Daily weighing reduces you to a number. When you spend time focusing on external numbers on the scale or BMI chart, you lose the chance to engage with your body and learn from your physical sensations. Instead, the number becomes more important than how you feel. Ayurveda teaches you to listen to your body, instead of numbers, to determine your health.

Daily weight is also ineffective because the body is always changing, depending on the time of day, season, and even stage of life. An appropriate weight for a baby or teenager is far different than an appropriate weight for an adult. Similarly, your body is likely to hold onto more weight during the chilly winter months than it is in the warm summertime months. And, if caught in the cycle of frequent weighing, you have probably noticed that weight even fluctuates throughout the day: your weight in the morning on an empty stomach looks quite different from your evening weight, after digesting a day's worth of food, activities, and experiences. For these reasons, weighing yourself each day can be confusing and unhelpful.

If you are caught in a pattern of daily weighing, ask yourself how much power you are giving to the number on the scale. Does it determine your mood for the day, the clothes you'll wear, the confidence you'll exude? Daily weighing can cause a feeling of shame that is unproductive and can negatively impact your emotions, eating habits, and well-being. Consider giving up your scale or, if this is too difficult, try weighing yourself at most once a week. Find other ways to appreciate and love your body; treat it like it's your best friend. Saying affirmations and taking time each day to notice something positive about your body is useful when trying to overcoming the impulse to weigh daily.

If you believe you have a weight problem, you may be tempted to justify daily weighing by saying you need to be "monitored." But, this is ultimately an ineffective strategy for modifying your eating behaviors and does not address the emotional and physical factors that may be causing you to gain weight. Instead, focus on understanding the physical and emotional imbalances in your body to find a healthier weight. For more tips, check out our Ayurvedic diet for weight loss and our pages on feeling overweight.

DIET FOR IMBALANCES RELATED TO 'WEIGH MYSELF DAILY'

PRODUCTS FOR IMBALANCES RELATED TO 'WEIGH MYSELF DAILY'

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WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS

DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body.

AGGRAVATES THESE DOSHAS & QUALITIES

Imbalance Accumulates

Improper food and lifestyle causes balances to accumulate. Ayurveda shows you exactly which doshas and qualities will accumulate in your body. Once these doshas and qualities accumulate too much, they will begin to cause disease. You can reduce an imbalanced dosha or quality by removing things that aggravate it from your diet and lifestyle.

V = VATA, P = PITTA, K = KAPHA

To learn more about the symbols above, click on them.

SEE A DIET WHICH REMOVES THESE QUALITIES

ADDRESS ISSUES IN STAGE OF DISEASE 0

Potential causes increase and disturb your imbalanced doshas and qualities, causing them to accumulate and spiral out of control. For example, if you're overheated and eat a chili pepper, heat may become excessive and cause disease. As a dosha or quality accumulates in your body according to your dietary and lifestyle habits, it is more and more likely to cause disease. You can reduce an imbalanced dosha or quality in two ways, by removing, or lessening the frequency of aggravating causes from your diet and lifestyle, as well as by favoring balancing diet and lifestyle practices. For example, try eating something as cool as a cucumber when you're overheated, instead of a chili pepper.

REDUCE THESE RELATED SYMPTOMS & HABITS

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR UNIQUE BODY?

What aggravates it? What heals it? Then get your Personal Ayurvedic Body Book! This book, written by founder and director of Joyful Belly, John Immel, is individually formatted for your unique body and will help you confidently choose food that restores your healthy glow to get you feeling like your best self. Just $19.99!

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About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda exudes a certain ease, which many find enjoyable and insightful. His online course Balance Your Ayurvedic Diet in a Week provides tools for gracefully healing with Ayurveda to thousands. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda , which specializes in digestive tract pathology & Ayurvedic nutrition. John and his wife Natalie recently published Explore Your Hunger: A Guide to Hunger, Appetite & Food.

John's interest in Ayurveda and digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, including his public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well.

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