Anyone else not own a scale?

tgraves9875
tgraves9875 Posts: 16 Member
in Getting Started
I have been watching my weight for as long as I can remember, eating fairly healthy and stepping on the scale EVERY SINGLE DAY. I remember being so scared on vacation, for example, if I did not have access to a scale for a week. About a year ago,( during a potentially hormonal moment;) I buried my scale in the trash. Miraculously my pants still fit!

Although, I have been doing great without my little morning bathroom judge, I am tempted to get another one now that I am seriously recording my input #'s in to this process. I acctually don't even know what I weigh right now within 10 lbs. or so, I just estimated on my profile.

I seriously doubt if I do decide to get one I'd be able to use it only weekly. Any thoughts?

Replies

  • kjurassic
    kjurassic Posts: 571 Member
    I don't own one. I weigh maybe once every month or two. (I've lost about 60 lbs since last October. Between doctor visits and the local grocery store having a fine scale - I can weigh more frequently, just choose not to since this is my lifestyle now - not a diet. I don't want the scale to dictate or "sabatoge" the lifestyle. Seems to be working for me. You can always tell if you're gaining/losing by measuring and/or the way your clothes are fitting.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    It really depends on psychologically how you'll handle it. That data is useful to have but if obsessive can cause problems. I'm a daily weigher I weigh every day log the amount in a spreadsheet then get on with life. The daily fluctuations really don't worry me as I'm concentrating on the overall trend. If though your going to panic every time the scale moves up a pound (remember your weight could vary up to 5 pounds in a day) maybe owning a scale could be bad for you. I know of many people who just weight monthly at the Doctors or a pharmacist or even a friends house. you really just need to think about what will work best for you and what you will do with the information once you get it.
  • SlimSharonSlim
    SlimSharonSlim Posts: 85 Member
    Just bought one........and so glad I did......YOU NEED ONE LADIES :)
  • IcanIwill1
    IcanIwill1 Posts: 137 Member
    Just bought one........and so glad I did......YOU NEED ONE LADIES :)
    I totally agree.
    How else will I know if what I may consider a blip is just the thin edge of the knife called "regaining"
  • brynnsmom
    brynnsmom Posts: 945 Member
    We don't have one in our house. I have access to a scale at work and weight myself maybe every 2-4 weeks. I usually know what the number is going to be even before stepping on it, but it's good to periodically check in. Most of my clothes are tailored and well fitting, so if I'm gaining I know it.
  • EvelineUK
    EvelineUK Posts: 97
    You really don't. You can measure yourself once a week and do occasional weigh-ins at the doctor's or friends if you're that worried. For a lot of people, daily (and sometimes twice- or more daily) can become obsessive, which doesn't help at all.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    I weigh myself daily, only to see the daily fluctuations and to see my average for the week. If you think you can handle that without being obsessed with the number, it's fine to weigh every day. If you want to get one again, a good digital drug store model will do the trick.
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
    Well--my problem with the scale started many years ago. I had one but refused to step on it. I was so bad that even when I went to the doctors office I would tell the nurse not to tell me how much I weighed, but my doctor made sure I did.

    So basically because of my refusal to get on it---I let 25 pounds sneak up on me.

    A scale is a must to have--that's the only way you can determine your BMI, and it's definitely the only way you can chart your progress on this site--(MFP)
  • california_haley
    california_haley Posts: 220 Member
    Sometimes i wish i didnt own one. however i havent weighed myself at home in the past 9 months, just at my prenatal check ups
  • MscGray
    MscGray Posts: 304 Member
    I don't....i probably should, but so far I have been having ok to good results, so I'm gonna keep on trucking until I stall out....when that happens I will likely tighten down and weigh over measure food...I tend to eyeball stuff, and I tend to air on the side of caution and estimate a little higher then actually consumed to help offset errors....like I said, so far so good!
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
    I don't....i probably should, but so far I have been having ok to good results, so I'm gonna keep on trucking until I stall out....when that happens I will likely tighten down and weigh over measure food...I tend to eyeball stuff, and I tend to air on the side of caution and estimate a little higher then actually consumed to help offset errors....like I said, so far so good!


