OMG! This is sooooo difficult!

13

Replies

  • craiglannigan
    craiglannigan Posts: 9 Member
    Do you have a nearby friend that you trust to share this journey with? What about keeping the scale at their house? You're only allowed to go check it once a week.
    Darn!!! The only friends I've got would be taking me for a beer at the end of every jog or gym session .... I need new friends!!! ;0)
  • drkuhl2017
    drkuhl2017 Posts: 181 Member
    I use to weigh myself on a daily basis and I was consumed by the scale and the number on it. But then I decided that I don't want to rely on the scale so much, and believe me, it can be hard. I still have my moments that I do weigh myself more than I want to but it's a ton of will power and it gets a little easier each day. For me it was a personal decision, I did not want to rely on the scale anymore because I was so worried about that number. And many days the number was not one that I liked. Now it's not all about the number, it's about how I feel, how I look and my measurements as well.

    That won't work for everyone, but as long as you don't fret for every ounce of weight that you gain or lose every day, weighing yourself every day may work for you. I know for some people that it keeps them more accountable. But just remember that your weight will fluctuate, so don't get upset if you didn't lose because it may come off within the next few days.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    It's normal.
    Glycogen, water, crap....this stuff adds/subtracts daily.

    Every gram of glycogen=3-4grams of water.
    Glycogen comes from carbs.
    How many carbs do you eat in a day?
    If its after an intensive workout and you feel the "Pump" chances are youll be weighing quite a bit more.

    chart all weight and put it on a spreadsheet then watch it fall over the weeks.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    PS: 2 days ago i was 133.8lbs.
    Last night I was 137lbs.
    Today i'm 135.8lbs.
    Nothing new.
    Next week i'll weight about 133.4lbs.
  • treimnitz
    treimnitz Posts: 51 Member
    I've just fought the urge! It wasn't easy, but the way I did it was to tell myself to do it once a week at the same time each day. I love to have that "secret prize number" at the end of the week! LOL! The mystery makes it all the more enlightening! :happy:
  • craiglannigan
    craiglannigan Posts: 9 Member
    It's normal.
    Glycogen, water, crap....this stuff adds/subtracts daily.

    Every gram of glycogen=3-4grams of water.
    Glycogen comes from carbs.
    How many carbs do you eat in a day?
    If its after an intensive workout and you feel the "Pump" chances are youll be weighing quite a bit more.

    chart all weight and put it on a spreadsheet then watch it fall over the weeks.
    I've seen this ... a hard work out or a days grafting always sees me down a few pounds, but it seems to go on again quickly in the next few days but thankfully i'm still progressing downwards. I need to keep an eye on my carbs etc then?
  • carloc
    carloc Posts: 135 Member
    Ask,

    1. How serious you want to he about this
    2. Are you changing your life or just losing weight
    3. What was your starting weight and were are you now

    Throw the scales out, don't use them. Or force yourself to weight in only once a week, Saturday mornings I find give an honest answer. If you are serious and your friends want to take you out drinking all the time, ADD NEW friends who will understand better what you are trying to achieve. In our times of need our true friens emerge.

    How do your clothes feel.
  • dittmarml
    dittmarml Posts: 351 Member
    I decided to weigh once a week but every now and then I get a little obsessed - however since I've learned about the 4.3 million reasons my weight can fluctuate I made myself a deal...

    I can weigh as often as I like (still usually around once a week but sometimes more) and note the little changes - up, down, sidewise. I can think about what I've eaten (in particular how much salt, sugar and/or alcohol, since those are the ones most likely to hit me in a big weigh...get it? weigh.... )

    BUT I ONLY record LOSS. In other words, if I weigh on a Saturday and I'm up a pound from the previous week, I go another week. And another. As long as I'm sticking to MFP intake goals and logging food and doing some exercise, I'm willing to wait.

    This way, it doesn't really matter what happens until I'm down a bit. I don't pay attention, I don't record it. It's all "noise". I refuse to see anything but progress.

    I've also measured, and will track that over time.

    The trick is that I really have to be following MFP - not abusing my diet, just thinking about fluctuations as an interesting "academic exercise".

    Weird, maybe. But works for me. I'm not throwing the scale out as I spent too much money on it. :)
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
    LOL! You can always go the obsolete way with pencil and paper, :laugh:

