--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’ve been chained to my bathroom scale…" description: "\"“I’ve been chained to my bathroom scale for two decades now. I’ve used the number on my scale to tell me if I’m valuable or not. I’ve let the number on..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5c/dan-pearce-3496_appearance_i-ve-been-chained-to-my-bathroom-scale-f_3150309.jpg" --- # I’ve been chained to my bathroom scale for two decades… ![“I’ve been chained to my bathroom scale for two decades now. I’ve used the number on my scale to tell me if I’m valuable or not. I’ve let the number on my scale destroy many beautiful opportunities in my life such as scheduling family photos, having fun at the beach, or giving myself 100% in…” quote by Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5c/dan-pearce-3496_appearance_i-ve-been-chained-to-my-bathroom-scale-f_3150309.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5c/dan-pearce-3496_appearance_i-ve-been-chained-to-my-bathroom-scale-f_3150309.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5c/dan-pearce-3496_appearance_i-ve-been-chained-to-my-bathroom-scale-f_3150309.jpg) > ““I’ve been chained to my bathroom scale for two decades now. I’ve used the number on my scale to tell me if I’m valuable or not. I’ve let the number on my scale destroy many beautiful opportunities in my life such as scheduling family photos, having fun at the beach, or giving myself 100% in intimacy. I’ve let the number on the scale tell me if I should be confident in who I am. I’ve let the number on the scale tell me if I am worthy of kind thoughts from others. Ultimately, I’ve always let some ridiculous number on the bathroom scale tell me whether or not I should love myself.”” [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author describes how obsessively tracking weight has undermined self‑worth, relationships, and life experiences, leading to self‑love struggles. **In simple terms:** Weight obsession harms self‑esteem. Key Takeaway Detach self‑value from numbers. Themes self‑esteem body image mental health Mood reflective empathetic Type motivational self‑help When to use this quote - therapy - personal journaling - support groups Key Concepts social comparison self‑worth psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you redefine personal value? - What non‑numeric measures of health can you adopt? A Different Perspective Weight numbers can be misleading and harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-image/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family photo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-photo/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Having fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-fun/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) [Weight loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight-loss/) ## Related quotes > [My wife said she wanted something that went from 0 to 400 in 2 seconds…I got her a bathroom scale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-wife-said-she-wanted-something-that-went-from-0-to-400-in-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wish I had thrown out the bathroom scale at age 16. Weighing yourself every morning is like waking up and asking Dick Cheney…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-wish-i-had-thrown-out-the-bathroom-scale-at-age-16-weighing/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [The bathroom scale knows nothing of extenuating circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-bathroom-scale-knows-nothing-of-extenuating-circumstances/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“If your husband is overweight, don’t ask him how much he weighs or sneak up behind him when he stands on the bathroom scale.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-fein/if-your-husband-is-overweight-don-t-ask-him-how-much-he-weighs-or/) [Ellen Fein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-fein/) > [I refuse to let something as insignificant as a size or number on a scale determine how I feel about myself. I am grateful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iskra-lawrence/i-refuse-to-let-something-as-insignificant-as-a-size-or-number-on-a/) [Iskra Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iskra-lawrence/) > [Don't let the number on the scale tell you how beautiful you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-let-the-number-on-the-scale-tell-you-how-beautiful-you-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing was a more powerful compass of my mood or a better indication of my self-worth than the number on the scale.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/nothing-was-a-more-powerful-compass-of-my-mood-or-a-better-indication/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [If I had to tell you how much I liked you on a number scale then I truly wouldn't like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/if-i-had-to-tell-you-how-much-i-liked-you-on-a-number-scale-then-i/) Patience > [It's never been true, not anywhere at anytime, that the value of a soul, of a human spirit, is dependent on a number on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/it-s-never-been-true-not-anywhere-at-anytime-that-the-value-of-a-soul/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [All the photos you see on our blog are just family photos in the same way anybody else would do with their children. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cannon/all-the-photos-you-see-on-our-blog-are-just-family-photos-in-the-same/) [Nick Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cannon/) > [I always put clothes and family photos under the mattress, in case the house burns down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/i-always-put-clothes-and-family-photos-under-the-mattress-in-case-the/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [“After smiling for a family photo with his daughters, John announced, “All right. I talked to the boys. Beckett, you can stay for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-anastasia/after-smiling-for-a-family-photo-with-his-daughters-john-announced/) [Debra Anastasia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-anastasia/) > [“On her last visit, the girl stole one of his family photographs right out of the frame. He thinks this means she is starting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-russell/on-her-last-visit-the-girl-stole-one-of-his-family-photographs-right/) [Karen Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-russell/) > [When I first met Big, we were both at a 'Bad Boy' family photo shoot. I was kind of familiar with the name Biggie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-first-met-big-we-were-both-at-a-bad-boy-family-photo-shoot-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is a series of family photos in which you keep moving to the rear until finally you're a portrait in the background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/life-is-a-series-of-family-photos-in-which-you-keep-moving-to-the/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) ## More by Dan Pearce > [“I am, for some reason, actually happy with who I am and the muscle, the bones, and the flub that exist beneath these clothes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/i-am-for-some-reason-actually-happy-with-who-i-am-and-the-muscle-the/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“The skinnier and more toned I got, the fatter I felt. The more in shape I got, the more out of shape I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/the-skinnier-and-more-toned-i-got-the-fatter-i-felt-the-more-in-shape/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“Dads. Do you not realize that your child needs to feel your skin on his? Do you not realize the incredible and powerful bond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/dads-do-you-not-realize-that-your-child-needs-to-feel-your-skin-on/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“I’m not going to pretend I’m something I’m not so that you like me more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-i-m-something-i-m-not-so-that-you-like-me/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“Be real. Embrace that you have weakness. Because everyone does. Embrace that your body is not perfect. Because nobody’s is. Embrace that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/be-real-embrace-that-you-have-weakness-because-everyone-does-embrace/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“Having