, my word. Feeling my feelings. Duh. Like, how can that help me? But if you wanna know how to make peace with the scale, know that your feelings do have something to do with it. So in the webinar I did on January 2nd, which is still available for you to watch, if you want to, you can just go to the website improve body image.com. You can grab the link to watch it, and there's a cute printable there to help you remember the tips. But one of the things I mentioned as part of one of the strategies was to name what's going on for you. Name what your stressors are.

[00:16:36]:

And here's what I've learned in that. Our stressors are honestly so much more real and deep and frustrating and hard than just our weight. Yes. Your weight may be a frustrating part of your life. I hear you. I'm not diminishing that. But your whole life is so much more than just your body and your body size. If you wanna be free from body image issues, you actually have to stop and acknowledge that.

[00:17:03]:

You actually have to see how much focus you're putting on your body and how much hope you're putting into fixing your body as a solution for these other things that are bothering you. But here's some truth, friend. You can't fix your marriage by getting thinner. You can't fix your friendships by getting the scale to read the right number. You can't fix your financial situation by getting a, quote, unquote, handle on your weight. You can't fix your parenting by getting to the right number in a size tag. These are all ways we deflect the real issues going on in my life. So I promise you 4 points on the scale, how to not let it rule you emotionally.

[00:17:43]:

So let's get right to those. Number 1, this one's gonna rattle some of you. Do not weigh yourself first thing in the morning. Okay. I know, I know, I know. You have to weigh yourself then because that's the time when you are thinnest. That is the best number you're gonna see all day long, especially if you've just gone to the bathroom. Right? Like, but can we just stop and acknowledge the Jedi mind tricks involved with that piece of information alone? Like, you know, the truth is that your body fluctuates, your weight fluctuates throughout the day.

[00:18:19]:

You know this is true. So you have to weigh yourself at the time of day when you will see the smallest number, even though intellectually, you know that number is gonna be higher later in the day. You know that number is gonna go up and down. Oh, you've heard what's that about? If you can't be honest with yourself about that, oh, does that say something? Like, why are we trying to fool ourselves? And why is it so important for us mentally that we only see the lowest number possible? Like, what does that give us? Is that where our security and confidence comes from? Is that where our hope is found? Oh, friend. Like, some of you just maybe need to stay right there and just press, like, rewind 30 and listen to that a couple times, and spend a couple days just seeking the Lord with those questions. Because it's really important to kind of figure out your why on that front. Now let me be clear. I don't think weighing yourself daily is a necessary practice.

[00:19:18]:

For me, I had to go cold turkey away from the scale many years ago, and that led to some doctor's office shock situations when I saw the number. It's what I had to do. We talked about that in the, podcast episodes they did a couple weeks ago with doctor Mikaela Albertson. Right? And maybe how they handle that. Because the truth is I have gained weight. And as I was thinking about it, I don't really know why. I don't think I gained weight because I wasn't weighing myself. I think that's, I think they call it a non sequitur.

[00:19:54]:

I can't even say it right. I don't think that's a logical statement. I did not gain weight because I wasn't gain weighing myself, which is the fear. Right? You're gonna gain weight unless you're weighing yourself all the time. I think I gained weight because my body wanted to gain weight. I gained weight because of hormones and perimenopause and maybe to some degree not being in an eating disorder anymore. So I think those were all contributing factors to why I gained weight. But then I was thinking about the reality of, like, what if I had been weighing myself every day or even every week during these years that I've gained weight.

[00:20:29]:

I honestly think it would have messed up my mental health. Like, I think I could have spent the last 3 years that I was gaining weight. And, actually, I've been stable for about a year now. So let's let's go back, like, 4 years. I make it could have spent those years stressing and obsessing and thinking about it all day every day. And you know what? That probably would have kept me from doing podcast episodes and coaching and writing books, it probably would have cost me a lot of energy. And the truth is, at the end of that time period, I might still weigh the same. But because I didn't know I was gaining the weight, I wasn't weighing myself every day.

[00:21:09]:

I didn't have that extra mental hurdle, to fight against, and I was able to just go on and live my life. I am okay to weigh myself now. I don't do it regularly, but a few months ago, I had a virtual doctor's appointment, and I had to weigh myself to give them that number. Honestly, I had made up a number a couple years ago when I did it, and maybe just even last year when I did it. That didn't work out so well for me because the doctor asked me why the number I made up was so different than the number, that I got in her office 6 months before. She thought I had dramatically lost weight, because I hadn't looked at my weight when I had her weigh me in her office. And I was like, I don't think I would do that again. I'm just I just need to go now this number.

