scale addict

bluecrayonz

I'm a scale addict I measure my success and self worth based on a number on the scale and I know it's terrible but I'm addicted! Any suggestions? I weigh myself multiple times every day

osewcute

write down your measurements and pay attention to the fit of clothes. scales lie. I lost 8 inches from all over, 1 dress size and I was only 5 pounds lighter

fmbomzo

my scale died. well, it's malfunctioning .... says I weigh between 86 lbs and 204 lbs. replaced the battery... still not working. I too was a scale addict. Now that's it's been broken, I haven't weighed since December 17. I was irritable for a few days (from scale withdrawal, seriously) and now I feel so free. Just pray that your scale breaks :-). That's the only thing that stopped me.

Also know that this journey is overall about health and scale weight is only one factor and a fickle factor at that. No matter what weight you are, learn to appreciate who you are... which can never be measured by a scale.

JUP1T3R

It seems we are all a part of a prestigious club of scale addicts, I have wrestled my whole life so needless to say I am a slave to my scale or was I guess. I use to weigh food and drinks and everything else, but now I fight the urge and weigh in at the end of every week in the evening.. at first it was difficult, but you actually get to realize the results when you only do it once a week. I recommend once a week in the evening after you have finished eating and working out for the day.. you will feel accomplished when you see the results that it has.

landers26

I finally took mine and hid it to avoid the temptation of weighing every day, several times a day. Right now I am focusing on achieving strength and fitness goals instead of weight loss goals. Started NROL4W today and I am committed to weighing myself after each stage and that's it. Instead the focus is going to be on lifting more an running farther (run on off days).

Bobby__Clerici

I weigh in daily and track the trend; no need to pooh peach seeds over a number.

jesswait

I saw a post on here a while back where a girl wrote positive affirmations all over her scale. Perhaps that could help you?

cmriverside

Thankfully I spilled water on mine about 20 pounds into my 55 pound loss. I wasn't about to go back to that mindset, so I didn't buy another one.

lesita75

Taking progress pictures and tracking your measurements gives you a clearer picture than the scale does. On an average day your weight can vary a couple of pounds as the day progresses. You have to get to a place where you realize that you are more than a number on the scale. It may tell you where you're at right now, but it in no way defines who you are. Best of luck to you in breaking the scale addiction.

rvicini

Agreeing with you pal... It does not make any difference. Me, if I am close to a scale, I weight. I don't have a scale close in two weeks.. Well, I don't weight. Let's hope there is advancement when I return.

chubbybunnee

I am too! I used to be really bad, weighing myself 3 to 4 times a day, and of course it goes up throughout the day because you eat and drink, and it would make me want to go back to the gym and work out harder. I was going to the gym 3 times a day every day for 2 hours at a time. I became obsessed. I lost 55 pounds in 6 months and went from an 18 to a 9/10 but then I went through a divorce and got depressed, stopped working out, ate fast food, and gained 20lbs back. Now that mentally I am better, I have started eating better and going back to the gym. I still weigh myself once a day which is more than I should, but better than before. This time though, I use the scale at the gym. That way, when I want to see what I weigh, it motivates me to go to the gym and work out so I can use their scale and weigh myself. I tape too, but for some reason that scale is what motivates me. When I see the number go up, I work even harder the next day. When it doesn't move for a while, I don't get discouraged, I just work harder. I don't think I would be as determined to push myself the way I do when I see those numbers.

elisa123gal

The scale is great when you're losing...not so great when you're not. It causes me to feel like dieting doesn't matter and to just go off. However.. I think the scale is necessary to maintain. If I would have kept weighing myself everyday last time I lost my weight..I wouldn't be back here now.

