not sure if i should buy a scale...

ashleylynn39

I've been in recovery from anorexia for three years, so I need to take this into account....

three years ago I threw my bathroom scale away and said i'd never own one again because it was a trigger.. a few months ago I decided to buy one after joining MFP so I could track my weight.. i'm happy to report that it's not a trigger for me so that was a relief.. that I can use it "responsibly" (even though I probably still weigh too often).

anyway, to the current dilemma... I have been reading how people are using kitchen scales, having good results, and recommending them to other users... currently I use a guesstimating system using the size of my hand, measuring using measuring cups/teaspoons and tablespoons, and nutrition facts ... this has been (what I thought) working well for me... but now i'm wondering if i'm over or underestimating!!!!

Part of me REALLY wants to buy a kitchen scale, but I'm afraid it might trigger me to undereating/unhealthy weight loss...

I just want to get some user thoughts/opinions... I do plan to consult my therapist about this before buying one, but I find getting advice from peers can be very helpful...

so what are your thoughts? do you use a food scale? how is it working for you? do you find it a positive tool or cause you to spend more time concentrating on numbers/food/weight?

GallifreyanGirl396

I used to have a problem with not eating enough...or at all. Now that I'm trying to lose weight, it's difficult for me to make sure I don't fall back into that. I wake up and think, "Maybe I will have a cup of coffee for breakfast,a banana for lunch,and nothing else until dinner!" I like my food scale because I tend to overestimate what I'm eating. When I started weighing and measuring food, I found that I was logging 7oz and eating somewhere closer to 4 or logging a half of a cup of something when it was really only 1/3. I think part of this is because I feel so uncomfortable and out of sorts at my size because I was small for so long. I get really distressed by weight loss and have to constantly remind myself that unhealthy choices are how I made it to where I am now..and maybe the reason my body is so reluctant to let go of the weight I've gained. I do weigh and measure my food but ONLY to make sure I'm actually eating enough. I hope this helps.


ETA: I know my profile says I just joined but my ticker says I've already lost a fair amount of weight. I've actually been on MFP for about a year,but changed my account recently.

knra_grl

Think of it as a tool, it can be surprisingly helpful in determining the types of food I eat and how much of certain things. Sometimes when I look foods up in the data base, I opt for better choices.

You have been successful so far, if you think it will trigger a negative effect for you, then consider it carefully. You could buy a cheap one (thats all you really need anyway) and if you do find it's not a good thing for you, you can always just stick it in a drawer until a later date.

ashleylynn39

thanks!!! I like the idea of just using it as a tool.. about how much is a cheap one? I know rite aid sells them in the weight loss department... I think I might go check it out today

MyChocolateDiet

I don't have any experience with any eating disorders, as such I refrain from giving advice as I have no idea of how triggers work and whether this can turn into one.

I do however beleive I can offer some advice on how to get some more tailored answers.

I think I would make a new thread the references "kitchen scales" and "anorexia" specifically as I honestly mosied in here thinking it was a scale of weighing our body that was in question.

I think a more precise thread title will yield you more focused results from people with the kind of experience you need to hear from.

p.s. Did you try to use the search feature to find others with similar questions who might have recieved good answers?

oregonzoo

My advice is to purchase it if you think it will help accountability. BUT make sure you eat enough. If you nfind yourself misusing it...stop

Francl27

Well for me it's a no brainer, I was more worried about whether I was tracking correctly, if I was underestimating or overestimating what I was eating and not knowing made it worse. So having a kitchen scale made things much easier for me.

corgicake

Do what you feel makes sense for you. If you notice that you're constantly getting more loss than the numbers imply, maybe you do need to get a scale and/or measuring spoons. I need my spoons because I have no concept of what a tablespoon looks like and nine times out of ten if I see a tablespoon of something measured and poured out I realize it looks like what I called TWO of them on a previous log.

PikaKnight

Are you still working with a support team/group or/and with a counselor/therapist?