Is having a scale beneficial

jlboundy4986

Here's the big question
Is it key to have a scale in your home or destructive to your health journey ?

neanderthin

Neither. Personally I go by how my cloths fit and how I look in the mirror. I do have a scale and do weight myself periodically, put it is in no way a fundamental tool for weight loss for me, for others it will, so there you go.

Lietchi

That will depend on the person...

Mouse_Potato

It is helpful for me because I seem to have fun house mirrors in my bathroom. I spent a few years thinking I wasn't as big as I was and since I lost the weight I keep thinking I'm bigger.

AnnPT77

I'm a "maybe", because I think the answer is different for different people.

The point of the bodyweight scale at home is to have a repeatable metric for physical mass changes that can be measured frequently, right?

For me, that's beneficial, 100%. I'm a data geek, and I don't tend to be stressed or emotional about my body weight. It's just a data point, a snapshot of my body's momentary relationship with gravity, meaningless on its own. It's like maybe up to 60%-plus water, and I'm not going to be upset by changes in water unless my house floods.

Some people are stressed by weighing, or have difficult emotional reactions to a scale weight.

If they want to intentionally manage weight (gain, lose or maintain), that will be hard without some kind of metric. But clothes fit, tape measure, even progress photos can serve the purpose. Yes, they're less precise than body weight in some ways, but they can work.

If the scale is a freak-out, don't get one. It can work.

Or, get one that automatically transmit weight to the cloud. One needn't look, until ready, and then it may be possible to see the trend not just the individual data point.

People in between (emotionally) may be able to habituate themselves to weighing daily, not feel as stressed as they get more accustomed to seeing it and understanding how their weight behaves. That could be good.

Like so many things, individual decision.

nolongergordo

Honestly, depending on your goal it maybe helpful.

If your goal is to lose weight then the answer is obvious. But, of you want to replace the fat with some muscle in a body recomposition effort then you may be better off using a measuring tape and having a good look in the mirror.

Wynterbourne

Food scale? Absolutely, without a doubt. Scale for a person's weight? Depends on the person.

rileysowner

That all depends on the individual. I find it beneficial, but numbers going up and down or staying the same for periods of time doesn't particularly bother me. The scale is only one way I measure progress, and now that I am down to the last 20 pounds to lose, it is a less important one than whether my clothing is getting looser, how I am looking in the mirror, or for me the most important is how well I am adhering to my eating goals. If a person get de-motivated by the weight the scale gives them, having one at home might not be the best. You decide for you.

elisa123gal

I truly know that if i weighed myself everyday... i would have never regained my losses over the years. Yet, I can't take the emotinal ups and downs while i'm losing. I use clothes as a way to determine if I'm losing. After i reach my goal.. i will weigh myself weekly .. so i know when to cap the madness.

Melwillbehealthy

I find it both encouraging and discouraging. However, one thing I noticed about my very fit, athletic , older brother is that he steps on the scale every day he’s home. He’s never had a weight problem. Both of our parents were overweight and I am. I’m copying my brother’s behaviour. It’s working.

NotGvnUp_EJ

I think it depends on where you're at in reaching your goals. Lots of weight to lose it could be more motivating cause the lbs may drop easier at first. Little weight to lose it could, for some, be more stressful and discouraging.

Then too it depends on the person's personality and tendencies.

I only like the scale when l, first, can feel that I may have lost some, then to see the number has actually dropped keeps me going for awhile.

_John_

I have an impedance scale that I step on every day. Data is data.

threewins

Some people are afraid of the bathroom scale, I don't envy those people, if they want to lose or maintain weight. I guess one solution is to get a bathroom scale without a display. Yes, these scales exist. Hopefully they use it daily and can chat with a bot which tells them in a vague way how they're doing.

I have been using measuring tape for a long time, maybe 2 years. Multiple measurements, daily. Do people get scared of measuring themselves?

Weeniemom2

I am debating if I should purchase a new scale. In October I went to the doctor after having not been for 10+ years. High blood pressure caused an issue with my macula in my eye and my eye doctor said I needed to go to MD. Anyway they always weigh you and I was 350! Decided that if I was going to get somewhat healthy need to lose weight. My home scale does not go that high. so until I get under 300 it gives me an "E". It would be nice to see if any progress is being made so I may purchase a new scale.

xbowhunter

I lost the weight before and gained it back! Why? Because I wanst monitoring it and it got away from me.

I am down to my goal weight again and weigh in daily. This time I will catch it and react accordingly.

Theoldguy1

Yes, what gets measured gets managed.

paperpudding

threewins wrote: »

Some people are afraid of the bathroom scale, I don't envy those people, if they want to lose or maintain weight. I guess one solution is to get a bathroom scale without a display. Yes, these scales exist. Hopefully they use it daily and can chat with a bot which tells them in a vague way how they're doing.

I have been using measuring tape for a long time, maybe 2 years. Multiple measurements, daily. Do people get scared of measuring themselves?

No, not scared. But also not obsessed.

I only weighed in weekly - I could probably do that without having my own scale (the original question) - use one at work or at somebody else's house for example

Multiple measurements every day, either with a tape or a scale, seems OTT to me.