a college degree does not make you educated. Always learning new things is what makes you educated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/having-a-college-degree-does-not-make-you-educated-always-learning/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“Don't hate the bullies. Experience tells me that hating them, or being angry with them, will always make it worse. Instead, put your arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/don-t-hate-the-bullies-experience-tells-me-that-hating-them-or-being/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“Having a religion doesn’t make a person love or not love others. It doesn’t make a person accept or not accept others. It doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/having-a-religion-doesn-t-make-a-person-love-or-not-love-others-it/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“Who do you want to surround yourself with? People who can pull you up to their level of greatness? Or people who will happily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/who-do-you-want-to-surround-yourself-with-people-who-can-pull-you-up/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“Fishing is much less about the fishing, and much more about the time alone with your kid, away from the hustle and bustle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/fishing-is-much-less-about-the-fishing-and-much-more-about-the-time/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“Every person is attractive to somebody. You are. I am. Jim Bob over there is, too. Every person is probably ugly to somebody, too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/every-person-is-attractive-to-somebody-you-are-i-am-jim-bob-over/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“What haunts me far more than anything I’ve ever done are the things I haven’t done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/what-haunts-me-far-more-than-anything-i-ve-ever-done-are-the-things-i/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“We all have to escape from this thing called life sometimes. Maybe we use substances to do it. Maybe we use religion. Maybe we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/we-all-have-to-escape-from-this-thing-called-life-sometimes-maybe-we/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“While you're sitting there wondering why you've kept all the rules and you still haven't achieved everything you've been promised, someone else has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/while-you-re-sitting-there-wondering-why-you-ve-kept-all-the-rules/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“Do you not realize that your kids are going to make mistakes, and a lot of them? Do you not realize the damage you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/do-you-not-realize-that-your-kids-are-going-to-make-mistakes-and-a/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) [Explore all 129 Dan Pearce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) ## More Appearance quotes > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [The essence of worldliness is exclusion of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-jacobsen/the-essence-of-worldliness-is-exclusion-of-god/) [Henry Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-jacobsen/) > [We must, however, note that what are usually called the high religions made their appearance within about twenty-five hundred years - most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-scott-latourette/we-must-however-note-that-what-are-usually-called-the-high-religions/) [Kenneth Scott Latourette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-scott-latourette/) > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-turning-points-of-lives-are-not-the-great-moments-the-real-crises/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [You can have a nice body, dress with the latest fashion. But if you don't have self-confidence sweetheart, forget about looking sexy, you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/you-can-have-a-nice-body-dress-with-the-latest-fashion-but-if-you-don/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [I cannot be convinced that great artists are moralists. Art is first appearances, then meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-cannot-be-convinced-that-great-artists-are-moralists-art-is-first/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [So may the outward shows be least themselves; The world is still deceived with ornament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-may-the-outward-shows-be-least-themselves-the-world-is-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are one of many appearances of the thing called Life; we are not its perfect image, for it has no perfect image except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/we-are-one-of-many-appearances-of-the-thing-called-life-we-are-not/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [I'm OK with my appearance. I have made my peace with it after a long and frankly exhausting battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-m-ok-with-my-appearance-i-have-made-my-peace-with-it-after-a-long/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [There is no society or conversation to be kept up in the world without good-nature, or something which must bear its appearance and supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/there-is-no-society-or-conversation-to-be-kept-up-in-the-world/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Appearance records are pretty special. Mine means a lot to me, not only because I love stats, but because it shows that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james/appearance-records-are-pretty-special-mine-means-a-lot-to-me-not-only/) [David James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james/) > [Every man would fall in love with their voice, their lovely appearance, but no man would ever get past that. They'd never really know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/every-man-would-fall-in-love-with-their-voice-their-lovely-appearance/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [I already know what things look like - I don't want description. People believe in appearances, and I don't believe in appearances at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/i-already-know-what-things-look-like-i-don-t-want-description-people/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) Browse all 2,446 Appearance quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I’ve been chained to my bathroom scale for two decades now. I’ve used the number on my scale to tell me if I’m valuable or not. I’ve let the number on my scale destroy many beautiful opportunities in my life such as scheduling family photos, having fun at the beach, or giving myself 100% in intimacy. I’ve let the number on the scale tell me if I should be confident in who I am. I’ve let the number on the scale tell me if I am worthy of kind thoughts from others. Ultimately, I’ve always let some ridiculous number on the bathroom scale tell me whether or not I should love myself.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dan Pearce" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/i-ve-been-chained-to-my-bathroom-scale-for-two-decades-now-i-ve-used/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appearance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/i-ve-been-chained-to-my-bathroom-scale-for-two-decades-now-i-ve-used/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5c/dan-pearce-3496_appearance_i-ve-been-chained-to-my-bathroom-scale-f_3150309.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5c/dan-pearce-3496_appearance_i-ve-been-chained-to-my-bathroom-scale-f_3150309.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5c/dan-pearce-3496_appearance_i-ve-been-chained-to-my-bathroom-scale-f_3150309.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I’ve been chained to my bathroom scale for two decades now. I’ve used the number on my scale to tell me if…” — Dan Pearce", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dan Pearce", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I’ve been chained to my bathroom...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/i-ve-been-chained-to-my-bathroom-scale-for-two-decades-now-i-ve-used/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/i-ve-been-chained-to-my-bathroom-scale-for-two-decades-now-i-ve-used/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```