In the realm of health and fitness, many of us often turn to the scale as our primary measure of well-being. However, a recent Instagram post by fitness enthusiast Jenna Davis has gone viral, beautifully illustrating that the scale’s number is far less significant than how we feel about ourselves.
Jenna shared her journey on Instagram, revealing that she began her fitness journey around eight weeks after giving birth. “Before my pregnancy, I weighed 135 pounds, and for reasons that were purely based on my skewed self-image, I set my goal weight at 125 pounds,” she noted in her post. Fast forward several months, and Jenna now weighs nearly 20 pounds more. So, what changed? She focused on her health.
“Forget the scale!” she exclaimed. “We need to stop fixating on that silly number. Your weight does not define your progress, and please, don’t let it dictate your self-worth like I used to.”
Jenna explained that while she did reach her previous goal weight—depicted in the middle photo—she began to gain muscle as she committed to her workouts and improved her overall health. “I’ve added 20 pounds… and yes, I’ve gone up two pant sizes. I even tore my skinny jeans just last week trying to get them on!”
She continued, “If I had stuck to my old, flawed standards, I would have deemed myself a failure. Thankfully, I’ve learned to measure progress by what truly matters—strength, endurance, health, and happiness. I’ve never felt better or more at ease in my own skin. Had I not said #forgetthescale earlier, I might have abandoned my journey.”
Jenna’s message resonates with many, including myself, as I try to shed the baby weight from my little one, who is now two years old. It’s tempting to feel defeated when the scale isn’t moving, but I’ve made significant strides. Eight months ago, I couldn’t do a single push-up, and now I can do 30! I used to be winded just from carrying laundry upstairs, but now I breeze through it.
We often use arbitrary markers like weight, pant sizes, and physical appearance to gauge our health and self-worth. Jenna embodies the idea that no external measure can compare to how we feel and what our bodies can accomplish. There’s no magic number or ideal size that will grant us confidence and fulfillment, and we shouldn’t let digits dictate our self-esteem.
As Jenna said, “To that nagging voice that whispered ‘what happened to 140?!’ last week when I stepped on the scale, I say forget you. And I think it’s time you tell your scale the same.”
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In conclusion, it’s essential to prioritize how we feel and what our bodies can do over the numbers on a scale. Embracing our unique journeys and focusing on our health and happiness is what truly matters.