For me, throughout my eating disorder, I’ve been terrified of scales. Even now, a trip to the doctor gives me anxiety knowing I have to be weighed. I used to have my mom call the doctor and remind them not to ask me to step on the scale. Now, I just face the other way and ask them not to tell me my weight. Numbers have always been a trigger for me with my eating. Numbers determined my mood and my mindset for that day.
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend Scrap Your Scale in Atlanta. The event was sponsored by Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders (Ace) and Eating Disorder Information Network (EDIN). It was so liberating and freeing to physically destroy a scale; something that I’ve been a slave to for so long. Men and women showed up with their scale in hand and we all took turns smashing them with sledge hammers and an ax.
I decorated my scale with measuring tapes and pictures to symbolize what I’ve been through with my eating disorder and how numbers twist the way we see ourselves. It felt wonderful to smash the stickers that described the abusive relationship that I had with my eating disorder (ED). My favorite addition to the scale was covering the numbers with the words, “Don’t Believe Everything You Think.” I wish we could all have that reminder when we step on a scale.
I’m on the Junior Board of EDIN with some amazing girls helping to spread awareness about eating disorders. Along with Scrap Your Scale, EDIN has other helpful events coming up and you can check out their website at www.myedin.org.