Stop treating yourself like a fish! ;)

GalaxyDuck

To demonstrate my point, check out the last few progress pics in this post:
http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

It does a pretty good job at getting the point across that a lighter weight doesn't always mean a better body.

engineman312

someone opened up a can of crazy on MFP early today,

LiL_MisS_C

someone opened up a can of crazy on MFP early today,

Haha, how so?

bbbbb33333

I partially agree. If you are weighing yourself every day, you are not getting any useful information and driving yourself crazy needlessly. Your body will flutuate based on food eat, water, etc. However, you need something objective to monitor trend long term to see if you are succeeding and to give you positive feedback. I weigh every week or two using the same scale at the same time of day, before lunch.

The clothes test is not really a fine enough measure to be useful. OK, when I can barely breath in my pants I know I need to start counting calories again, but by then it is much too late. I have already put on 30 lbs. By the same token, it may be 15-20 lbs before I notice my clothes are hanging on me and I have to buy new ones or my pants will be falling off. I will have missed out on all the tiny motivations or tiny warnings along the way that accompany weight change.

Also, many clothes manufacturers have drasticly different definitions of the same size. I think it is even worse for women (what do these made up women size numbers mean anyway??? Is there any relation to a tape measure???). So one outfit get snug and you push it to the back of the closet and wear one that is more comfortable. You keep lying to yourself to make yourself feel good (everyone does it). You need something objective (i.e., scale) to keep you honest. Just take the number with a grain of salt. Don't go crazy it you actually gain a pound or two when you expected to lose. It will likely show up in the next weigh in (if you really are doing as well as you think you are). Look at long term trends. I know it is hard to do in our quick fix society.

engineman312

someone opened up a can of crazy on MFP early today,

Haha, how so?

not that you are crazy. just, threads like this, have a way of getting away from everyone.

kevinatch

I'm in ... scales been bouncing up and down for a couple of weeks anyway!

vim_n_vigor

The scale is only one of the tools available to measure your progress. 1 pound or a couple of ounces don't really mean a whole lot. 1 pound loss with inches lost or 1 pound gain with inches lost tell a different story. Now, once you get to 10, 20 pounds, that is really meaningful. That isn't just showing fluctuations in your weight.

rachel5576

I agree. Even measuring tape can be inaccurate if you are bloated,just ate, or dont put it in the same place everytime. I do the finger test. I push on my stomach and measure that way. If it gets to squishy its time to work harder. hehe Unfortunately...its time to work harder

BIG_Lew

Agreed

Lizzy_Sunflower

There is a lot of scientific research that shows weighing daily will help you keep lost weight off in the long term. It allows you to get a handle on weigh gain earlier, so that 1 lb doesn't turn into 10 before you know what happened.

The key is to not become obsessive. A perspective shift is essential. We should all look at the scale as one of many tools we use to measure our progress. The number we see when we weigh is not "good" or "bad" it is just a reference point.

Fluctuations happen, it is important to remember the big picture. Don't get frustrated if you gain an ounce or a lb in a week, just use that number to help you remember to make better choices at your next meal.

Your highest weight this week is most likely lower than your lowest weight a month ago.

Most importantly, do what works for You. Everyone is different

:flowerforyou:

BIG_Lew

It cannot talk yet it speaks to you. Some days it makes you giddy with delight. Other days it puts you into a deep depression. It judges you on a superficial level. The thought of it is enough to worry even the most optimistic person. What am I talking about? The notorious bathroom scale. What is with this obsession we have with the scale? For most people, the scale can be an adversary or an ally, depending on the day. We often hate what it says or argue with it, but we still feel the desire to use it. When used properly and taken for what it is, it can actually be a very useful tool for weight management. But for many, the scale does more than measure the total weight of all your various parts. It somehow defines who you are as a person. And sadly, it can determine your own self-worth. We read way too much into this single-purposed tool. Here are four signs that you might put too much weight on weighing in: 1. You constantly worry about weighing in. When you're trying to lose weight, it's normal to experience some hesitation when it's time for your weekly weigh in. After all, you want to see the numbers go down as confirmation that all of your hard work has paid off. We all want to be rewarded for our efforts, and it can be discouraging when you have done everything right and things still don’t pan out. However, if you find yourself preoccupied with worrisome thoughts of what the scale is going to say tomorrow or the next day, then you might be a little too obsessed with the scale. 2. You weigh in more than once per day. SparkPeople recommends weighing in once a week (or even less). Ever wonder why it's not a good idea to do it more often? Your body weight can and will fluctuate from day to day, and change throughout a single day, too. There is no sense in putting yourself on that roller coaster of ups and downs. In the war on weight, if you become so concerned that you weigh yourself daily or several times a day, you are fighting a losing battle and you will be discouraged. If you feel like you can't control yourself or stop yourself from weighing in each day, then you could be headed for trouble. 3. You can recite your weight to the nearest fraction at all times. This is a sure sign that you are relying too heavily on the scale. Anyone who can tell you not only how much she weighs each day, but measures her weight loss to the nearest quarter of a pound is probably weighing in too often. There is nothing wrong with wanting to see a lower number on the scale, even if it's a quarter pound lower, but remember that weighing in is more about trends (an average decrease or consistency in weight over time). 4. The scale determines how you feel about yourself for the day. When the number is down, you step off the scale singing and have a jump in your step all day. When the number goes up (or stays the same when you expected a loss), you feel like Charlie Brown walking around with a rain cloud above your head. To me, this is the saddest situation of all—to let the scale dictate how you should feel. How would you feel about yourself if you hadn't weighed in that day? What other ways would you determine your self-worth if weight didn't exist? If one (or all) of these situations sound familiar to you, it's time to step away from the scale. Go cold turkey. Or at the very least, weigh in less often. But what's a "compulsive weigher" to do? Instead letting the scale alone determine whether you're a success or failure, use more reliable measures to determine your progress. My philosophy is that weight loss is not a goal, but the result of healthy habits like a better diet and regular exercise. When you do step on the scale and don't see the reading you had hoped for, ask yourself these questions: Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? Am I making healthy food choices most of the time? Am I exercising consistently? If you are, then rust that your body is making positive changes, and the results will come. If you are not, then resolve to be consistent in healthy behaviors to see the results you want. Weighing yourself is definitely helpful and it has its place. Just make sure you don’t go overboard and give too much credence to this one measurement! After all, other measures (like how much energy you have, how much easier it is to climb a flight of stairs, or how well your clothes fit) might not be as precise or scientific, but they're sure to make you feel happier and more successful than a scale ever can. *Woman's Day*

