Dr. Oz says Measure Your Waist Not Your Weight

Seems we are all obsessed with the number on the scale.

I'll confess I do like seeing that number get smaller.

I'll also confess that I have in the past been addicted to watching the number on the scale. And that did not serve me. I actually got on the scale 3 times (or more) every day.

Dr. Oz suggsts that rather than focusing on the scale, focus on your waist measurement.

A person's waist in inches should not be greater than his height in inches divided by two.

When I was a teenager, the rule of thumb was if you (as a girl) were 5 feet tall you should weigh 100 pounds and add 5 pounds for every inch over 5 feet. That was pretty unrealistic for me--at 5' 6" tall I should by that theory weigh 130 pounds. That may sound easy for some, but I only came close to that (140) by starving myself and working out 1-2 hours every day.

By Dr. Oz's formula at 5 feet (60 inches) your waist should be no larger than 30 inches around. Much more attainable. My waist, even at 140 pounds was about 26 inches, so I would have passed his test.

I haven't quite gotten to the 33 inch mark goal yet, but I totally believe that it is attainable!

Measuring Success

I was discussing health and fitness with a neighbor today. While I don't want to be a slave to a scale, I do like to see the objective number. And this discussion helped me to pinpoint why.

You see, she actually refuses to get on the scale. OK, I don't have a problem with that. But then she told me she hasn't lost any weight.

How does she know? Because of her clothes.

Well, I can tell you that sometimes I don't notice it in my clothes until there has been a significant change.

So while the ultimate goal is to feel great in your own skin (and the clothes that surround that skin!), I find it very encouraging to know that I am making progress.

I'll keep weighing myself from time to time. Perhaps when I am at my ideal weight and have been able to stay there for some years I won't feel that it is necessary. But for now, to keep myself pumped up and also in the reality of where I am now, I find the scale to be a healthy and helpful tool.