Being a slave to the scale

Today was the first day in probably close to 7 months that I didn't weigh myself.  Mind you, this was not a rebellious act on my part to liberate myself from the tedium of the daily weigh in.  I am legitimately afraid of getting on the damn thing.  The past week has really set me back and I'm frustrated, discouraged, yada yada yada.  I really didn't feel as though I ate terribly on Thanksgiving (I only had one serving of turkey, which is not normal for me, I assure you), but the scale seems to think I ate about 5 lbs. of turkey, cranberries, and pie.  I suppose it isn't the scale's fault that I apparently ate too much last week and I'm well aware of the fact that my frustration should be directed at myself and less at the scale.  However, I know I've mentioned this before, but maybe being a slave to the scale is not good for my mental state.

I was reading Katie (Runs for Cookies) Foster's blog post today called "Stupid Scale" (http://www.runsforcookies.com/2013/12/stupid-scale.html) and when I saw the title, I literally said out loud "Isn't that the truth!" Katie is always inspiring to me and today's post about not letting the scale get under your skin really hit home.  While I do think weighing myself frequently does help keep me in check, the numbers on the scale also don't define me.  I definitely need to get back on track with running and eating better, but I've noticed other changes in myself that can't be accounted for on the scale.  I have noticed some incredible definition in my legs that I've never had, not even when I danced in high school.  My running pace has gradually increased, which means I am getting stronger as a runner.  My clothes are still getting bigger and bigger and I'm buying clothes in sizes I haven't seen in nearly a decade.  So yes, the scale says I have gained a few pounds and honestly, I don't know that this puts me in sight of my end of the year weight loss goal, but I have other ways to measure my success.  I may very well heed Katie's words and take a little break from the scale!

With all of that being said, I really do need to get back on track, so I went out for a run today at lunch and it felt great!  It was not quite 60 degrees like they predicted, but it was still a good day for a run.  I did my usual loop at the park near my office and got just about 2 miles in 21:35, so I kept a pretty good pace, too.

I think I've decide to try MapMyRun for a change instead of the Nike+ app.  I still feel like my Nike+ app is being a bit flaky and until I can get my Garmin (hopefully around Christmas!), I want to see if MapMyRun can give me more accurate readings.  I've heard great things about it, so I will let you know how it goes!

Do you weight yourself every day or less frequently? I'd love to hear what works for others! 

"The scale can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. That's it. It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength, or love."