Triggering (ED): I got a new scale and…

[TH Anonymous]

[SIZE="a"]Hello everyone,
I recently purchased a new scale to keep track of my weight as I had no way of doing so for years. My dad never replaced the battery in our old scale even though my mom asked him to do so several times.
I got it a few weeks ago, and have weighed myself a few times now. I’m doing this because it’s a new thing that I’m able to do all on my own, and also I want to keep track to make sure I’m in the healthy range for my hight and age.
I went to a support group tonight and told them how I freaked out because the scale said I gained several pounds in just a couple of days. However, it was an error. I was standing on the scale the wrong way.
A few people mentioned that maybe getting the scale wasn’t a good idea, as now I’m focusing too much on the numbers and weigh myself a lot more than when I did not have a scale, and had no way of knowing how much I weighed.
I mentioned how it has always been in the back of my mind, and how I’ve engaged in body checking behaviors before but didn’t want to mention it to them, as I didn’t want to trigger them. Someone said that maybe I should send the scale back, but my thinking is that I can’t hide from scales forever, and I need to learn to accept my weight.
I think after a few weeks, the novelty will wear off, and I won’t weigh myself as much as I am doing right now. I’m also trying to weigh myself to make sure my scale is accurate and not broken as when my nephew weighed himself, it said he weighed more than he weighed at the doctors office the day before.
My dad weighed himself and said that his weight was pretty accurate, and that maybe the doctor didn’t weigh my nephew correctly or did it too quickly and didn’t let the scale balance evenly.
I have been diagnosed with Anorexia in the past, but recently have been re-diagnosed with ARFID. I definitely have a lot of the criteria for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, but I also struggle with body image and restricting behavior due to wait and shape size concerns.
I guess what I’m worried about is not having the scale and never knowing how healthy my weight is. I’m able to use this scale completely on my own without having to have someone assist me in doing the task. I am worried that if I give up this scale, I’m going to lose independence of being able to do this on my own.
My therapist wants me to keep track, to make sure I’m eating well and that I’m not losing weight. I am going to see her on August second and will discuss this with her then. I have until August 11th to send the scale back.[/size]

[Ambedo.]

Unfortunately, we live in a society that has placed a lot of emphasis on weight. That has led to the misconception that the numbers we see on the scale are directly linked to our beauty, health, value, etc. While weight can definitely have an impact on health in some instances, your weight certainly doesn't define you! Instead, try to place your focus on making sure that you are making the right choices for your body. Are you eating nutritious meals and drinking enough water? Are you exercising or moving your body as regularly as you're able to? Things like that are what truly have the biggest impact.

When it comes to returning the scale, I think it's important to consider your reasons for wanting to weigh yourself so frequently. If you're doing it to ensure that you aren't gaining weight and/or if it will become a point of hyper-fixation or serve as a trigger if the number goes up, it may be wise to return it. Since you've been diagnosed with eating disorders in the past, eliminating things from your environment that may be triggering and lead you to engage in behaviors connected with your eating disorder is essential. I think it's wonderful that you're able to attend a support group and talk to others about what you're experiencing. Whether it's a support group specifically designated for those with eating disorders or just a general support group, it's a great step towards recovery! I encourage you not to take that away from yourself by re-introducing potential triggers into your life.

Since you mentioned that your therapist wants you to track your weight to ensure that you aren't dropping too low or too rapidly, returning the scale may not be possible. You also mentioned wanting to know how healthy your weight is, which does point to the fact that you may be wanting to use the scale for the right reasons. Discussing it with your therapist is a great idea, as I'm sure the two of you will be able to figure out the best plan of action for you and your recovery! If you do choose to keep the scale, perhaps you could put it in a less accessible place to limit the amount of times you're able to weigh yourself. For instance, you could ask a family member if they could keep the scale in their room so you have to ask for it anytime you want to use it. I'm not sure if this would be possible, but you can also ask your therapist if it would be possible to leave the scale in a closet at her office so you're only able to weigh yourself during sessions.

No matter what, I really want to encourage you to think this through and determine what will be best for you and your physical/mental health.

[Cherrylicious]

Standing on a scale too often can cause knee pain and spinal problems, as well as pelvic deformities; so take care to not stand on it too often. If you’re using the scale super often, you may be uncomfortable standing on it, which could be giving a false reading. Just notice if standing on the scale hurts, and don’t push into pain. 🩷

I’m an athlete, so me & my trainers value getting my stats, which includes weight; but someone else always reads the scale for me for my safety. I’m hope that’s ok to say. That’s all I’ve got. ☺️