A little while ago an acquaintance of mine asked if I was embarrassed that I have my own weight-chart featured very publically each and every Wednesday here at 2 Fat Nerds. He is not an active reader of the blog and had stumbled on the site one Wednesday where he checked out my stats. He said he felt like he was prying on personal information.

body-weight-scale

I chose to make my data public for a couple reasons. The first is really the same reason the entire blog exists: accountability. It is so easy to make goals for yourself and then give up a little while down the road. Goals exist only in our own minds, and if nobody is keeping track, who really cares if you stop running three times a week, or stop smoking cigarettes, or stop only drinking beer on weekends. Everybody has unhealthy habits and I think most of those people go through phases where they want to be healthier. I chose for my data to be public so my journey for a healthier lifestyle would not just be a phase.

I’ve never been embarrassed to have my weight displayed on 2 Fat Nerds. I don’t care if the number on the scale reads 180 pounds, or 190 pounds, or 220 pounds. The number is not important. Losing weight doesn’t happen overnight, it is a long process, so as long as my numbers are trending downward, why would I be embarrassed? Maybe I wouldn’t be too keen on displaying my weight if all I did every night after work was eat chinese food in my bed and watch 30 Rock (this has happened). But having been making a very serious effort to take my life and body to a healthier place, I don’t really care if internet strangers, or close friends and family know that on any certain day my weight may fluctuate.

I’ve never been embarrassed of who I am or the extra weight I’ve carried around. Maybe its made some things harder (fitting into pants, for example), but its made me who I am, and its made me realize how badly I want to be in shape for the rest of my life. Health and fitness are so much more important than the arbitrary number that flashes on your scale. I may be losing weight, but I still can’t bike up steep hills and I still lose my breath when I’m carrying my laundry up from the basement. The road to being fit is long, and having a community of people helping and supporting me, is worth the potential embarrassment. I’m taking steps to making my life more active, and logging my weight here on 2 Fat Nerds is just one way I’m keeping myself on track. So, no, I’m not embarrassed or ashamed, and no, you’re not prying on my personal information. Each new reader we have here is just a little more encouragement for me and for all of you to make positive changes.