kcmg0730

I am committed to weighing in once a month instead of weekly. I was tending to 'eat for the scale', so binging/starving depending on when my weigh in was. I am now tracking religiously and exercising instead of worrying about the number. My portions are getting more realistic, I am eating healthy, and no more binging/starving...if I go over my calorie count on an odd day, I don't starve the next so that my weigh in will be successful...I just do a bit more exercise. So, not weighing in constantly is working for me and my mindset.

live2dream

why does a fish belong on a scale??

cjjones007

Actually I rarely get on the scale now, I use the clothing and how I feel as a gage... I still check every so often to update here, but I've finally broken the cycle of weighing constantly... It has been SOOO helpful...

And Live - Fishscales

Kristhin

I don't agree that this would work for me personally...size/weight changes are made slowly over time I wouldn't think I'd lost this much weight if I hadn't seen it on a scale. And I think not knowing I was gaining or losing would make me prone to thinking I could overeat.

KevDaniel

Nah me and the scale are buddies. Helps me keep track and quite frankly it tells me the truth no matter how brutal.

sleepytexan

Ya my scale is very cold, rude and disrespectful. It hasn't moved in the last 3 months except it actually had the gall to go UP by 4 lbs. two days after I rode 100 miles with a 3500 ft. climb (burned over 4000 calories that day--do we really think I ate 15,000 more calories than that?). Now, nearly 2 weeks later it has settled back at only 1 net pound up from my weight pre-ride. harumph.

I like my tape measure much better -- it is warm and supple, hugs me tight in all the right places, and month after month, it gives me the smaller numbers I want.

Brittshae

I think this is something that people say when they don't have a whole lot of weight to lose. Personally, I want my numbers to look better. My weight is one of those numbers. I am not obsessed with the scale, but that is the only way to determine how much I have lost. Sure you can tell by the way your clothes fit, but let's be honest, I want to be able to say, "Yes, I lost 70 lbs!" I can't say that if I don't get on the scale.

kassandra81

At one time I was obsessed with my scale. This was years ago before my wedding. I actually had to hand my scale over to my mom to hide it on me. I was not only weighing myself every day, but a few times a day. My day revolved around the scale. It wasn't good.

My relationship with my scale now, is much healthier. I usually weigh myself every few days to a week. Always on Sunday's though cause I report to my nutritionist and trainer on my progress that day. I like ALL aspects telling me that my progress is going the way I want it to. The fit of my clothes, my energy when running around with my daughter, and yes - the number on the scale.

I've stayed the same weight, I've lost, and I've gained - but I take it all in stride. It is what it is. I do my best, but I do live.

KcFitCoach

ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH BELOW!!! That is true for me, anyway.

I see a lot of talk about depression, obsession, etc. - IF you are that affected by the scale then by all means you do what works for you. For me, it is an accountability issue....and because I weigh daily I absolutely understand that hormones, salt intake, etc. impact the scale. The scale does not freak me out...but, it does tell me that if I start adding pounds that are not bouncing back I need to reign it in!

Scale keeps my maintenance in check! One of many reference points (along with clothes' fit, bodyfat % checks, muscle tone appearance, etc.)

There is a lot of scientific research that shows weighing daily will help you keep lost weight off in the long term. It allows you to get a handle on weigh gain earlier, so that 1 lb doesn't turn into 10 before you know what happened.

The key is to not become obsessive. A perspective shift is essential. We should all look at the scale as one of many tools we use to measure our progress. The number we see when we weigh is not "good" or "bad" it is just a reference point.

Fluctuations happen, it is important to remember the big picture. Don't get frustrated if you gain an ounce or a lb in a week, just use that number to help you remember to make better choices at your next meal.

Your highest weight this week is most likely lower than your lowest weight a month ago.

Most importantly, do what works for You. Everyone is different

:flowerforyou: