Any other non-pound watchers that do NOT own a scale?

essjay76

Anyone else out there? Please tell me I am not a freak. I know most people join this site because they want to lose pounds. I, on the other hand, want to get more fit (improve performance, lose body fat, get stronger). If I lose pounds and change the way my body is shaped, that's a bonus, but I am already pleased with how I look.

With that said, I don't own a scale. I haven't even had one in the house since I last lived with my parents as a young adult (I'm 35 now!) I never had any interest in owning a scale, nor do I plan on ever getting one. I just don't get how people weigh themselves everyday, sometimes more than once a day, and torture themselves, especially when weight fluctuates soooo much on a daily basis. It boggles my mind when people freak out over a 2 pound gain in a day. I just don't get it?

What I DO pay attention to is how my clothes fit, how I look in the mirror, and how pictures show the real story. Don't get me wrong, I do weigh myself every couple of weeks when I get access to a scale, as the number on the scale IS part of the overall picture. However it's not the whole story. Besides, real weight loss/fat loss can't be rushed (a fast loss = a fast gain!)


Anyone else? Or if you DO own a scale, want to liberate yourself and throw it out of your house? :-) LOL!

ChefSuzzieQ

I more concerned with fat loss and muscle gain than losing "weight". I want to see the weights I lift go up and my run times go down. I still weigh myself once a week though. I have a pretty decent scale though and it also tracks my fat %< MUSCLE %, hydration and BMI. I don't think anyone should weigh in more than once a week. It just makes people crazy.

Bobby_Clerici

I don't obsess over a scale, but we all need some way to track progress.
I use weight, bodyfat and various other body measurements.
A crucial ingredient to success and achievement is tracking progress objectively.
The man in the mirror lies to me:bigsmile:

Good Luck to you!

AllTehBeers

I don't own a scale either. Sometimes I think about getting one because I have a very long way to go and I don't see results very fast. Then I tell myself, I AM changing and I do see some results, its just going to take at least a year to do a significant change. After my year is up, maybe I'll buy a scale but I've been over weight for a very long time so just wearing smaller sizes is what I really want.

essjay76

It's easy to believe that the man or the woman in the mirror lies I do agree that we do need ways to track progress objectively, thus I DO believe weighing yourself is one way to do so - just not everyday, twice a day, three times a day, after you've eaten, after you've had a bio break, etc. etc.


Anyone else?


*crickets* *crickets* LOL!!! :laugh:

Renae_Nae

It's easy to believe that the man or the woman in the mirror lies I do agree that we do need ways to track progress objectively, thus I DO believe weighing yourself is one way to do so - just not everyday, twice a day, three times a day, after you've eaten, after you've had a bio break, etc. etc.


Anyone else?


*crickets* *crickets* LOL!!! :laugh:

^^^This^^^
In the last three years I've been 162, 143, and back up to 152. I HONESTLY saw VERY little difference in myself between 162 and 143. I can't rely on clothes because it takes almost 20 pounds for me to notice a difference. I need the scale to make sure I'm on track. I know that's only 1 method and not to freak out when it goes up and down a few pounds...but its keeping me from going back to 162!

Amo_Angelus

I own a scale...I think it's somewhere in the bathroom, maybe under one of the cabinets, but the last time I tried to use it it just kept shouting LO at me, which I took to mean "There's a reason no one can believe that you're on a diet, get off the scales and work out if you want to see a healthy change" only...my scale isn't quite that polite in my head, add a few words that have been censored and that's more like how the telling off went :P

Anyway, I'm 5'10" and weigh somewhere around 10/11stone. I'm not sure, but the long and the short of it is...I honestly don't care what my weight is. I weighed 9stone in highschool and the general consensus was that I was too skinny. In fact, I'm sure most people thought I had an eating disorder.

But I have gained, both weight and inches since school and while for the most part it suits me, but I'm not overly happy with the tummy that I've managed to acquire and with a wedding coming up in September I've finally found the motivation to loose that tummy, sadly I can't seem to find any support for it because it's not really weight related >_<

kaydensmom12

I do own a scale but have not weighed myself in a month. If I were to weigh myself and the weight is higher I do not care, because I know that I am progressing. If the number is lower, I expect it to be higher than that the next time that I step on because it always is:) I have not lost weight since January, and that is when a ton of progress has taken place, all of my pics on my profile are from January up without any weight loss. I take pics, and measurements and lately have just been judging by my clothing, and it is working out wonderfully. I really don't think that weighing yourself is an an accurate objective measurement, if it were then I would be very disappointed right now.

