Can you lose weight without weighing yourself?

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peanutbutterpretzels
peanutbutterpretzels Posts: 122
in Health and Weight Loss
I think I need to cut down on my scale usage. I noticed that I weigh myself before and after each meal now, as well as every time I finish using the bathroom :/

Do you guys think it's possible to lose weight without using a scale very often? I was thinking of only weighing myself every 1-2 weeks now.

Thanks in advance!
<3 Lulu
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Replies

  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Absolutely! As long as you're eating less than you burn, you'll lose weight. Weighing every 1-2 weeks is fine.
  • DeadEyedSuburbanite
    DeadEyedSuburbanite Posts: 34 Member
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    I know a lot of people differ and there are those that rarely if ever weigh themselves, but I find weighing daily helps keep me focused on the end goal. When I stop weighing I start to slide off the wagon.

    I think it's quite an individual thing though.
  • gadenni34
    gadenni34 Posts: 294 Member
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    um..well...the weight will come off whether you know it or not. :laugh: I only weight every couple of weeks or so and have lost 17 pounds since starting on MFP and a total of 31 since January. my weight doesn't seem to care whether I know or not...it is just going away regardless. :wink: Good luck to you on kicking the scale habit. it can be a tough one I hear. take your measurements and pay attention to how clothes fit. These are more reliable signs of weight loss and/or body re-composition.
  • peanutbutterpretzels
    peanutbutterpretzels Posts: 122
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    Oh well I know it'll come off xD haha I just mean do you think it'd work? :) I know how many calorie it takes for me to lose, but I'm afraid if I lose too much I won't notice it until MUCH later...does that make sense? I've been severely underweight before and I don't want to go there again. 90 pounds = not pretty.
  • Bernadettetoo
    Bernadettetoo Posts: 97
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    I think I need to cut down on my scale usage. I noticed that I weigh myself before and after each meal now, as well as every time I finish using the bathroom :/

    Do you guys think it's possible to lose weight without using a scale very often? I was thinking of only weighing myself every 1-2 weeks now.

    Thanks in advance!
    <3 Lulu

    Weigh and measure every couple of weeks. Your weight can fluctuate from 1 to 4 or 5 pounds from day to day because of the fluids you take in. Keep a pair of jeans that are too tight and use them. This is a sure way to know.
  • peanutbutterpretzels
    peanutbutterpretzels Posts: 122
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    No I don't think your being dumb, I was just wondering why you thought what you do. Thanks for explaining!
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
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    Whether you weigh yourself or not won't change your weight loss patterns, keeping all other factors constant. Weighing yourself less and not being as obsessed with the scale is definitely a good idea.
  • bronnyd
    bronnyd Posts: 278 Member
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    Oh well I know it'll come off xD haha I just mean do you think it'd work? :) I know how many calorie it takes for me to lose, but I'm afraid if I lose too much I won't notice it until MUCH later...does that make sense? I've been severely underweight before and I don't want to go there again. 90 pounds = not pretty.

    If you are monitoring yourself to make sure you don't lose too much - and based on what your profile says about your history and the fact that you only have 2 pounds to go i think that you're right to monitor yourself - it doesn't make sense for you to weigh yourself every 2 weeks. however, i'd be careful with stepping on the scale before/after every meal, after you use the washroom, etc. it can get obsessive very quickly and that is not healthy.
  • repmlrs
    repmlrs Posts: 154
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    yes. for me weighing myself more than once or twice a month kinda demotivated me. plus most scales are pretty inaccurate
  • jonesey65244
    jonesey65244 Posts: 16
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    If you can go without climbing on it for a week, I think that would be a decent period between checks.

    If you are REALLY obsessed about it, go ahead and weigh every hour or 2. Just don't get discouraged when there are no changes. Or even worse...if you gain a little. The human body does some strange things during weight loss.

    Do you have a garage or an out-building? Put the scale in a place you don't normally get to that often. Out of sight...out of mind.