    What if you're rubbish with ms excel???? This could be disasterous!!!
  • JamesterCK
    JamesterCK Posts: 109 Member
    I'm glad I'm not the only one with this problem!! My scale is just too available (it's in my bathroom), so it tempts me every time I go in there. Usually I have my husband hide it so I can't weigh myself; that's about the only thing that works for me!
  • NotAllWhoWanderAreLost
    NotAllWhoWanderAreLost Posts: 615 Member
    i started taking a digital photo of my scale every morning and am not sweating the ups/downs at all... am enjoying the downward trend, over time (and my toenail color changes + darkening sandal tan lines LOL). I lost over 70lbs between Dec 09 and June 11 so i am comfortable with my patterns of ups & downs (hard workouts, high sodium, too little water, TOM, etc). Seeing the scale pics as a slideshow is reassuring that the trend is moving in my favor :drinker:
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    i weigh every day - but i also realize that our weight's fluctuate day to day, even hour to hour..... so just don't put too much stock into it. If you're up a pound tomorrow, you didn't actually gain a pound. unless you ate an EXTRA 3500 calories yesterday which is probably not happening. ((we retain water from sodium, our muscles retain water/glycogen from strength training, our homones affect water retention, etc)). Just learn how to not freak out if you see an increase overnight or something.
  • Heres my best advice i can tell you from plenty of people with lots of experience.

    #1 are you trying to lose weight or are you trying to look good.
    -if lose weight.. weigh yourself just once a week. Due to the amount of water your body holds it varies day to day. If you are really trying to lose weight you have to buckle down.
    -if trying to look good avoid the scale period just look into the mirror and the clothes you wear.

    #2 the best way to lose weight is to burn calories which also forces you to watch your calorie intake. Instead of fast food grab a fruit and a bottle of water. Find something that you really like to eat that is really good as far as calories go.
    - a really good exercise that is easy on the body is getting on a treadmill set it at a 3-6 angle and walk to where you are almost wanting to start to jog. Do it for a 30 min start off time and work your way up. Bodybuilders do not run they incline walk.!!!

    #3 Stay motivated and find a partner. If you can find a person that wants the same thing you do then get them to really push you. Its really easy to be lazy and get out of shape. Its really hard to get active and stay in shape.
    - Think of all the things you can do that is healthy-- a nature walk through trails, swimming, walking your dog for an extensive time, playing in the yard with you kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, etc. Find something that works for you.

    if you need anymore help or advice hit me up and add me as a friend I will be glad to help you out.
  • TArnold2012
    TArnold2012 Posts: 929 Member
    And this is why I weight every two weeks. The up and down and back up makes me crazy. I just joined a challenge that will require me to weigh in every Monday so this will be interesting for me, but I believed it would help me get over the craziness that weighing in gives me.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    It's normal.
    Glycogen, water, crap....this stuff adds/subtracts daily.

    Every gram of glycogen=3-4grams of water.
    Glycogen comes from carbs.
    How many carbs do you eat in a day?
    If its after an intensive workout and you feel the "Pump" chances are youll be weighing quite a bit more.

    chart all weight and put it on a spreadsheet then watch it fall over the weeks.
    I've seen this ... a hard work out or a days grafting always sees me down a few pounds, but it seems to go on again quickly in the next few days but thankfully i'm still progressing downwards. I need to keep an eye on my carbs etc then?

    For me?
    I like to eat up on carbs on heavy lifting days, it helps with nutrient uptake.
    I like to eat high fats and low carbs on rest days, helps burn fat.

    A typical week for me is:

    Sunday -20% TDEE high fats/protein
    Monday +20% TDEE high carbs/protein
    Tuesday -20% TDEE high fats/protein
    Weds +20% TDEE high carbs/protein
    Thursday -20% TDEE high fats/protein
    Friday +20% TDEE high carbs/protein
    Saturday -20% TDEE high fats/protein

    If TDEE is 2500x7=17500
    3 days +20%=3k
    4 days -20%=2k

    9000+8000=17000
    Doesnt seem like much but at 11.5%BF its sparing LBM but allowing me to burn off fat.
    I drop about 1/4lb a week but the body fat% is dropping pretty quickly.
  • Jezebel9
    Jezebel9 Posts: 396 Member
    I make it a goal every 2 weeks to not weigh myself for 2 weeks. So, I weigh myself twice a month. When I realized that weighing myself was a negative mood producing event most of the time, most likely to make me feel any range of negative feelings, I gave it up.
    Good luck!
  • ruralife
    ruralife Posts: 28 Member
    Keep your scale at a friend's house. Then you can't access it as often as you might otherwise.
  • Kristinapedia
    Kristinapedia Posts: 73 Member
    You're not the only one!! I just worked out tonight, walked/jogged a total of 4 miles. I KNOW I won't lose the weight immediately, but you know I"m going to weigh myself in the morning! lol I lost 33 lbs last year and my normal workout days were 3 of the 4 days (Thurs-Sat). I'd lose the weight by Tuesday.

    I'm a detail oriented person and because I weight myself all the time, I know exactly when I will weight the most, and when I will weigh the least. I know exactly how much my clothes weigh too.

    I always weigh myself in the morning after I pee. :)

    If you can't stop weighing yourself and you live alone and have no one to hide the scale-- make a game out of it--- record your weight on a chart and see how it fluctuates according to time of day, what you eat, when you pee (among other things, lol--and no one can tell me they HAVEN'T done that!!!!!) . It could turn into a learning experience.

