Getting on the Scale

A message from Madrina Ana…

I always hated the scale. Did you know that I used to be so anxious about weighing myself that my blood pressure would go up when I went to the doctor for a simple checkup?

Yup. That was me.

I have had many years now of getting healthy, and honestly, it is a one-day-at-a-time proposition, as our hermanos and hermanas say in Alcoholics Anonymous. Those of us who have made healthy changes to protect our health and wear cuter clothes know that it is a step-by-step process. We just try our best and put one foot in front of the other.

Weighing ourselves can be a nightmare if we let it. And the way to reframe the nightmare is to think of it as just one tool that can help us make healthy changes.

Remember: the number on the scale is just that: A number. It is one tool. There are many others.

At De Las Mías we recommend that you weigh yourself once a week. Period. Try not to weigh yourself every five minutes. It’s not that good for you to get too focused on your weight.

¡No vale la pena! (It ain’t worth it.)

Weighing ourselves falls under the category of “self-monitoring.” That means watching yourself, becoming more aware of yourself and what you do. Research shows that people who self-monitor make more progress in achieving healthy weight than those who don’t. But using the scale to “watch your weight” is just one tool.

Other ways to self-monitor are: Measuring your waist. Paying attention to how your clothes fit. Noticing how many veggies you’re eating now as opposed to last month. Becoming aware of how much energy you have. How good you feel about the healthy changes you’re making. How much you are enjoying those walks with your kids, your hubby, your comadre, your dog or yourself. How free you feel on your bike on a sunny day! How proud you are to be feeding your family healthier food. How fun it is to try a new recipe!

Those are all ways to “watch yourself,” to become more aware of what you are doing and how you are loving and respecting your body as you get healthier.

If you follow our “Poquito de Todo” philosophy, you will eat better, and as you eat better, you will become healthier and achieve a healthier weight.

We want you to love your body, love your food and be a role model for your children and your comadres, sisters and friends. We want you to do it “Poquito a Poquito,” one healthy step at a time.

So, weigh yourself once a week and remember that the number on the scale is just a number.

Keep up the effort. ¡Vales la Pena! (You’re worth it!)