No responses the first time :(

shelbymkoenig

So I've been having scale drama and I think I'm just going to give it up for a while. My normal bathroom scale gives me a different reading every time I'm on it, by 10lbs in either direction. When I got on the digital scale at my doctor's yesterday it said I weighed 20lbs more than what mine at home averages around. I've been using MFP for more than 6 months. I've been under my calories slightly every week. There is no way that in 6 months I've only lost 20lbs instead of the 40 something my home scale tells me. Anyway, I'm just frustrated and was wondering if people here still have success after giving up the scale. I'm maid of honor in my best friend's wedding in December and I'd really like to look my best by then. I'm just being a spaz I guess

For this community supposedly being built on support I'm going it alone at my home already, I'm just looking for a little encouragement and advice.

angiewf

If you're having trouble with scales, try measuring instead. If you're sticking to your calories/exercise you should be losing. Is there a scale you could use at a pharmacy or gym near you? They should be accurate, but don't take notice of the actual number, just if it goes down! Home scales can vary according to the surface they're on, carpet isn't good, a smooth flat surface is best. Also, have you checked the batteries? Good luck with your weight loss journey, keep going and you'll look gorgeous at the wedding!

jillsjourney

I would say to get a new digital scale. I bought one on Amazon for about $30 and it reads the same every time. An accurate scale is vital.

paulyoung1703

Thing is, how do you look?

The weight thing is just a number. Keep going, log accurately, exercise, and it will happen.

Jesysca

Don't worry, just do some exercises more. keep your body moving and eat less than before. That's the key. Good luck!!

Aparz1

What scale did you start with when you first joined and logged your weight? If it was the one at home I would think you prob still lost the 40lbs but many it was reading too light from the beginning... Doesn't sound like a reliable scale. If you went to the docs in the beginning and now it's only reading 20lbs. I think that's prob what the loss amount would be then. Just focus on the activity and eating and the results will be there.

BeckysMama

I gave up weighing myself as the scales never seemed to move even though i was being good and staying slightly below my calories, and exercising too. I used a tape measure instead and was glad to see i had lost 41/2" from my waist. So now I just stick to measuring. maybe you should try it too?

Deipneus

I use a scale but I know of people who don't and have been wildly successful at losing weight and getting fit. As angiewf said above, try measuring instead of weighing. That will be a better reflection of your success anyway.

pinktoesjb

By 10lbs????? Get a new scale! Also try to weigh at the same time of day when you can and on the same set of scales as they will differ. I tend to change by up to a kilo from day to day and if I weigh in at my friend's house it's always about 4-5kg up on what my ones say at home.

I struggle with it too (especially when I work hard and see no differenece it's no disheartening) initially I would suggest a month of sticking to your calorie targets and taking measurements and not stepping on the scale at all. I gave up the scales for lent last year lol because I was becoming too attached to that number every morning.


Feel free to add me if you wish, we can have a spaz together :-)

neandermagnon

you've lost 40lb, if your scale really is out by 20lb, then it was out by 20lb at the start, and you started 20lb heavier than you thought.... so you still lost 40lb

in any case, don't focus so much on the scale, focus more on how you look and feel and how your clothes fit. Even with an accurate scale you get day to day weight fluctuations, mostly from water, that can really mess with your head.... if you're consistently losing inches, and after a while needing to go out and buy smaller clothes, then that's fat loss and success, no matter what the scale says.

ct320

I woldnt worry too much if you feel you are still going in the right direction. Also if you want to leave the scales for a while I find I'm a lot happier sometimes by that tight pair of jeans suddenly fitting nicely then maybe even getting too big

different scales will give different results but if yours at home have been continually going down to make the 40lb loss you probably have lost that much and you would have weighed heavier from the start on the docs scales if you see what i mean- but 10lbs is quite a big differende too so might be best investing in a new set x

2manyhats

I use a scale BUT have seen the results of my exercise much better through measurement. I have not lost hardly anything in pounds for 2 months but I have gone done two pant sizes. So as long as I have results somewhere, then I am good..

ct320

I woldnt worry too much if you feel you are still going in the right direction. Also if you want to leave the scales for a while I find I'm a lot happier sometimes by that tight pair of jeans suddenly fitting nicely then maybe even getting too big

different scales will give different results but if yours at home have been continually going down to make the 40lb loss you probably have lost that much and you would have weighed heavier from the start on the docs scales if you see what i mean- but 10lbs is quite a big differende too so might be best investing in a new set x

trogalicious

you've lost 40lb, if your scale really is out by 20lb, then it was out by 20lb at the start, and you started 20lb heavier than you thought.... so you still lost 40lb

in any case, don't focus so much on the scale, focus more on how you look and feel and how your clothes fit. Even with an accurate scale you get day to day weight fluctuations, mostly from water, that can really mess with your head.... if you're consistently losing inches, and after a while needing to go out and buy smaller clothes, then that's fat loss and success, no matter what the scale says.

exactly this.

if you're still going to use a scale, pick one scale.. only use that for your own comparisons. My weight is different on the scale at my Dr, versus at home.