[00:21:54]:

I just need to see this number. So I saw the number. I got on. And I just said, okay. I'm gonna just do this for a couple weeks. I'm gonna weigh myself weekly and just see what happens. And ultimately, I didn't think it was helpful, but I was able to see that number on the scale as an objective statement of fact. This is what my gravitational pull is on the earth.

[00:22:14]:

Okay. There it is. And I didn't spiral. So if you must weigh yourself, here's what I recommend. Don't do it first thing in the morning because you know it's going to cause a spiral. You know it's going to affect your thoughts all day long. You know, like the illustration I used when we first started this episode, you know that you might be feeling good, and you can get on the scale and that scale can rob that from you. It can steal that from you.

[00:22:40]:

And I would say don't do it before bed because that might steal your sleep. You might not be able to fall asleep because you'll be ruminating over that number. Okay? So if you must weigh yourself, I would say weigh yourself before dinner. Okay? It's not gonna be your lowest number. Right? But you will have a number. You will have that objective number of your gravitational pull in the earth. And if you have to know that number, there you go. You get it.

[00:23:02]:

There. You take it. Get on there before dinner. And if you wanna lose weight in the next month, well, the weight you have before dinner tonight and the weight you have before dinner next month, that's gonna show you the difference. So if you must weigh yourself, don't sabotage your whole day with the early morning weigh in. Weigh yourself at a time when you don't have time to obsess and ruminate over that number. Point 2. I think you should spend time every day naming your feelings.

[00:23:33]:

Okay. I know. Like, what in the world is that? I hear you, friend. I would have thought the same thing if I was early on this journey. But I've been reading a lot of resources, namely, Chip Dodd has some great resources, Voice of the Heart Ministries, and one of the books he has talks about the 8 main feelings. Let me tell you what your 8 main feelings are. They are hurt, lonely, sad, anger, fear, shame, guilt, and glad. Now, again, most of those feelings I only ever felt as it related to my body.

[00:24:10]:

I really didn't acknowledge them in other arenas. And so here's what I want you to do every day. I want you to take a deep breath. Just inhale, and then slowly through the nose. And then as you exhale, just name what's actually going on for you. Slow your body down. Slow your stress response. And actually try to feel what your body is feeling.

[00:24:31]:

Did you just scroll by someone's vacation photo on Instagram, and now you just feel unsettled, maybe feel a little stressed out? Well, what is it that you're really feeling? Instead of jumping to it's my body versus her body, and her body might look better than my body, and I need to find another diet and fitness plan. Like, instead of jumping to a body related feeling, is that really what you're feeling? Or are you feeling lonely because it's a girls trip and maybe they didn't invite you, or maybe you don't have a group of tight girlfriends like that to go on vacation with? Or are you feeling sad because that friend and you used to be really close, but a rift in your relationship has separated you? Like, think through. What what are you really feeling? What is the feeling underneath the feeling that you want to make just all about your body? I did some research. I've mentioned it before, I think, on the show and in my books, but many of us with body image issues were not allowed to feel our feelings as children. Like, we actually don't even know what this means. We actually don't even think we have any feelings, maybe other than anger. Anger is always right there. Maybe sometimes we have guilt and shame too, but we're most comfortable with anger, like, that's our favorite.

[00:25:47]:

But back to the scale, the bathroom scale, like, is anger what you feel? Like, do you walk away from the scale feeling angry? Are you angry that you didn't work out more or that you ate the birthday cake or angry that you didn't, quote, unquote, work harder? Like, if anger is the only emotion you walk away from the scale with, let me encourage you. Go deeper for the sake of your emotional and physical health. Is it shame that you actually feel when you see that number? Is it guilt? Like, name it correctly. And hear me. I'm not saying you should have either of those emotions based on the number on the scale. I'm not saying you should feel shame or guilt if the number is the wrong number. Like, that's a distortion coming from diet culture. But I do think we have some messed up ideas about these things, And I wonder if you can name what's going on for you at a deeper level than just I'm angry.

[00:26:38]:

I'm frustrated by that number. No. No. No. What's going on under the surface? That's my challenge for you. So instead of waking up and weighing yourself, I'm hoping you're gonna wake up and spend time with God. I'm hoping that you're reading scripture and you're praying. But in that time, I want you to ask God to help you be present in your body today and feel what you're feeling.

[00:27:01]:

What are you feeling as you wake up? Are you anxious about a meeting at work? Like, that's fear. Are you hurt because you weren't invited to something that's happening today? Are you hurt because of something your husband said last night? Are you lonely because your husband spent more time with football than he did with you this weekend? Are you sad because your adult child is making life choices? Bad life choices, I should say. You're more than a body, so name what's going on for you. Then ask God to carry these burdens for you, and separate what you feel about these very real things going on in your life from your weight. They don't have to be connected in this direct of a way. You can't fix your adult child's bad choices by changing your weight. You can't fix your husband's love of football, and maybe ignoring of you by changing your weight. So walk into your day naming your feelings and then leaning on God to help you with them.

