I participate and lurk in a few facebook groups where the focus is on moderation, balance, and healthy habits. I get a lot out of these groups, or I wouldn’t participate.

There is a tradition in these groups that I love in and of itself, but I don’t love the name of the tradition. (I realize that writing about something I dislike officially makes me a blogger with too much time on my hands and no really serious problems to worry about, and for that, I am grateful!).

The tradition I am referring to is the “Non Scale Victory” (NSV) post.

If we are acknowledging that there are many victories that are more important than the number on the scale, why do we even use the word “scale” in front of a victory that has nothing to do with a scale? Why do we need to use a qualifier such as “non-scale?” I can see two possible reasons:

1. To encourage women to think outside the (scale) box when thinking about their victories (and I’m all in favor of this!!)
2. Because, deep down, some of us may still feel like the scale is king, and other victories aren’t AS good, and so need to be held to a different standard.

How can we label our victories more descriptively based on what they are, instead of what they are not? Why not call it a “Mindset Victory” or “Healthy Habit Victory” or “Moderation Victory” or “Chilling the F*ck Out Victory” or “Body Image Victory” or “Kitchen Victory” or “PR Victory” or “Gym Victory” or “Showing Up Victory” or “Standing Up for Myself Victory” or  just plain “Victory?”

Obviously this is not a huge issue in terms of all the more significant problems of the world. Just some food for thought!