Just in Time for Halloween: A Terrifying Story
October 30, 2008 by Kelly Turner
Filed under Fitness
I was training my trainers (heh) how to do fitness assessments the other. One female, one male. I was taking them through each test, explained the procedures, and had them perform them on me. They had their little sheets and clip boards following me around the studio and soaking everything up.
We went into the bathroom. I hopped onto the scale and waited until the digital numbers stopped flashing. I read my weight aloud, waited for them to scribble it down and proceeded to explain to them the importance of stressing to clients that weight is not the best indicator of progress, as it will only lead to frustration. I continued on to say that body fat percentage and girth measurements are the keys. We then continued to measure my body fat and my circumfrences.
It didn’t occur to me until later that day that I had just weighed myself in front of an audience without a second thought. Most people would rather play tag with a semi-truck than publically weight themselves in front of their coworkers.
I had to admit I was a pretty proud of myself. You might say “hey, you’re a personal trainer, what do you have to worry about?” but weight is a very private thing. Fitness professionals are not free from judgement: if anything, people use it as a way to judge whether or not you “know what you’re talking about.” Clients ask me how much I weigh all the time. You wouldn’t ask a friend or aquaintence how much they weigh, but for some reason my profession leads people to believe its fair game.
What about for you guys? Is public weighing a big fear or no big deal?
grounded fitness, fitness, health, yoga, pilates, strength training, personal trainer, cardiovascular, cardio, exercise, wellness, weight loss, blog, blogging, fitness blog, weightloss blog, Halloween, scale, gym, fitness assessment
Sometimes I have to give my weight at work so I guess it’s not a big deal for me (I work in neuroimaging and when I’m a pilot subject in the scanner my weight needs to be entered so that too much energy isn’t deposited). The first time I felt a little weird about it, though, but then I realized that what does it matter what I weigh? These people see me every day, they know what I look like, they know what I’m capable of, and a number from a scale isn’t going to change what they think of me.
No way. My boyfriend isn’t even allowed to know what I weigh. Heck, last time I went to the doc I declined to get weighed. Next week I have an appointment though, and I am so getting on that scale. 45 pounds less than last time makes a difference…
Wow – that is so awesome Kelly! I would really like to be at that place someday. If I ever have to be weighed in a public situation, I put on my brave face and pretend like I don’t care. But then I cry about it later:) Sad but true.
I like to shock people with what I weigh. I weigh 160lb, but I don’t look it because I’m fit. So I don’t mind mentioning my weight, because every time I do, I then have to proceed to assure people that I’m not lying, because they think I can’t really weigh that much. I do weigh myself regularly, just to keep tabs, though I don’t think it is as important as measuring my waistline as an indicator.
I wouldn’t mind being weighed, but I wish I weighed more…not because I think I’m too skinny, I just wish I had more muscle mass! :( I’m working on it!
It’s one thing not to care that much, another thing altogether not to even give it a second thought! That’s cool. You know, come to think of it, I guess I have weighed myself in front of people and not given it a second thought when I’m happy enough with myself so I don’t really give a damn what they think. But I definitely would be afraid of being judged if I were trainer.
No big deal for me either! But you’re right, weight IS a very private thing. Good for you for not even giving it a second thought!
Those cartoons always make me giggle.
I don’t stress about people knowing my weight publicly.
Tim Rosanelli
View my blog at
Sensei Talks
Join our sit-up challenge at
60 Situps in a Minute Challenge
I remember freshman year of college, I was on the crew team, and the coach weighed us right down the line on this ancient scale from who knows where. That was when I found out that I’d gained 20 lbs WHILE participating in daily practice regimines that burned up to 1,500 calories in an afternoon. How I did this … not sure. So that was a little embarrassing.
i just told hubby what I weighted a month ago…..it was such a relief!
I’d like to think it’s no big deal, but I think I’d be uncomfortable with it. Even though that goes against everything I believe. There’s the truth.
I can see how it would be a big deal for a lot of people. A few years back I’m sure I would have been terrified to show anyone how much I weighed. Now, I’ll tell anyone what my weight is. I’m still overweight and not necessarily proud of the number, but I won’t let it define me anymore. I’m quite proud of my weight loss to this point, and I really don’t care what anyone thinks of the number on my scale.