Why your old jeans are your new scale

The last time the scale was part of my morning routine, I can't remember. Don't ask me about my weight or BMI, because I can't give you an answer. I don't have one and I don't want one. Give me a mirror or my favorite jeans (an oldie, the best measure) and I know if I'm happy with my body. And what turns out? You do that too. According to a recent poll by the American polling agency Harris Poll, 39% of women keep a pair of tight jeans just in case they ever lose a few kilos and can button them up again.

That number on your biggest enemy says absolutely nothing, you know, I know. Have you recently been finding your way in the gym? Then there's a good chance you're building muscle. And those muscle bundles just happen to weigh a bit more than that roll of fat peeking out over your pants.

Did you pull an all-nighter? Then those last shots of vodka probably caused you to be completely dehydrated, while that salty takeout Chinese from the night before made sure you retained quite a bit of fluid. 60 becomes 61 and not even six hours later, 61.5 is on the scale. In short, toss that scale out the window quickly. It gets you nowhere.

And I'm not pulling that out of thin air. Nutritionist Melina Jampolis from Los Angeles completely agrees with me. ‘Stuffing yourself into that old pair can basically do no harm as a guideline. This way, you emphasize your body composition more than an arbitrary number on the scale. And that's important if you want to stay healthy. It's also a cost-free way to reward yourself for your healthy efforts,’ says the American expert.

So better leave those old Levi's, in which your butt looked so good five years ago, on the pile and accidentally let your scale fall out the window tonight. Your top button is now your measuring stick. And that mirror never lies either.