NUTRITION HOTLINE: No More Numbers

Q: I am bulimic and my treatment team has asked me to get rid of my scale and stop weighing myself. Is this really necessary, and won't I gain a lot of weight if I don't keep track of it?

A: Not weighing yourself is essential to breaking the bulimic cycle. People assume that the calories they have eaten is the only factor that determines their weight. This is not true. The sodium and sugar content of food can cause temporary fluid shifts, as can hormones (i.e., before and during menses), bingeing and purging, bowel status and even hot weather. It is normal for a person's weight to fluctuate in a five pound range over a week or so. Daily weighing is not an accurate portrayal of muscle or fat changes, and it almost always triggers bingeing or overeating. If a person has lost weight, she will give herself permission to overeat or binge. If a person has gained weight, she will usually become upset and restrict, which leads to bingeing and purging. Either way the scale is dictating what you eat instead of your internal hunger and fullness cues. Let your dietitian or physician weigh you backwards and take responsibility for helping you manage your weight. You will be amazed how freeing it is not to obsess about the number all day long. As recovery progresses, you can work toward being able to see your weight at the doctor's office and not have it trigger eating disorder symptoms.