Strength training changed my relationship with the scale. Now, when I see my weight go down, I'm disappointed.

The author, a dietitian, realized that strength training changed how she feels about her own body weight. Photo credits: Billy Maldonado I recently had a procedure that restricted my physical activity for two weeks. Afterward, I was disappointed to see a lower number on the scale — and that was new to me. I realized that strength training had changed my relationship with my body, and with the scale. A few weeks ago, I stepped on the scale and saw that my weight had gone down. My younger self would have looked at that number, and it would have set the tone for a good-mood kind of day. She would have considered it proof of success. I probably wouldn't have admitted it back then, but deep down, I felt that smaller was better. A lower number was better.