    How do you keep track of your progress on myfitnesspal if you're not weighing yourself? How were you able to determine the amount of calories you require on MFP without weighing yourself first?

    I know it's hard to look at the scale--but hey--you can't expect to actually know what you're doing without weighing yourself. Guesswork doesn't cut it.
  • Catlady87
    Catlady87 Posts: 302 Member
    I thought you meant kitchen scale initially. Gotta have one of those
  • MscGray
    MscGray Posts: 304 Member
    bwah hahahah...i'm so dumb! I really should start reading things better...i thought you meant a food scale!
    not the "body" scale! :blushing:
    I do in fact have one of those....it is hard not to get obsessive with its use. I generally do step on it once a day, but I try not to get worked up over the numbers because I realize that I have a huge swing (between 5-9 lbs) through out the day. Someone lse on here once told me that its nice to keep yourself accountable, and have some verification that your doing it right.....maybe take measurements instead of weighing? You will be less likely to see fluctuations, and keep the faith a little better.


    *edited because it is now clear to me that I should just shut up, its gonna be one of THOSE days*
  • KayBallin
    KayBallin Posts: 111 Member
    I don't own a scale. I weigh in at the gym. Honestly, I like it better that way. I can tell my weight loss is working by how loose my clothes fit now.
  • kdbnmd
    kdbnmd Posts: 16 Member
    I don't own a scale because I KNOW I would be weighing myself too frequently. There is a scale at my work so I hop on that a couple times a week which I think is too much. Even though I know about water weight and how my weight fluctuates daily because of that I still get a little disappointed if I'm up even a pound from a couple days before. SO I think not owning a scale is a good thing if you think you'd be obsessive about it.
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
    Well at least you're weighing yourself twice a week. The point is everyone needs to know where they're starting at before they can begin.

    While some people may get obsessive about weighing themselves several times a day, most people aren't like that. There are people like me that get on the scale first thing in the morning and leave it alone the rest of the day. Others only weigh themselves once a week--to check their progress.

    And then there are others that don't weight themselves at all, and it's those people that are shocked and horrified by how much they weight when they have to be weighed, (usually at the doctor's office.)

    So it's a great idea to have a scale at home. Don't stress--weigh yourself at least once a week--and shove it in the closet--where it's out of site out of mind--if you have too.
  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
    I just started less than a month ago, I input my last known weight from last time I was at the doctors office, which was about 7-8 months ago. Went to the doctor yesterday and got weighed. I expected more weightloss, even though a 3 lbs weightloss would be about 1.5 a week which is my goal, I feel like I've lost more than 3 pounds since I began on MFP, so I figure I must have gained from my last Dr. visit to the time I began on MFP and my SW was actually higher than my last known weight.

    I don't know and have to make assumptions and speculations, all because I don't have a working scale. I've been researching scales on Amazon, will probably make my decision soon

    edited to clarify my gibberish writing.
  • akscharaswak
    akscharaswak Posts: 8 Member
    I don't own a scale either. I have fairly regular checkups due to fluctuations in the meds I have to take, and I also am able to weigh myself at work once a week if I want to. I prefer to use my waist measurement as a tracker (or my pants). If I have to adjust my belt, I'm losing. There was a point last year where I could jump up and down and my pants would fall off, even when my belt was on and cinced as tight as it would go. That was the best day ever, and I totally went out that weekend and bought new pants a size smaller!
  • Janalynrenee18
    Janalynrenee18 Posts: 11 Member
    I used to but i dont now. I drove myself crazy with it. I try to use the one at the gym - the medical one- so that I weigh in once a week- maybe two weeks... otherwise i go by how my clothes fit ... :)
  • needabeachbod14
    needabeachbod14 Posts: 6
    I used to own a scale and would get so low evey time in crept up or even down by just a lb - moved into a new home, scales not included and going to weigh myself in 4 weeks and see how i have got on - i am measuring my body instead
  • tgraves9875
    tgraves9875 Posts: 16 Member
    Thanks. I think I'm going to foregoe it for now and just use the one at the in-laws here and there. I've noticed I feel really positive lately, eating "good" and exercising. I'd hate to bum myself out by stepping on the scale if it's not moving quick enough for me. I did weigh myself yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by a -5 lb. Thanks again!
  • cwoyto123
    cwoyto123 Posts: 308
    Why are you on myfitnesspal.com if you don't own a scale?
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Just bought one........and so glad I did......YOU NEED ONE LADIES :)
    I totally agree.
    How else will I know if what I may consider a blip is just the thin edge of the knife called "regaining"

