weighing one's options

We've been living without a bathroom scale for some time now. And honestly, we don't really miss it. The only times we do is when I'm looking to ship a big package in the mail, and my small postal scale can't handle it. I used to use our bathroom scale to weigh heavier packages by weighing myself with the box, then without, and computing the difference.

One of the reasons that we got rid of our bathroom scale in the first place was that we were tired of assessing our self-image based on a number. My wife has struggled in the past with fluctuating weight gain and loss, and a scale would only intensify her anguish. Instead, we do our best to exercise as regularly as possible, and determine weight changes based on the fit of our clothing.

The other reason why we ditched our scale was because we didn't have room for it, and didn't really like the way that it looked. That may seem petty, but when you strive for a certain decor, the last thing you want is a bug ugly scale sitting in the corner of the bathroom that looks like it fell out of a time machine from the late eighties. The only "nice" looking bathroom scales at the time were expensive, and we couldn't see ourselves spending more than $20 for one. These days, you can find them in nearly any color, shape, and style from specialty shops like Scales Etc. but you're still going to pay more than $20 for it. Of course, the technology has changed quite a bit and many scales now provide more than just weight information. Some can even equate body fat and water percentages. And they do look better.

Knowing one's weight can be useful as long as you don't get obsessed about it. I just don't like the idea of living by a number on a scale.