[00:28:03]:

Acknowledge what's going on, and then you also acknowledge that God is in control and that you can trust him. And what happens for too many of us too often is we just mute everything else going on in life. We get on the scale and we get focused on this big project, which is fixing our body, and we believe that's what's really bothering us. And if we can just fix our body, then all those uncomfortable feelings and emotions we have around our body will go away and we will feel better. But friends, that's that's a posture where, like I said earlier, where we kinda believe we're in complete control, and that we can fix everything, and that we can fix our feelings, and that we can feel better, and we don't have to feel hard at things. This is not a God reliant posture. Now I know some of you get off the scale, and you're like, God, please help me do better, and I'm gonna talk to my friend Amy Carlson. She's a eating disorder expert and dietitian firm.

[00:28:56]:

We're gonna talk about that next week on the podcast, But you don't have to let the number on the scale distract you from talking to God about other real things going on in your life. I wonder if that's what he wants to hear about anyway. Not that he's dismissive of your please to help with your body or your body goals, but God wants us to bring him everything. And if we're not even acknowledging the other things that are going on our lives because we're so focused on body and body issues, Right? What aren't we inviting him into? Number 3, ask yourself why that number on the scale means so much to you, and what it really does mean to you. Yes. I mean, it may mean something to your health. Maybe. I'm not even gonna make that a declarative statement, though, because I know people that weigh the right amount who are far from healthy.

[00:29:52]:

And then I know people who don't weigh the right amount and have perfect blood work and feel great. So we cannot say intellectually, in in any kind of honest fashion, we cannot say, if that number was correct, then I'd be healthy. That is not always true. What is true is that that number on the scale means something to you personally. It's very deep and meaningful. It's an integral part of who you are. It means something to your identity, your status, your ability to feel loved or accepted. What is that? Why is it so important? What happens in your heart when that number is wrong? Do you feel unlovable? What happens when that number is right? Explore your story.

[00:30:42]:

Like, this is what we do in coaching and even to some degree in the 40 day journey. We talk about these kinds of issues to help you really figure out why you care so much about that number. But for today, just stop and ask yourself, why? And give yourself some time to think about it, to pray about it, ask god to show you why. For me, I think that number, that magic number that I used to be so attached to, I think it came from going to weight watchers meetings with my mom as a preteen. I knew what my goal weight was, and I'm the same height I was then. And so any number higher than that w w number is unacceptable. It's a number someone assigned to me to match so that I would be rewarded and applauded. But now we don't match that number anymore.

[00:31:26]:

And I feel unworthy of the awards or the applause until I can match it again. And the truth is I'm pretty healthy right now. I take thyroid medicine, and sometimes I take blood pressure medicine during stressful seasons. But on paper, I'm healthy. And yet, my weight is not close to that assigned weight watchers number, which is weird. Right? So why do I still have that Weight Watchers number in my head? Why is that number important? So that's what I'm asking for you. What is it for you? Why is that number so important? And then after you figure out why that number is so important, then maybe you can gradually start to separate yourself from that number as any kind of marker of your value. It's kinda like standardized test scores.

[00:32:11]:

Right? What do we tell our kids about standardized test scores? Standardized test scores measure something. They measure how you can take a test. And guess what? The scale measures your gravitational pull on earth, but it doesn't measure everything. You are more than an SAT score, and likewise, you are more than what you weigh. And knowing your SAT score doesn't tell me anything about your personality, the way you love others, how you show up in the world, how you pursue your passions and calling. In the same way, the scale doesn't tell me anything about those things. It tells me nothing more about you than your gravitational pull. Friend, you are so much more than that number.

[00:32:55]:

And number 4, last point, and then we'll close-up today. The easiest way to get off the scale emotional roller coaster is, drum roll, please. Wait for it. Stop weighing yourself. Yeah. I know that sounds crazy, and some of you aren't even close to being ready for that. And so give yourself grace for where you are in this journey. But let's just be straight here, friend.

[00:33:15]:

If you've allowed the scale to rule your emotions, if you've allowed that scale to ruin your day, the scale is not your friend. Or as they say now, the scale is not serving you well. Have you heard that? Think about it like this. Okay. I bought my daughter one of those little personal alarms, the birdie alarm for safety to put on her key chain. Right? So think about those little birdie personal alarms. Right? It looks like a little mace spray, but it's just an alarm. And if you pull the pin out, it makes this horrible alarm sound.