Pugwash4x4

Are you weighing yourself in the same way? I way myself every Friday morning, before breakfast and having been tot he bathroom.

Take 3 readings over 2 minutes and average them

Test your scales with a known weight- ie a 5kg dumbbell and see if its accurate.

Don't worry about what you ACTUALLY weigh, be pleased with the change- scales are notoriously variable, so use the same set, and ignore any others

buffywhitney

Not sure where you can get one now but I bought a Health-O-Meter the tall one with sliding weights like they use at the Dr. office at K's Merchandise over 25 years ago and it is as accurate as you can get. Well worth the investment and I'm sure it will last me my lifetime. You will never have to guess again!

MinimalistShoeAddict

So I've been having scale drama and I think I'm just going to give it up for a while. My normal bathroom scale gives me a different reading every time I'm on it, by 10lbs in either direction. When I got on the digital scale at my doctor's yesterday it said I weighed 20lbs more than what mine at home averages around. I've been using MFP for more than 6 months. I've been under my calories slightly every week. There is no way that in 6 months I've only lost 20lbs instead of the 40 something my home scale tells me. Anyway, I'm just frustrated and was wondering if people here still have success after giving up the scale. I'm maid of honor in my best friend's wedding in December and I'd really like to look my best by then. I'm just being a spaz I guess

For this community supposedly being built on support I'm going it alone at my home already, I'm just looking for a little encouragement and advice.

Personally I like numbers and appreciate brutal honesty. If you dont like your weight to fluctuate by so much every day you can use my method:

1. Weigh yourself every morning when you first wake up before eating/drinking
2. Record the number but don't stress out about it
3. Use the number to calculate your 7 day rolling average weight (this will create a trend line and will smooth out most of your daily fluctuations)
4. Repeat daily

If you don't want to weigh yourself because it is too stressful, then I like the food scale idea someone suggested above.

Another idea is just not to worry about it so much. Weight loss is not a race and clearly you are doing a lot of things right based on your progress pics. You are losing weight and improving your health. Great work! The speed at which you achieve your goal is not as important as the fact that you are moving in the right direction

Miffylou

If you're not happy with the numbers. I'm sure there are so many other positives that you have achieved during with your weight loss.

Do you feel fitter?
Do you feel healthier?
Have you dropped in clothes size?
Do you feel stronger?
How do you feel when you exercise?
Do you get as puffed as you used too?


There are many more questions you could ask yourself.

StellarPsyche

OK, I have that issue too. It may be you're gaining muscle faster than you're losing fat. I've had instances where I've worked out all day, then the scale says I gained. I measure, I've lost... a lot. Factor in muscle, it saves on stress. Also, water weight. If you don't drink enough, you gain water weight.

VanillaBeanSeed

Totally agree with taking your measurements! Ive lost no weight before, but went down in pant sizes!

Also a few questions:

Have you been lifting weights? Maybe you have gained muscle!
Do you measure/weigh your food? Maybe you are under estimating what you are actually eating. =(
Do you use a heart rate monitor for calorie burn? Other wise you may be over estimating that!

All else falses, ask for a fancy new scale for christmas!


Good luck!

maryann9wood

The scale I weigh on at the gym is sometimes messed up - I'll get on and be 20 pounds less than the week before! Step off and back on, and 20 pounds up! LOL - wish I could pick the one I like! They fix it and I go back to 1 or 2 pounds lost per week...

shelbymkoenig

Thank you so much everyone. You've got me nearly tearing up over here. I suppose I was freaking out so much because my ultimate goal is to get to a healthy BMI, and I no longer have definite confidence on where I am on that goal track. I'm also a very science brained person so I do use the same scale and follow the same procedures, even down to placing my feet exactly the same way. I did buy a new scale but it wasn't any better than my current one and actually claimed I weighed more than even my doctor's scale. Initially my doctor's scale matched what mine at home said. Half of that spaz was probably my science brain exploding from inaccuracies, ha. Again, thank you all so much. This is exactly what I was hoping for.

bridgie101

So I've been having scale drama and I think I'm just going to give it up for a while. My normal bathroom scale gives me a different reading every time I'm on it, by 10lbs in either direction. When I got on the digital scale at my doctor's yesterday it said I weighed 20lbs more than what mine at home averages around. I've been using MFP for more than 6 months. I've been under my calories slightly every week. There is no way that in 6 months I've only lost 20lbs instead of the 40 something my home scale tells me. Anyway, I'm just frustrated and was wondering if people here still have success after giving up the scale. I'm maid of honor in my best friend's wedding in December and I'd really like to look my best by then. I'm just being a spaz I guess

For this community supposedly being built on support I'm going it alone at my home already, I'm just looking for a little encouragement and advice.

Buy a new pair of scales. And remember: if your first set of scales started at x and is now saying you're at x-40, that's probably true.

What might be scary is that it was weighing you 20lb lighter than the doctor's scales.