Yes judging by your clothing takes a while, but if you are eating at a deficit and are clearly getting better at exercise then why change things up, because the number on the scale is going up? Does a number going up mean that you are off track? No it doesn't! Just look at some of the progress pics, most people gain weight when changing their body compositions.

lesle1

My grandkids broke my scale a year ago. The only time I get weighed now is when I go to the doctor. I'm more concerned with how I feel then the weight loss right now. I do want to lose more weight but I figure that's going to happen as long as I keep running, swimming, etc. : )

DyanCB

Although I do own a scale I have made a commitment to myself to stay off of it. My tag below reflects weight loss but I would rather it track body fat/lean mass as I do offline. I have FINALLY learned that it it not the weight but the body composition that counts. And I improve my body composition by lifting heavy. I had weight trained 30 years ago when women were just gaining some notoriety - see Rachel McLish and Cory Everson- now I have come back to the lifting, I forgot how much I loved it!

I have found quite a few people on MFP also interested in fitness and strength, not just what the scale says. Check my profile for my friends. I have learned a lot from them.

Lozze

I am someone who wants to lose weight still (at 101kg/222lb I still need to lose weight) but don't own a scale. I weigh in once a week at Jenny Craig and other than that weigh in don't worry about it. I'm trying to be fitter (and am achieving that goal) but weight loss currently is still one of my goals. Once I get into the healthy weight range (for me another 30kg lost) I will stop worrying about the scale number completely.

essjay76

Although I do own a scale I have made a commitment to myself to stay off of it. My tag below reflects weight loss but I would rather it track body fat/lean mass as I do offline. I have FINALLY learned that it it not the weight but the body composition that counts. And I improve my body composition by lifting heavy. I had weight trained 30 years ago when women were just gaining some notoriety - see Rachel McLish and Cory Everson- now I have come back to the lifting, I forgot how much I loved it!

I have found quite a few people on MFP also interested in fitness and strength, not just what the scale says. Check my profile for my friends. I have learned a lot from them.

Exactly! Body composition is one the biggest factors. People will still be bummed if they reach their goal weight but are still not happy with "that pooch" or "the way their butt looks" etc. That is why the number on the scale isn't the end-all be all. Lifting does WONDERS for the body composition, and most importantly, just makes you strong. :-)

I will check your profile, perhaps we have similar friends already.

essjay76

I am someone who wants to lose weight still (at 101kg/222lb I still need to lose weight) but don't own a scale. I weigh in once a week at Jenny Craig and other than that weigh in don't worry about it. I'm trying to be fitter (and am achieving that goal) but weight loss currently is still one of my goals. Once I get into the healthy weight range (for me another 30kg lost) I will stop worrying about the scale number completely.

Awesome!

essjay76

My grandkids broke my scale a year ago. The only time I get weighed now is when I go to the doctor. I'm more concerned with how I feel then the weight loss right now. I do want to lose more weight but I figure that's going to happen as long as I keep running, swimming, etc. : )

Me too! :-)

essjay76

I do own a scale but have not weighed myself in a month. If I were to weigh myself and the weight is higher I do not care, because I know that I am progressing. If the number is lower, I expect it to be higher than that the next time that I step on because it always is:) I have not lost weight since January, and that is when a ton of progress has taken place, all of my pics on my profile are from January up without any weight loss. I take pics, and measurements and lately have just been judging by my clothing, and it is working out wonderfully. I really don't think that weighing yourself is an an accurate objective measurement, if it were then I would be very disappointed right now.

Yes judging by your clothing takes a while, but if you are eating at a deficit and are clearly getting better at exercise then why change things up, because the number on the scale is going up? Does a number going up mean that you are off track? No it doesn't! Just look at some of the progress pics, most people gain weight when changing their body compositions.

Agreed! Thus the term "skinny fat"

AlayshaJ

I do not have a scale.