[00:33:46]:

And it's for safety. Right? It's helpful if someone's, you know, coming up to you and you're not comfortable. You can sound this alarm, and hopefully, they'll scare them off. Right? So it makes sense to carry that for safety. And likewise, friend, you probably believe that you're weighing yourself every day for safety too. You believe you'll stay safe if you just know that number every day. If you can just keep close tabs on that number, watch that number carefully, You'll stay safe. You believe the scale is keeping you safe.

[00:34:16]:

But what if the scale is actually more like that personal alarm? Only the pin isn't in, the pin is pulled. And so you are carrying this personal alarm with you everywhere, but that annoying siren is going off all the time. No one else can hear it, but in your head, you can hear it. And it's sounding all day long. And it's the same thing that happens to you when you see that number on the scale, isn't it? That alarm sounds, and you can't put the pin back in to shut up the alarm until you get that number down or until you start a new plan or, you know, don't eat for the day so you feel accomplished in that. Some of you with eating disorders know exactly what I mean. Right? But you have to make that alarm go off, and you can't get that alarm to go off until you find some new activity to put a pin in it. And meanwhile, you're walking around with this alarm going off in your head.

[00:35:11]:

Friend, that's not healthy. Wouldn't you tell the friend with a personal alarm that keeps going off that it's probably gonna drive her crazy to hear that all day long? Like, okay. Yeah. Maybe she will be safer, because no one's gonna approach someone who's crazy alarm going off all day long. Right? Like, maybe that's gonna keep her safe in some ways, but it's gonna drive her mentally insane. Wouldn't you tell that friend to go put that thing in a landfill if she can't put a pin in it? Like, when you tell her to get rid of it, it's gonna drive her nuts? Fred, it's the same for you. You'll know if your weight changes. It's foolish to believe that only a scale can tell you if your weight has changed.

[00:35:57]:

But is your weight the most important part of your life to focus on? Or is it time to focus on your real life? Is it time to focus on your mental health, your emotional health, your spiritual health? What if it's time to make your weight a lesser category of importance in your life? Like lawn maintenance. You probably don't wake up every day thinking about your yard. You probably don't obsess at night over getting a better lawn. You likely don't wake up and look out your window and think, if only my yard looked better, then I'd have a better day. It'd be a great day if my grass was greener. Like, if you don't own a home, I bet this isn't something you obsess over at all. But maybe you do own a home and you'd, you know, rent a home, and you drive up to your house every now, and then you think, oh, we could probably eat some flowers, or it's time to mow the lawn again. Grass is getting kinda long.

[00:36:47]:

But these are not thoughts that consume you all day long. You can be a good steward of your lawn. You can care for your yard appropriately without making it the focus of your life. Friend, your body should be the same. So if you're ready to stop the scale from having such an emotional pull on you, friend, I hope you'll take these 4 strategies to heart. There's lots here today. You may need to listen twice. You may need to share it with a friend so you can discuss it with someone, but I hope you don't miss the message that's here.

[00:37:24]:

If you really wanna be healthier in 2025, don't let that scale rule you. And if you need more help on this, we can help you. Like I say, coaching groups start next month. The new 40 day journey is gonna start in March. Get involved. Let us be part of your freedom journey. We want to be here for you. I don't always do this, but I wanna just close today's episode with some prayer, because I know this is a deep hard issue for so many of us.

[00:37:49]:

So will you just pray with me? Dear heavenly father, thank you, god, for the way you created us. We are whole human beings. You gave us emotions. You you gave us feelings. You gave us bodies. Lord, help us. Help us to not be afraid to feel hard feelings because we know that you are always with us and you'll never leave us or forsake us. Help us to not deflect all those hard feelings into our bodies.

[00:38:21]:

Help us to stop overemphasizing care of our bodies. Help us to surrender control and to recognize that you are sovereign and that you are good, and you have a good plan for us, and that our design was not an accident, and that our lives are not an accident, but that you have a good purpose. You created us on purpose, for a purpose. You have something for us to do, and it's so much more than just making the scale happy or making the mirror happy. God, encourage our hearts. Show us what you want us to see, and help those of us who are in bondage get on the road to freedom so that we can be free to pursue who you made us to be, how you made us to be, and what you have us to do. God, we love you, and we thank you for the work that you will do and the work that you continue to do in our lives. It's in Jesus' name we pray.

[00:39:19]:

Amen. Well, thanks for being here today. I hope something that has helped you stop comparing and start living. Bye bye. The Comparing Podcast is proud to be part of the Life Audio Podcast Network. For more great Christian podcasts, go to life audio.com.