By Fit3 Head Coach Tina Van Horn

There is this little device in my bathroom that appears very innocent and demure, but it can be a very powerful, deceptive, two-faced, no-good, lying hunk of junk! That scale just sits there—ready to ambush me and lure me into its lair where, inevitably, I will find despair and disappointment. Yes, I am being a bit dramatic, but you know exactly what I am talking about.

In my head I have an ideal weight for myself. In my head I also have a realistic weight for myself. Those numbers are about 15 pounds apart. So maybe I should rephrase the first part of the statement to say “In my head I have a fantasy weight for myself.”

There are all kinds of tools, tables and calculators available to give you a range of healthy weights for your height. While they might give you a reasonable range, they are also very arbitrary. Meaning: They don’t take into account all of the cool things that make “you” who “you” are. In other words, your scale only has the capacity to communicate with you in one language.

I have come to terms with the fact that I am not a Victoria’s Secret model (It has nothing to do with ice cream! I can’t do anything about being 5’5 ½” tall, but I have not come to terms with that). I have moved past my sixth grade aspiration to wear the same size jeans as “Christi C.” (Those jeans are out of style now anyway.) I know that I will never run fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I have even come to celebrate and appreciate that I have what’s been called “an athletic build” (i.e. not always what women want to hear).

Now that I’ve matured and had a couple of babies, it’s probably time to reevaluate my definition of ideal weight. I found an article that suggests your ideal weight is “the weight you’re at when you’re doing everything you can to promote good health.” What a great perspective! (Be sure to read the last page.)

When you started Fit3, you probably had an ideal weight in mind. This program has the capacity to get you closer to that goal. But the focus is more on helping you experience good health, in everything you do. We want you to be healthy, so you can enjoy life and not be limited in any way.

Your scale can’t measure that!