Do I need to buy a scale?

mehenderson02

Hi!
I just recently starting a calorie deficit to try and lose some weight, but I don’t own a scale or any thing to see if it’s working. I was hoping I would just notice weight loss by how my clothes fit, but if I’m counting calories wrong and not really at a deficit, I wouldn’t notice for weeks.

Should I bite the bullet and buy a scale?
Any recommendations?

Thanks.

LyndaBSS

You don't need a body scale unless you want to track your weight. I love getting on the scale every morning. It inspires and motivates me.

I have a Withings Body Smart Scale. It syncs to a weight trending app which then syncs to mfp.

You absolutely do need a food scale, though.

nighthawk584

buy two scales....one for food and one for yourself.

MikePTY

Unless you have a particular reason not to due to a past eating disorder or something like that, I would strongly recommend it. Your weight is not the be all and end all, but it is an important data point that is easy to track. And once you start making progress, you'll really want to have that number.

You can get any old scale. Digital scales are probably easier to read but it doesn't need to be fancy. There's no reason to spend more than $10-$20 on it

Strudders67

At least initially, you could track your chest, waist & hips measurements instead. Finding that your clothes feel looser will tell you that you are losing weight - but that won't tell you if you're losing too quickly or at the rate you selected when you set up your stats in MFP.

Most people on here probably weigh themselves regularly. Just be aware that there will be fluctuations, for multiple reasons, and weight loss won't be linear.

Luke_rabbit

Alternatively, you may have access to a scale somewhere else - gym, work, school, clinic, doctor's office, friend's house - that you can use weekly just to check. This would be mostly helpful for someone who is losing significant weight (like 2 lbs per week) rather than someone losing a smaller amount.

You do need a food scale.

lgfrie

You need a kitchen scale.

As to a bathroom scale, you should probably get one.

I weigh myself every morning and it's a valuable piece of feedback as to how my diet is doing, and it also keeps me engaged because, of course, I want good scale readings the next time I get on the thing.

My wife, who's been dieting with me since Day 1, hasn't gotten on the scale since the first day and doesn't plan to. Some people really benefit from frequent scale feedback and others don't, but in general, I think it's a good thing to have.

Measuring body parts and/or seeing which clothes are getting looser, to find oout how well you're doing on your diet, are just so much more complex and inexact than stepping on a scale.

Maxxitt

Once I bought a food scale, I discovered that measuring by volume rather than weight was leading to under-counting actual calories up to 25%. Spend a few bucks on that. In terms of body weight scale, I think it might help with motivation since the looser-clothes measure takes longer to notice. But it's totally up to you.

hixa30

You don't need either but I'd suggest if you don't buy either, get a measuring tape. Body scales are quick and easy compared to using tape.

NoHookUpZone

I also personally recommend it.

One of my guilty pleasures are frozen fruit parfaits. I generally use a small fraction of portion sizes so a scale allows me to get an accurate calorie count.

TheMrWobbly

It is so difficult to see changes, get a scale, track where your lifestyle takes you. No single week matters but the overall trend does. It will be so easy to give up if you are waiting for that miraculous image change / clothing change.

SnifterPug

I wouldn't rely on clothing to tell you if you are losing size. It's a bit subjective. A measuring tape is a better bet.

1BlueAurora

Get a bathroom scale. Add an app to your phone like Happy Scale so you can see the downward trend progress with weight loss. Measure yourself with a measuring tape and record the results once a month. Here's another idea: take before/after photos. You'll most likely see some differences in your face shape, your abdomen shape, and so forth. Those pictures should be taken from front, back and sides. I wish I'd done this sooner. You can see from my profile picture that the differences are noticeable! And for sure, get a kitchen scale. It's amazing how I underestimated how much I was actually eating. When I thought I was eating an ounce of cheese, it was actually three. Very important to accurately track your calorie intake.