    That's me. I'm outta sight, man; and definitely outta my mind.

    jonesey65244
  • peanutbutterpretzels
    peanutbutterpretzels Posts: 122
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    I actually have a bit more than 2 pounds to go, binged today and yesterday but I think I SHOULD be fine if I don't weigh myself daily. Maybe.
  • avocad0
    avocad0 Posts: 7
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    I weigh myself once a week in the morning. I think this is all you need to do, once a day sounds reasonable too but anything more than that seems obsessive and unnecessary.
  • repmlrs
    repmlrs Posts: 154
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    anyway some people say you cant lose weight without using a scale. if you work out you could actually end up weighn more because muscle weighs more than fat. use fat calipers to mesure your fat loss
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    The scale is a measure of weight. It is not the cause of weight gain or loss, just a number.

    Maybe I misunderstood your question?
  • emily_bird
    emily_bird Posts: 236
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    YES ! YOU CAN !



    Your weight can fluctuate depending on what you've eaten, when you've eaten, how much you've drunk, whether or not you have gone to the toilet (it's true) ,muscle mass vs fat mass and hormones."Weight" is just an indication at that moment of how much you "weigh". By weighing yourself so frequently, you're actually giving yourself and unclear perception of how much you weigh, as your body hasn't been able to absorb the food, go through all of the various functions to digest food.

    Having looked at your profile and your motto, you have to ask yourself the question: " Am I in control of my eating patterns and weight?Or is my weight and how much I "think" that I need to weigh controlling me?" Ask yourself : " Do I HAVE to weigh myself so frequently that if I don't, I feel bad or unsettled?" If something is a compulsion that you have to do, then it's not right and you're not in control.

    Based on your history and the fact that you have to ask this question, isn't possible that your spirit is alerting you to something?Often, when people have had a history similar to the one that you have had, it's better to not get too involved in monitoring these things. It can be exceptionally easy to backslide and land up in an even worse situation than before. Try to set goals for yourself where you focus on it less and less.

    Try to view food not as an enemy or calories as these defining numbers, but regard food as the fuel for your body. Where the right substances can increase your energy, make you feel happier (no mood swings from chemicals etc) by having proper hormonal balances , help you to gain longevity by warding off sickness.


    Regarding clothes size, depending on where you live and where the clothes have been made, your size will be different. E.g. there was recently an article in a newspaper in m country, where people where complaining about clothes sizes because of all of the imports. They design the clothes for the type of people in their country, but my country imports it and the people here don't have the same build.


    If you want to monitor yourself and your weight, go according to how you look or according to a pants that doesn't stretch. If your clothes are tighter, then you're picking up and if you're losing they're looser.

    Sorry for the long reply. Really just trying to help here.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    Weigh yourself once a week. That's plenty to see any changes.

    Weighing every day before/after meals is obsessive compulsive.
  • nexangelus
    nexangelus Posts: 2,080 Member
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    Er do you lose weight just because you weigh yourself? Illogical question and I suspect you know the answer, a lot of us only weigh in once a month and surprise surprise we still lose weight...
  • peanutbutterpretzels
    peanutbutterpretzels Posts: 122
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    Er do you lose weight just because you weigh yourself? Illogical question and I suspect you know the answer, a lot of us only weigh in once a month and surprise surprise we still lose weight...

    I suppose I do know the answer already but still...a little confirmation from other people always helps me make up my mind :)
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    absolutely NOT. there's no way you can lose weight unless you are stood on a scale.

    care to explain why not?

    because you NEED to know you are losing weight. how can you lose weight if you don't know you are losing weight?? The only way to monitor this is to be stood on a scale every waking moment of your life.


    ( if you think i am being dumb, then all i will say is that you started it)

    Reported: insulting/attacking.
    You might want to seek counseling to address why you think its ok to attack people online.
    Wow. Welcome to the internet. Besides, I think the poster was just being dryly sarcastic, a humour lost on many people.
    They're both from the UK, I bet she gets it.

    Nah.....I doubt it. "Dryly sarcastic" ended and "45 year old internet bully” began when he implied that his 6 year old niece was smarter than her.

    serious..you're defending someone, an adult who thinks you need scales to lose weight?? I am a-s-t-o-n-i-s-h-e-d.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I track my progress though photos instead of the scale. I do weigh myself, but I don't obsess over it.

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