I weigh almost every day. Not because I am looking for my WEIGHT to go down each day, because it varies. I weigh because it is part of my routine and structure. It sets the tone for the day. I step on the scales and I write the Weight and Fat Percentage on my bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker. And I keep about a 7 day run there – with my most recent starting numbers at the top.

I don’t criticize or complain about that number, it’s a number, it’s a structure, it’s a point of reference. It Grounds Me.

Some trainers and experts tell you to stay off the scale, OK, if that works for you, do that. For me, this works. It works because I am actually looking at the OTHER number. That’s the one that interests me the most – and while it can be varying at times, its still another point of reference.

The Fat %.

Yup that's me, October 2007.

The first time I stepped on a scale that measured fat, I was at a health fair at work about 10 years, and I was told my number was 30%+, the next year BOY was I in for a shock, when they wrote 60% on my card. I was freaking out. How in the hell did I go from 30% body fat to 60% body fat in a single year?

The answer was … I DIDN’T. The year before the “protocol” was different and if you were OBESE, then they just wrote 30+. I raised all kinds of hell – but why with them. They didn’t force me to the coke machine at every break.

That 60% stuck in my mind for years.

In this 2007 video I weighed in at 260 and 53% body fat. You may not even recognize me with the blonde hair and poofy face – to be honest I hardly recognize myself.  <hint there’s more to read after the video>

After this, over the next few years, I gained another 30 pounds and stayed OFF the scale.

Last year when I began this journey, my body fat was at 52.5 – more than 1/2 fat. But still 7.5% away from where I was 10 years prior.

I have been watching my numbers for the last week – and the most beautiful thing has happened. My fat percentage for almost a week now has been BELOW 50 …

HOORAY I am LESS THAN HALF FAT now!

I am still in the OBESE range – but that’s alright, I am going in the right direction.

And I’ll keep weighing everyday to ground myself and set the tone for the day.  What do you do to ground yourself?