afraid to weigh myself...

nasamom2

I totally feel your pain!!! I just started using this app 2 weeks ago and when I signed up, I just put a number in for my weight which I thought sounded right. I've been doing well eating 1200 cals a day but you are right. We need to be realistic and face our fears!

lblackham1993

omg yesssss!!!!!!! you just need to man up honestly. or else how will you know how much weight you've lost! I had exactly this and am so glad i weighed myself or when i jump on the scale feeling thin the number will still be terrifying to me because i wouldn't no its going down.

Think of it like. this is the highest number I'm ever going to be. you gotta reach rock bottom to climb back up. so you gotta reach the heights of the worst weight you've ever been/ever going to be again (hopefully) to start. think of it as a positive thing!

marymayt

weigh yourself to see where you are then go from there change bad eating habits slowly if there are any you dont have to go cold turkey.exercise is a great way to go again start slowly and take it day by day there is no quick fix if there was imagine how we all would look today healthy eating and exercise is the key NOT DIETING dont be afraid of the scale even though it will probably never be our best friend

levstein

I know how you feel. I couldn't face knowing my true weight and I actually cried when the doctor weighed me. That was 2 weeks ago. I came home looked up the internet for guidance and somehow found this site. I am getting on with the healthy eating exercising regime and loving it. The numbers on the scales are going down nicely and more than that I feel positive healthier and I'm in control. I am changing my life because I want to for health reasons but more than that I deserve to be the person I am not hidden beneath layers of fat. Let's break free with the support encouragement and knowledge available on this site.:happy:

mushroomcup

If you're traumatized about your potential weight to the point where, when you see the number, it might hurt your resolve or your self esteem, I'd say don't weigh yourself. Those numbers are so ingrained into us that it's hard to see them objectively.

Instead, I would suggest using a tape measure. Just make sure you measure thoroughly (not just waist, include your arms, thighs, bust, hips, etc.). Because, when it comes to health, that's a much better indicator of how you're doing and psychologically it doesn't hold quite the same negative connotations. Track the measurements once weekly and move on.

My dad used to be a personal fitness trainer and he would always tell me, "Don't step on a scale. Don't even own a scale. The only numbers you should care about are tape measurements and only pay attention to them if they change." I think it was pretty good advice and I still live by it.

I see a lot of people on the forums worrying about daily weight fluctuations, becoming obsessed with the scale. But your body weight can fluctuate by 5 lbs a day just because of water weight, salt consumption, etc. (I know people who have even more fluctuation than that!) If that would scare you/cause you a lot of stress, I'd say leave it out of your journey to better health entirely.

jonelaw

I totally empathize....at my heaviest I was around 250, would lose some then gain it back. I would know from the way my clothes fit that weight had come back but I was afraid to see the number. I think it is important to have multiple methods of guaging your progress: your weight, your mmnts, the way you clothes fit etc. Llike someone else said, it is just a number; it doesn't define who you are or what you can become or achieve. It sure is motivating to see that number decrease!! Be brave and good luck!

Nerdy_Rose

I think that once you start seeing a difference in your body, you'll be curious as to where you started. Weigh yourself, but also take measurements of your hips, waist, etc.

katejkelley

Just think of it this way, the weight you see on the scale will be your topmost weight. You'll only go down if you stick with the MFP program. There's nothing quite so satisfying as seeing your weight tracker move toward that goal! Best wishes!

Rockmyskinnyjeans

I was afraid to weigh myself for a long time, as well, and therefore, I lived in denial of what I really weighed. In my head, I was only 160'ish, but when I stepped on that scale finally, I was definitely more like 190'ish. The pictures really weren't lying either, I just didn't want to believe it. It's best to just swallow that bitter pill and get it over with, as the above posters have said. Once you weigh, you can really focus on the goal of your wedding and that dream dress.

PeaceCorpsKat

DO IT! no seriously, bite the bullet. the worst is when you start losing and you don't have a starting figure. THe day you own up to it is the day you can start.

Belligerent_Wombat

Hi. Just face the number, accept it and move forward. You can do this! Set a small goal......like 5 lbs......reach it and keep going for another 5. Reward yourself with a new item of clothing at each 10 pound goal.

This right here is the best piece of advice you can ever get. What's on the scale is just a number, something that you can conquer. Don't be afraid of it - be resolute once you know what that number is.

Belligerent_Wombat

DO IT! no seriously, bite the bullet. the worst is when you start losing and you don't have a starting figure. THe day you own up to it is the day you can start.

Exactly.

Also, COMPLETELY OFF TOPIC: But I LOVE YOUR TARDIS BACKGROUND!!!! ) Viva The Doctor!

30forApril

I think it's important to know where you're starting so that you can get to where you want/need to be. I weigh myself almost daily, I won't always log it, but it helps me to keep myself in check... I haven't worked out in weeks, and jsut started again yesterday..but weighing myself helped me to kinda track my weight mentally and kinda helped me enforce better eating habits.. it's just one of those to each their own kinda things.. me... i'm kinda a masochist..lol

thektturner

Last year, I had lost about 40 pounds. I was only 20 away from my overall goal. Then a friend died, I got divorced, had to move back in with my mom, etc.
I had not weighed myself since I moved out of my husband's house in September of 2011. Until last week. I had gained 20 pounds back (I knew I had gone back up two pant sizes of the three I had dropped).

But the first time I did this I was so mad at myself for not having taken "before" photos or having weighed myself at my heaviest. I was somewhere over 200 pounds at my heaviest.

If I were you, I would weigh myself. Just think how much more impressive your after numbers will be if you know your true before number. :-)

jimbo_a_logo

You've got to know where you are to know where you are going and how to get there.

Marmitegeoff

You have to start somewhere....Jump on the scale...take you measurements and pictures. Then get to it! You can do it and trust me you will want to have the photos to prove how far you have come! Best of luck

Take the measurements, I did not and wish that I had.

You need a starting point and then vow never to see that number again.

1jlazymom

Take a deep breath, step on the scale and look at the number. Remember that its just a number and now you are going to do something to make that number look much better. I have a habit of weighing every morning (not recommended I know) but it keeps me going if the number goes down great , if it stays the same I look at what I can do differently. If it goes up I really take a close look at what I ate and how much of a workout I did. Just remember you are in charge not the number.

carolemack

Thanks everyone, I'm going to step on the scale tonight. Keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks for all the advice, please friend request me ! I forgot my last account info so I had to make a new account.

It would be better if you could weigh yourself first thing in the morning. Your weight fluctuates quite a bit throughout the day. You could weigh 5 pounds heavier at night then you do first thing in the morning. As soon as you get up, have gone to the bathroom, and before you have anything to eat or drink...this is the time to get on the scale...you will see a truer picture of your weight then.

The first step in any battle is always the hardest...face your fears, and then get on with it. You can do it and everyone here can help!

Good luck and more importantly...good health!

Amy911Gray

Weigh yourself. It's a starting number, just a number. What ever the number is, you can be sure of two things:

1. This didn't just happen overnight and it was there when you got up this morning.
2. Whatever the number says, you can undo through changing the things you eat and the amount you move.

It's just that simple. Besides, I've been singing (to myself)...99 pounds of fat off the wall for the past two days. If I had not gotten onto those scales, what song would I be singing now???

Best of luck, best of strength, best of character!

isinc2003

Hey you.. love to help. If I see what your eating here, I can show you the light so to speak! LOL.. You do need to weigh yourself to see the before.. even pictures too.. that way you can look back and say goodbye to the past and hello to the new body that is so close to being what you want.. Food is a complex thing these days..take heart knowing that there those that have almost mastered food and what it can and cannot do !