So let’s talk about “weasuring,” another word that doesn’t exist but easily could; it mashes together “weighing” and “measuring,” which is often how I portion my meals, with cup and scale. I do this, even into my 21st year of maintaining a three-figure weight loss, because, simply, it works for me. (Explaining why would be a whole other post, which I may nor may not also write, but not here.)

What brings me to the keys this morning is thinking of weasuring in a larger context: It’s my observation/opinion that we measure all the time. Some people measure their body weight on the scale. Some people compare themselves to family members, or high school classmates, or colleagues, to assess whether they’re keeping abreast, falling behind, or kicking butt. (Hmm: Breast, behind, butt. But anyway...)

I don’t use a body scale, though my clothing will tell me if I’m straying — it’s just a less precise measuring device. As for comparing myself to others, I am not nearly immune, though I’d like to be. For today, I’ll seek satisfaction from knowing that I compare far less than I used to. (Yes, that’s a comparison, but at least to myself.)

That brings me back to weasuring, which I didn't want to do. Be a slave to a scale? Have to know where my next cup measure was coming from, if I wanted to go out? What a hassle!

But, like so many other recommended actions, I did start, eventually. And yes, it has helped me to lose weight and maintain the loss. My experience is, when I don’t weasure, I eat too much. Whatever power of healthy-portion estimation I ever had, I no longer do. Almost never do I estimate on the light side. Besides, that’d be only slightly better than estimating too large. That’s because when I weasure, I shut off the discussion in my head about whether I’ve had too much/not enough, whether I’m entitled to more, whether I’ve made an error, etc. 

This is, for me, a definitive freedom, which I got from what I thought would be slavery. Go figure.

But also: When I weasure, I stay right-sized, both in body and spirit, and that makes all the comparisons to others unnecessary and uninviting. I just have to keep my eyes on my own self, just as I have to keep my eyes on my own plate.

I’m on my own path, not someone else’s. And what other people think of me is none of my business.

Your comments are not only welcome, but desired.