Tenoreo90

I don't really watch the pounds. I threw out my scale a few years back because I was obsessing and getting frustrated. I weigh once a month, now, at work (I work in a hospital) because I am roughly 25 pounds overweight. I mostly go by how I feel...though it is frustrating to expect at least a few pounds and then see nothing on the scale...but I'll be much happier to say "I wear a size 4!" than when I can say "I weigh 125!".

I came to these realizations when a friend of mine, roughly my height, and someone whos body I envied and I assumed was at least 30 pounds or so less than me, was close to my weight, just far more fit. o.o

mmarin81

It's easy to believe that the man or the woman in the mirror lies I do agree that we do need ways to track progress objectively, thus I DO believe weighing yourself is one way to do so - just not everyday, twice a day, three times a day, after you've eaten, after you've had a bio break, etc. etc.


Anyone else?


*crickets* *crickets* LOL!!! :laugh:

:laugh: I must admit I am guilty of that somedays but I don't get overly caught up in the number. I agree with the main reason is to feel better and perform better in sports and various everyday activities. The way I see it if I gained say 2 to 5 lbs but my clothes feel comfortable and my energy is up than I'm good.

KStambulic

I don't own a scale either and I am actually hoping to gain a couple of pounds. What's more important to me though, is how my clothes fit, do I still have a "budha belly" and how I look in the mirror. Building muscle takes time and I'm in no hurry.

Lesley2901

When I was your age I never weighed myself at all and didn't start using a scale until I was about 40 when I realised that I was unable to eat anything I wanted and stay the same size and shape. I do own a scale now and weigh myself every day because I like to monitor my weight - by the time my clothes start getting tighter I will have gained at least 7 - 10lbs and it takes months to lose that again!

essjay76

When I was your age I never weighed myself at all and didn't start using a scale until I was about 40 when I realised that I was unable to eat anything I wanted and stay the same size and shape. I do own a scale now and weigh myself every day because I like to monitor my weight - by the time my clothes start getting tighter I will have gained at least 7 - 10lbs and it takes months to lose that again!

No, I do weigh myself, just not every single day (since I don't have a scale). I do acknowledge the importance of the number on the scale, but my point was that weight fluctuates everyday - it should not be the end-all be-all, IMO.

B_Running

Anyone else out there? Please tell me I am not a freak. I know most people join this site because they want to lose pounds. I, on the other hand, want to get more fit (improve performance, lose body fat, get stronger). If I lose pounds and change the way my body is shaped, that's a bonus, but I am already pleased with how I look.

With that said, I don't own a scale. I haven't even had one in the house since I last lived with my parents as a young adult (I'm 35 now!) I never had any interest in owning a scale, nor do I plan on ever getting one. I just don't get how people weigh themselves everyday, sometimes more than once a day, and torture themselves, especially when weight fluctuates soooo much on a daily basis. It boggles my mind when people freak out over a 2 pound gain in a day. I just don't get it?

What I DO pay attention to is how my clothes fit, how I look in the mirror, and how pictures show the real story. Don't get me wrong, I do weigh myself every couple of weeks when I get access to a scale, as the number on the scale IS part of the overall picture. However it's not the whole story. Besides, real weight loss/fat loss can't be rushed (a fast loss = a fast gain!)


Anyone else? Or if you DO own a scale, want to liberate yourself and throw it out of your house? :-) LOL!

This is me, EXACTLY!!! Scale/numbers obsession is essentially a trap. It's highly demotivating and depressing. I don't own a scale; however, I recently went on vacation and weighed myself. I was surprised as how much I weighed, but more importantly, my clothes are fitting better than they have in months and I feel strong and fit --- THAT'S what really matters!

Lesley2901

When I was your age I never weighed myself at all and didn't start using a scale until I was about 40 when I realised that I was unable to eat anything I wanted and stay the same size and shape. I do own a scale now and weigh myself every day because I like to monitor my weight - by the time my clothes start getting tighter I will have gained at least 7 - 10lbs and it takes months to lose that again!

No, I do weigh myself, just not every single day (since I don't have a scale). I do acknowledge the importance of the number on the scale, but my point was that weight fluctuates everyday - it should not be the end-all be-all, IMO.

I totally agree with you and was not trying to discredit you in any way. The number on the scale is not the the most important thing to me, my weight does fluctuate everyday and that doesn't bother me. I just like to keep tabs on it because now that I'm older the weight goes on easily but is harder to lose.