PS: doctors scales always weigh you heavy. You're clothed, you've eaten, it's not early morning and you haven't just gone for a wee.

chin up. I'm sure it'll be fine.

trogalicious

You could always keep a known weight nearby, too.. if need be. Like, get a 5lb dumbbell. Leave it near the scale. Before you step on, put the weight on the scale... if it comes up 5lb, you're good.

jessannprice

A scale at the Doctor's office is used all day, everyday. I wonder when the last time they calibrated it was??

Get a new digital scale for your home and start using it.

But.... TAKE MEASUREMENTS!! I would have given up long ago if I didn't see my measurements going down while the scale was stuck.

Even if your weight is off from what you thought.. that's no reason to give up. You've made progress. Just keep moving forward.

Holly_Roman_Empire

So I've been having scale drama and I think I'm just going to give it up for a while. My normal bathroom scale gives me a different reading every time I'm on it, by 10lbs in either direction. When I got on the digital scale at my doctor's yesterday it said I weighed 20lbs more than what mine at home averages around. I've been using MFP for more than 6 months. I've been under my calories slightly every week. There is no way that in 6 months I've only lost 20lbs instead of the 40 something my home scale tells me. Anyway, I'm just frustrated and was wondering if people here still have success after giving up the scale. I'm maid of honor in my best friend's wedding in December and I'd really like to look my best by then. I'm just being a spaz I guess

For this community supposedly being built on support I'm going it alone at my home already, I'm just looking for a little encouragement and advice.

Without weighing myself, I find myself more happy. I take measurements, make fitness goals, and I am elated when I meet them. Getting fit is not just about losing weight and having a better appearance. It's also about getting healthier and stronger. If you look at it that way, you're less likely to be disappointed and give up.

SToast

Sadly every scale weighs differently depending on the scale type and the ground it is sitting on. I can move my scale around the house to five different locations and get 5 different readings. However, if I weight in the same place 5 times, the scale is the same every time.

Like others have said. Don't get too hung up on the scale. It's inches that matter. I got to a point where I wasn't loosing any on the scale BUT I knew, just by looking at my thighs, that they were thinner. I was shaving my legs in the shower and thought "wow where is the rest of them?" The scale wasn't showing results but I had turned that corner from just losing fat to also building muscle. Oh and next time you go to the Dr. ask if they will do a BMI for you. That might be more helpful.

sloth3toes

PS: doctors scales always weigh you heavy. You're clothed, you've eaten, it's not early morning and you haven't just gone for a wee.

The DR's office scales are evil. Avoid them at all cost. Everything is against you, when you step on those scales.

jetinder

For me, the scale is my friend. I started with a pair of old analogue scales that did as yours, fluctuated wildly. In fact to start with, they didn't even measure to the weight I was.

I invested in a decent digital scale costing about £35 and haven't looked back. It measures your body fat, muscle mass, water content and anything else that it feels like. Like yourself, I'm analytical, so I have personally chosen to track my weight every single day (apart from when on vacation) and store it all in a spreadsheet. I usually see losses of between 0 and 1 kg in a 24 hr period. For me, that helps me understand what foods/activities work well together or not.

For example, I found that drinking coffee made me lose less weight over a 2 week period. A week after I went back to tea, things started moving again.

Some days I will gain weight, but my muscle percentage or water content will go up I.e better. So here, the scale helps make me feel positive.

missomgitsica

First of all, doctors don't weigh you naked or first thing in the morning. So you always weigh more at the doctor's office than you actually do. And your weight fluctuates daily because of water and lots of other things so don't get too hung up on what you saw at the doc's office.

But the best advice is to NOT use just the scale to measure your progress! There are so many factors that affect your weight--water, muscle gain, muscle soreness, menstrual cycle, how you stand on it . . . it's so touchy. You definitely need to start taking your measurements every couple weeks. I know that if I gain a pound on the scale but lose an inch on my waist, I'm going to feel like a success.

And don't weight yourself every day. That's going to be nothing but discouraging.

rachael1805

Thank you so much everyone. You've got me nearly tearing up over here. I suppose I was freaking out so much because my ultimate goal is to get to a healthy BMI, and I no longer have definite confidence on where I am on that goal track. I'm also a very science brained person so I do use the same scale and follow the same procedures, even down to placing my feet exactly the same way. I did buy a new scale but it wasn't any better than my current one and actually claimed I weighed more than even my doctor's scale. Initially my doctor's scale matched what mine at home said. Half of that spaz was probably my science brain exploding from inaccuracies, ha. Again, thank you all so much. This is exactly what I was hoping for.

I'm with you- I need the numbers, every day. Others don't. So, buy a new scale and ONLY weigh on that scale. Or just go with the new one you have and try to get your head around the numbers, which I know is easier said than done!! Weighing at the gym, the drs and at home does my head in and leaves me deflated- even if it is only a small fluctuation.
And at the end of the day, think about how your clothes fit and how you feel to know if you are going in the right direction. Good luck