Why Lindsay Arnold Was Prohibited from Weighing Herself During Her Childhood

Dancing With the Stars alum Lindsay Arnold got candid about how her parents helped her develop a healthy body image growing up.

In a recent TikTok video, Lindsay, 31, gave a shout-out to parents Mindy and Josh Arnold while revealing “things my family did growing up that might not be normal.” Along with her siblings not doing chores and rarely ordering “special drinks” at restaurants, Lindsay said there wasn’t a scale in her childhood home.

“We were never allowed to weigh ourselves,” she said. “We did not own a scale. … I literally think the first time I weighed myself was probably when I was, like, 19 or 20 and moved out of the house. I was at a hotel and there was a random scale there and I did it.”

Lindsay explained that her dad was a “stickler” about this rule for her and sisters Jensen, 27, Brynley, 25, and Rylee, 20.

“[He didn’t want us] knowing about or focusing on or thinking about our weight, and I’m really, really grateful for that,” the ballroom pro continued. “I feel like it helped me so much with my body image growing up and even now.”

@lindsarnold

My parents truly knew what they were doing with us and I aspire to be just like them @josharnoldpa @Mindy Arnold 🥹🫶🏻 video IB: @kaprilyons #familythings #grwm #grwmchat #familydynamics #grwmmakeupedition

♬ original sound – Lindsay Arnold Cusick

According to Lindsay, her dad’s approach left an impression. “To this day, I honestly don’t really care about how much I weigh,” she said. “Like, I really don’t care. I do not feel like your weight is a proper depiction of your true health, so I just don’t care.”

In the caption of her video, Lindsay added, “My parents truly knew what they were doing with us and I aspire to be just like them @josharnoldpa @Mindy Arnold 🥹🫶🏻 .”

Arnold has spoken candidly about embracing her body over the years, especially after welcoming her daughters, Sage, 4, and June, 2, with husband Sam Cusick.

“Proud of this body and all it did to get baby girl here,” she captioned an Instagram Story less than a week after giving birth to June via C-section in 2023. In the photo, she showed off her bandaged stomach while wearing joggers and a tank top.

Three years prior, Lindsay got honest about her postpartum journey after becoming a first-time mom.

“Feeling incredibly grateful for this body that carried our sweet Sage and is now feeding her and taking care of her,” she wrote via social media at the time. “I think it’s easy to only feel grateful for our bodies when we feel we are at our tip top shape but I have truly never felt more proud of my body and it’s tired/sore muscles, sore nipples and my new C-section scar that will always remind me of the most special day of my life when we got to hold our little girl for the first time. Going to try and remember this feeling forever and focus more on loving my body because of what it does for me rather than how I look.”

Fans last saw Lindsay hit the DWTS ballroom in 2021 during season 30 with former Bachelor Matt James. While her sister Rylee is returning for her third season as a pro this fall with singer Scott Hoying, Lindsay is sitting out once again.

“It’s currently just better for me to be home with my family,” she explained in a TikTok video last month. “My girls have so many things going on this fall, and it’s so exciting. I just know that I’m exactly where I need to be and where I should be.”