Retroguy2000

Absolutely.

However, you cannot let daily weigh-ins affect your life the way I see it with some people here. "All I had different yesterday was this one little snack and I'm two pounds heavier today, how long will it take to burn all this fat off? I'm so distraught, I don't think I can do this."

I weigh weekly, and I'm well aware that the snapshot is not necessarily representative due to water weight etc.

Corina1143

"Absolutely.

However, you cannot let daily weigh-ins affect your life the way I see it with some people here. "All I had different yesterday was this one little snack and I'm two pounds heavier today, how long will it take to burn all this fat off? I'm so distraught, I don't think I can do this."

I weigh weekly, and I'm well aware that the snapshot is not necessarily representative due to water weight etc."

Most people vary a pound or two. I'm a big girl, and I can easily vary 3 or 4 pounds a day. What really convinced me daily variation means nothing was: I took a shower, washed my hair, no towel, just underwear. Weighed. Dried my hair. Weighed again. 5 pounds down. Anything and everything affects your momentary weight. Better to write it daily, but read it only occassionally, (weekly?) on a weight averaging app.

Unknown

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gwmjaz

I lost my excess weight before the pandemic. Went to gym regularly and got into pretty good shape and felt healthy. However I did become obsessed with counting calories and macros and also weighing myself daily, sometimes more than once a day. I almost felt like I was developing an eating disorder.
Then during the stress and inactivity of the pandemic I gained the weight back plus extra weight.
I am now logging my food, watching calories and macros again, but I gave away my scale. I won't let myself become that obsessed again. I can tell as my clothes get looser that I'm making progress. I just don't want to make myself crazy over this. Slowly and surely I will arrive where I want to be.

NotGvnUp_EJ

If it causes you stress or triggers some sort of anxiety it's not worth it in my opinion. I'd find another way, like fitting into a pair of smaller jeans as a way to monitor weight and for motivation.

AnnPT77

paperpudding wrote: »

threewins wrote: »

Some people are afraid of the bathroom scale, I don't envy those people, if they want to lose or maintain weight. I guess one solution is to get a bathroom scale without a display. Yes, these scales exist. Hopefully they use it daily and can chat with a bot which tells them in a vague way how they're doing.

I have been using measuring tape for a long time, maybe 2 years. Multiple measurements, daily. Do people get scared of measuring themselves?

No, not scared. But also not obsessed.

I only weighed in weekly - I could probably do that without having my own scale (the original question) - use one at work or at somebody else's house for example

Multiple measurements every day, either with a tape or a scale, seems OTT to me.

Multiple weigh-ins per day isn't necessarily excessive. The "why" matters, as does the psychological state a person brings to the act.

If I want to check hot-weather workout hydration strategies, I'm going to weigh before and after the exercise. It's a useful thing to do occasionally if a person regularly does intense, sweaty workouts. Those weigh-ins will be in addition to my regular morning weigh-in that goes into my weight trending app.

Nothing about that is anxiety-provoking, obsessive, or stressful. It's just the collection of useful data, for me. For some other people, it could be obsessive, anxiety-provoking, or stressful - that's the psychological state a person brings to it at the time.

I'm not saying other people need to weigh on any particular frequency. I do think other people ought to keep an open mind about what I do, and why, too - thus by implication keep an open mind about what might be the best approach for some 3rd party.

mq92hyqbvh

For me it is very helpful. I understand I might fluctuate 2-3 pounds from salt and water, etc but it provides me with accountability. If my daily trend starts going up I know I need to make changes. If my lowest lows get lower I get excited. It motivates me to keep trying.

Melwillbehealthy

Yes, I like the data, and find it interesting. I often swim for an hour. I drink water before I swim. Then, I weigh myself after my swim. I usually weigh a pound less than before. I lose a pound or more while swimming . It’s so strange! I figure I become somewhat dehydrated while swimming. I try to drink a lot of water after my swim to rehydrate.

KL1887

A food scale is a yes, for ensuring consistency and accuracy.

Body weight scales are a maybe, depends on what type of person you are, if you’re inclined to become obsessive or quickly dissuaded by the number going the opposite way to what you want then no.

paperpudding

If I want to check hot-weather workout hydration strategies, I'm going to weigh before and after the exercise. It's a useful thing to do occasionally if a person regularly does intense, sweaty workouts. Those weigh-ins will be in addition to my regular morning weigh-in that goes into my weight trending app.

Sure. Occasionally being the key word.

Or even for a short period of time to ascertain something specific - like difference between morning and evening weight, I dont know.

But not doing so multiple times per day long term on an ongoing basis.

TotallyJustin

How are you meant to get objective metrics about your progress without weighing yourself? How you look or feel doesn't indicate your weight. I use this scale which automatically records my weight to my phone as well as 12 other categories which have been a useful indicator of my progress.

SafariGalNYC

I weigh myself once a day. It’s like brushing my teeth.. I just hop on in the morning and see where my weight is at. It always fluctuates.. but I want to make sure it’s never on an upward trend.

Food scales in my kitchen help me with calories per portion sizes.