The scale determines my mood !

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RunRun72
RunRun72 Posts: 19 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi everyone
So , Basically I used to weigh in everyday and if I am no happy with the numbers shown , I'd just be moody all day and eat even more as I feel like giving up. Now , I am still eating within my fitbit calories but i ditched the scale for a month. I feel sooo much more relaxed and can control what I eat . The problem is : how can I tell if I gain weight? Any ideas would be much appreciated !

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  • NadNight
    NadNight Posts: 794 Member
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    If you stick within your fitbit calories then you shouldn't gain weight. Take your body measurements (bust, waist, hip, upper thigh and upper arm) now and every month or so, re-measure (first thing in the morning after a day of normal eating not a takeaway or big meal) and see if you're still at similar measurements

    Also it's good that you recognised weighing in was becoming a problem so congrats on taking action instead of letting it control you. Nobody wants to gain back weight they've lost (unless it's muscle weight, not fat) but I think it is pretty easy to become obsessed
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    You could go by more subjective methods.. how clothes fit, how you look in the mirror, etc. Or, you could take measurements (arms, waist, hips, thighs, chest/bust, etc). Or you could weigh yourself periodically.

    On a related note... there are a number of apps available that will show you your weight trend (basically, it helps smooth out the ups and downs of normal weight fluctuations) - that might be a good option if you're still emotionally tied to the number on the scale.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    If you can't handle the fluctuations which will happen naturally anyway then you need to step away from the scales and leave it to a weekly/fortnightly or even monthly weigh in.
    I prefer daily weigh ins, I can fluctuate up to 2 or 3lbs a day even in maintenance, no biggie as the overall trend is I am maintaining my goal range.
    Same should go for you, if your overall trend is down the the ups and downs on the scale is just noise.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    edited January 2018
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    The other option is to weigh every day and log into a weight trending application and only pay attention to the trend number.

    ETA: (Personally, if I only weighed weekly/monthly and saw a jump upward - that could bother me...and this is something that can happen frequently if you happened to eat something saltier than usual the day before, or time of month. so my preference has been to weigh daily and plot trends).
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
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    This comes up a lot. The problem is that body weight is a very helpful metric for overall health (along with measurements, skin fold tests, etc.). If you can think of it as just a useful number, not a judgement on your character, then daily weighing isn't such a problem.

    But, if it really messes with your mind, I'd say you give up weighing, measuring, and pinching and just focus on good exercise and eating habits. You can leave the metrics to your doctor.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    You can tell if you are getting larger by clothing and the mirror. It doesn't always accurately reflect weight, but over time it sure will.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited January 2018
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    I still count calories while maintaining. If I am not doing that and/or are not 100% compliant with my maintain calories I am sure to know that I will be gaining weight.

    If I have got to where I am not moving around the same or lapsing in my exercise, I should also know that I will be seeing weight creep as well.

    I would prefer to weigh every two week at a min. I do weigh daily and let a trending app do the work for me. I am surely to be in more of a bad mood waiting a month and have 2-3 pounds to lose after not watching it.
  • ITUSGirl51
    ITUSGirl51 Posts: 192 Member
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    I’m the same. The scale really affects my mood. Then I stop weighing and start gaining weight. I don’t even realize how much I’ve gained (even though my clothes stop fitting) until I go to the doctor once a year. Yikes! Was my reaction in February when I went to the doctor, so I started losing again and am back down 51lbs.

    I’m still trying to lose about 14 lbs but am constantly planning for maintenance. To keep it off or lose I’m going to have to weigh. I suck it up and weigh once a week at the gym, not at home. Then just one day can be bad, not every day. I also make a mental plan before I weigh of what to do or how to react if it’s not that great.

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