    Good luck!
  • Its so funny reading these posts, and so reassuring to know we are all normal! I have not got on scales for about a month as I almost become frozen with fear of what they will tell me, I know in myself I have put on weight and don't need to see the numbers for confirmation! Someone told me go by you jeans and how they fit....they don't stretch as much as other fabrics and therefore don't lie as much either.....will give MFP a go for a couple of weeks and then find strength to face scales and try my jeans:happy:
  • stephaniemarie416
    stephaniemarie416 Posts: 49 Member
    Hello all. Looking for some sage advice. I've been quietly plodding along, looking out for sneaky calories and avoiding them and increasing my exercise. Problem is I can't stop weighing myself every morning ... and I'm all over the place ... up then down then up again etc. How do I keep away from the scales lol? I need some motivational friends with a good sense of humour!!! Good luck everyone!
    [/quote

    I have the same problem! I don't want/need to lose a lot of weight so deep down I know it might take a while to see results, but I can't help myself but to step on the scale every day (sometimes multiple times a day lol) ! My weight has always tended to fluctuate by about 2 points +/- so I get excited....and then discouraged which does NOT help!

    Needless to say, I am not a patient person :happy:
  • heatherherring15
    heatherherring15 Posts: 22 Member
    Haha, I am a weighing addict too! It is just part of my daily routine. If I don't do it I get out of the habit and then get mad at myself when I finally do get the nerve to step on the beast. I probably be need to post a sign on my bathroom mirror "No weigh ins until Monday!" or something like that. I probably would just ignore it though!
  • thedove34
    thedove34 Posts: 28 Member
    I once took a hammer to mine!!! I went out 2 days later and bought a new one! Hey.. the effort was there right?
  • craiglannigan
    craiglannigan Posts: 9 Member
    Good morning all .... thank you all for the advice and some of your funny stories. Started the day and avoided the scales ... Let's go!!!
  • linziepinzie
    linziepinzie Posts: 2 Member
    I'm a daily weight checker too. I even binned my bathroom scales in a bid to stop myself....but then I relied on my wii fit board!
    I would really like to only check weight once a week, so you (hopefully) get a buzz when you've lost some weight.
  • azziria
    azziria Posts: 33 Member
    If you really can't stay away from the scales, how about you accept that, stand on them every day if you must, but stop stressing about it.

    Make yourself a chart and stick it somewhere you can see it when you weigh yourself (or shortly afterwards) and plot your weight on it ONCE A WEEK, same day each week. That way, even if you're seeing a daily fluctuation, you'll also be able to see that your overall trend is (hopefully!) downwards, and that should help keep the whole thing in perspective. You might even find that eventually you don't need to stand on the scales every day :)
  • kelr0110
    kelr0110 Posts: 213 Member
    Good morning all .... thank you all for the advice and some of your funny stories. Started the day and avoided the scales ... Let's go!!!

    My friend is a scale addict too...I think it fluctuates way too much to weigh every day. I like the thought of kicking *kitten* all week on the program then it is an anticipated"reward" to be able to get on the scale once a week and see that number go down :-)

    So congrats on not hopping on today lol. Wean off it if you have to, I also had to hide mine at one point. It makes for a more sane journey!
  • chikkenlikken
    chikkenlikken Posts: 24 Member
    I think the scale is like a pot of boiling water. If you watch it constantly, it won't ever do what you want! I just find it to be a big discouragement, so I've decided to start weighing myself weekly instead of daily. As long as your clothes are looser, just keep doing what you're doing. I know it's hard to keep telling yourself that! Just know that you're not the only scaleaholic out there!
  • Meadows18
    Meadows18 Posts: 206 Member
    Sorry. No advice. I can't stop weighing daily either.

    But, I do record my weight in 1 weeks time. Usually it is down, but sometimes I plateau. Good Luck with the scale; sometimes it is a good friend and sometimes an enemy.
  • gettinfit4god
    gettinfit4god Posts: 63 Member
    I only weigh myself when I'm sure I've lost weight no lows only highs works for me

    I weigh myself once a week (on Friday), but even that has proved to affect me negatively. I find that I eat really well and exercise like crazy Wednesday and Thursday, but not so well the other days of the week. Then not only am I choosing bad foods to eat but I overdo it on the 2 days before and go into the weekend completely exhausted! I really like this idea! I'm going to give it a shot!
  • junemiller
    junemiller Posts: 16 Member
    Hello all. Looking for some sage advice. I've been quietly plodding along, looking out for sneaky calories and avoiding them and increasing my exercise. Problem is I can't stop weighing myself every morning ... and I'm all over the place ... up then down then up again etc. How do I keep away from the scales lol? I need some motivational friends with a good sense of humour!!! Good luck everyone!
    I weigh every morning but I don't count a pound as lost until it's been gone for a couple of days (or a week). Then I feel confident that it's gone for good and I log it.