Tip 7. Maintain a Healthy Weight: Your Scale is Your Friend, Not Your Enemy
Maintaining a healthy weight can often feel like a high stakes game, especially when you are dealing with a condition like Hashimoto’s disease. Fluctuations in weight are common with this disease, primarily due to the way it affects your metabolism. But, rest assured, the scale is not an enemy, but an ally, guiding you to make healthier decisions for your wellbeing.
Your thyroid gland plays a crucial role in managing your metabolic processes. So, any disturbance to its functioning, as seen in Hashimoto’s, can lead to weight gain. If your body’s metabolism slows down, you burn fewer calories at rest, and this can cause weight gain even if your eating habits have not changed. Therefore, keeping an eye on the scale is crucial.
However, it’s also important to remember that the scale is just one aspect of your overall health. The number you see is not a complete picture of your health status but only a part of it. Physical health isn’t just about the pounds, but also about your overall fitness, mental wellbeing, and feeling good in your skin.
Instead of letting the scale dictate your mood or self-worth, use it as a tool to inform your decisions. If the scale shows a steady increase in weight, take it as a signal to reassess your lifestyle choices. Perhaps you need to incorporate more movement into your daily routine or make some changes to your diet.
And remember, while maintaining a healthy weight is important, it should never come at the expense of your mental health. It’s perfectly okay to have days when you indulge a little or don’t have time for a workout. Rather than berating yourself on such days, remind yourself that every new day brings a fresh opportunity to make healthier choices. The journey to a healthy weight is a lifelong task, and your scale is a compass which guide you along the path. (7)
