The scale is a double-edged sword in recovery — a safety net for some, another way for the eating disorder to keep control.
Weighing yourself can be a helpful safety net. It can ensure you're eating enough and not inadvertently losing weight — which is why my therapist at the time recommended I did it. I went from not really weighing myself at all during my eating disorder to weighing myself every single day, and then multiple times a day.
But here's the thing: while weighing was allowing me to take certain steps in my recovery, I was letting the eating disorder take control elsewhere. The scale became that thing for me. It was another way for the ED to feel like it still had a grip — another way to feel in control, to make sure I was gaining weight but not too much, not too little, following that perfect trajectory.
Weighing made me miserable every single day. It gave me a sense of control, but it wasn't even a guarantee that I wasn't losing weight. And it limited my ability to tune back into my body and my hunger, because I was still relying heavily on that external feedback. A single number could ruin my day — and it wasn't just the day. It could ruin my week, or the whole month before I weighed myself again. That's insane. The eating disorder was genuinely controlling my life, even at a time when I thought I was recovered.
Your weight naturally fluctuates — with illness, travel, food, hormones, and the time of day. When I weighed myself several times over a few weeks in Bali while I was ill with covid, food poisoning and a cold, my weight swung around quite a bit. But did I lose weight? No. In the time of my eating disorder, illness sent my weight all over the place; now that I'm recovered, it tends to stay more stable. Those fluctuations aren't real changes. They're normal body stuff.
It depends where you are. Early on, weighing yourself can be a helpful safety net to ensure you're eating enough and not inadvertently losing weight. But it's a double-edged sword — it can quickly become another way for the eating disorder to feel in control. If daily weigh-ins make you miserable and drive your behaviour, they're probably doing more harm than good.
Weight naturally fluctuates — with illness, travel, food, hormones, hydration and the day's timing. In recovery these fluctuations are completely normal, and they are not the same as real weight change. When I was ill several times in a short trip, my weight swung around but I didn't actually lose weight. Over time, as your body settles, the fluctuations become more stable.
Start by noticing what weighing does to your day. Then make it neutral: weigh infrequently, at the same time, and don't let a number change your eating plan. Work with your therapist or support person on when to step away, and replace the ritual with body-based check-ins — hunger, energy, sleep, how your clothes fit. When you're ready, remove the scales from your space.
In the early stages, especially if you are at risk of losing weight quickly, regular weigh-ins with professional guidance can be an important safety measure. It can reassure you that you're eating enough. The key is that the scale serves your recovery — it should never dictate your mood, your meals or your sense of worth. There is no perfect linear weight trajectory in recovery.