    You can take photos of yourself in the mirror... same as for progress pics, just you compare them to check you're not gaining. Weight can fluctuate, but a muffin top where there didn't use to be a muffin top is a sure sign of fat gain. How your clothes fit is another way to tell, but you can with some kinds of clothes gain quite a lot of fat before you notice... but taking pics in the mirror e.g. on a monthly basis and comparing them can tell you if fat gain is happening. And a tape measure as well. Gaining inches around your waist is nearly always a sign of fat gain. Alternatively, you can get skinfold callipers like the accumeasure ones.

    While I think it's probably a bit OTT to throw scales in the bin (although I understand it if they're messing with someone's head that much) and scales are a good tool to use so long as it's put into the context of body composition and an understanding of day to day water weight fluctuations, it is certainly possible to assess progress while losing fat, and ensure you're not gaining weight without owning a scale. And if the OP finds it's messing with her head that much, then there are plenty of other ways she can be sure she's not gaining fat.
  • sun_fish
    sun_fish Posts: 864 Member
    Many years ago I got rid of my scale because I had an unhealthy obsession with it. I allowed it to tell me whether I should feel good about myself or bad. When it became mostly bad, on the advice of a therapist I was seeing, I got rid of it.

    Fast forward many years and many added pounds (which I gained due to overeating, not because I didn't have a scale), I decided to buy one. This was after I had been logging here for about a year, and had lost about 30 pounds (The first year I would only weigh when I went to the doctor). I am in a much better mental state now, and while my intention was to only weigh once a week, I tend to get on it daily. Now, rather than feeling bad if I see a weight gain, I simply see is as feedback. Maybe I had more sodium the day before and it's water weight. Maybe I haven't been sticking to my calorie deficit and it's weight gain. Maybe I lost weight in which case I log my loss here on MFP. Sometimes I even get on it after a large meal, just for amusement and to prove to myself that it isn't something to be feared.

    I also take pictures and measurements once a month.
  • needabeachbod14
    needabeachbod14 Posts: 6
    Why are you on myfitnesspal.com if you don't own a scale?

    To sustain a healthy lifestyle - just like you.

    Some of us go by how we feel rather than what we weigh - just like you I imagine - you know when you look good and when you don't - why feel good, step on a scale and relaise you have not lost any weight due to muscle gain for example but you are physically looking better and then feel shoddy instantly becuase of a scale.

    MFP also offers a great support network and keeps track of your calories alongst other great things

    Thats why! :)
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
    I seriously doubt if I do decide to get one I'd be able to use it only weekly. Any thoughts?

    I use mine daily. It only takes about 15 seconds--no big deal.

    You should have some consistent way to measure your progress. I track my weight, body fat %, and various tape measurements. The scale is a leading indicator--the first indicator of any change in my body. Before my girlfriend began weighing, she sometimes imagined she'd done well when she was off-track.

    It sounds like to you get obsessive about your scale.. In that case, I might consider checking if any local stores or friends have one you can use weekly or so. That would take more than the 15sec/day it takes for a daily reading, but would prevent you from making a big deal about it on a daily basis.

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