Can a Bathroom Scale Change Your Life?

It’s been in the back of my mind; life has caught up with me. At 43 I’ve fallen out of shape. It didn’t just happen overnight. The past two years I’ve taken on too many projects, lost my daily routine, and forgot about doing activities for myself. Working weekends, wife on a midnight shift, and daughter who would put the pickiest of eaters to shame also led me to give up one of my favorite hobbies; cooking. A desk job and poor food choices will quickly eat away at your health.

It was still in the back of my mind when the fine folks over at Eat Smart asked if I wanted to review their CalPal bathroom scale. I hesitated. Scales are for people who obsess over one or two pounds. But hey, why not. The scale arrived in its bright white box a few days later. I placed it on the counter and, I could swear, it was staring at me for the next two days.

Disclosure: EatSmart provided me with a scale for review. Opinions, as always, are purely my own.

My daughter gave me the push. “Daddy, can we try out the scale now?” No, no, fine. I let her try it out. “Dad, your turn.” I hesitated again. I stood staring at it. Why can’t I step forward? Finally, I got on and looked down. 257.5 pounds. The truth was now free, the most I’d ever weighed. Now I had to face it, but it felt so much easier now. It felt good not to push back on my failure to take care of myself.

 

The Scale

Let’s take a look at my new friend, the Eat Smart CalPal Precision Bathroom Scale. It’s a sleek little design with a glass platform and classic Indiglow blue back lit LCD display. The scale will measure your weight within 0.1 pounds up to its 440lb/200kg capacity. It also packs in a few features to help monitor your health. Body Mass Index (BMI) can be estimated based on gender, age, height, and activity level inputs. The scale will also give an estimate of how many calories you should consume daily to maintain you current weight. The CalPal will store information for for users and automatically recognize who steps on the scale. You can find more details on the scale, and other models, at EatSmart’s website.

I’ve been using the scale for a week now, both weighing myself and performing tests to check accuracy. So far, it has remained consistent. I haven’t looked into the BMI and calorie measurements though. I’ve learned along the way that it’s better for me to set a larger goal than targeting a number. Committing to cooking for my family again will benefit both my waistline and my enjoyment. Getting active again is also a priority. Here are a few tips for using a scale as a tool for achieving better health and sticking to your goals.

Scale Tips

• Use the scale on a level, hard surface. Avoid carpet.
• Zero the scale after it has been moved to a different spot. Push down, then release to let it calibrate.
• Be consistent. Make measuring your weight a part of your morning routine so you will have an accurate number to go by. You body fluctuates throughout the day.
• Make a chart to keep track of your weight to measure your goals. This will also help you remember to check your weight when you wake up and stay consistent.
• Set realistic goals based on how you can personally achieve them. For me it is focusing on the larger picture of my health, for others it may be setting a specific number to work towards.
• If you set target weight goals, spread it out. To lose 50 pounds, set targets at each 10 pounds so you can stay motivated. Don’t sabotage yourself by trying to do too much at once.
• Don’t obsess over a pound or two. Your body will fluctuate each day based on food intake, digestive processes, and activity levels. It’s normal to go back and forth a bit, so watch the longer game on the chart.
• Know when enough is enough. When you reach your target weight, focus instead on your overall health and not so much on that number. Use the scale as a tool to keep yourself focused on a positive mindset.

 

So, the big question: Can a bathroom scale change your life? For me, I know it helped get over a major hurdle that has been nagging me for the past year. Seeing that undeniable number forced an admission to myself that I needed to stop and make some changes to my life. Even more importantly, it keeps me focused on taking care of my family, which is my priority as a dad.

When the flight attendant tells you to put on your oxygen mask first before helping others, it is because our natural instinct as parents is to help our children first. This little scale has sent me the same message. Take care of yourself and you will be more able, more motivated, to help those you care most about. I’ve already lost a few pounds and the little voice in the back of my head now reminds me to pay attention to what I’m eating and to look forward to new recipes.