So, I say weigh once a week or every two weeks as you lose...and every week when you maintain.

meganreinsch

I am also a crazy scale addict. My scale is in the main room (eek) and every time I pass it I weight my self. Oddly the 1-2 pound difference throughout the day can a.) make me feel great or b.) freak me out. I agree with the previous posts saying hide the scale or write positive thoughts on it. Good ideas guys!

adstar20

I am not sure you should measure your self worth by a number on a scale, but weighing yourself often doesn't seem to be a big deal to me. You just need to realize that it is A number and not THE number.

I am a data geek and have a scale that tracks my weight and presents it as a graph on my phone. I have realized over the last three months that it zigzags up and down. What is important is the trend line.

If it keeps you motivated than, in my mind, it is a good thing, however, if it causes you to do unhealthy things (e.g., skipping meals or drinking less water to weigh less), then get rid of it ASAP.

bsmithmia

It doesn't help to weigh in several times a day. You're just freaking yourself out and making the habit of doing it worse. We are at our natural body weight when we first wake up, so if you must weigh in everyday I recommend to do it first thing in the morning before you get dressed and head out for the day.

kristen6022

I'm not sure why people are addicted to the scale and weight multiple times a week, let alone multiple times a day. Do you feel that you'll lose the weight faster? I'm just asking because I think it's quite counter-productive...

jlqt2000

I used to be the same way. I obsessed over it, it was bad. Now, I weigh myself only once a week, same day every week. I find I am able to lose more because not knowing makes me behave. When I weighed myself several times a day, I would think "OK I can eat whatever because I am not gaining..." but the problem was... I wasn't losing anything! Now, not knowing but only once a week helps me eay and exercise well!

simplyshrinking

I am as well... However, I try to weigh myself just once a week but I keep wanting to jump on every day to find out how much I weigh.... :-/ Stay strong and dont weigh yourself everyday.. Your number changes throughout the days of the week and it may discourage you.

KenosFeoh

No harm. Last time I was a member of MFP (deleted and restarted since then), I would only weigh once every two weeks to one month. It was triple-discouraging to weigh in after working hard all month and see that I was up 3 pounds. Now I plan to weigh more often so that I can see a trend much sooner. I notice that I can go up or down 3 pounds in a single day, so I guess I just weighed in on a heavier day, but it really freaked me out.

laurie62ann

I used to be the same way. I obsessed over it, it was bad. Now, I weigh myself only once a week, same day every week. I find I am able to lose more because not knowing makes me behave. When I weighed myself several times a day, I would think "OK I can eat whatever because I am not gaining..." but the problem was... I wasn't losing anything! Now, not knowing but only once a week helps me eay and exercise well!

Interesting!! I might give this a try. I'm a scale girl. I need a new motivator!

red_road

why is this in success stories?

wmoomoo

When I went to a cross-fit gym to lose weight, I weighted myself everyday because I wanted to see result. However, during that time, I gained 4 lbs which is the opposite of what I wanted. And that stopped me from going for 1 month thinking I will lose them if I stop exercising, but of course, those lbs just stayed there. I was depressed but I wanted to be healthy and happy. So I start doing researches on how to lose weight "correctly" and only step on the scale bi-weekly. I learned to let it go, scale number doesn't mean anything. I am working toward lowering my body fat, and that's the goal I am going for.

During the Christmas party, everybody said I lose weight since Thanksgiving. But in reality, I weighted the same as I did during Thanksgiving, but I am a little bit more tone than I was.

Yaya1976

I only weigh myself on Saturday mornings. I don't stress out about the scale. I just keep track once a week. Not sure how to help. Have someone hide your scale and have them bring it to you once a week. Or just get rid of it all together.

Yani51

I regard the scales as an invaluable tool in losing weight. However if you weigh yourself "multiple times every day" and the scales freak you out, you are using them for the wrong purpose. I learnt months ago, from that inspirational MFP member 'California gal', that weight loss occurs in chunks. It is not linear. So freaking out over what the scales measure "multiple times every day" is pointless. For me, the scales can show zero weight loss for most of the week and it won't bother me because I know there will be other weeks where my weight will drop more than I expected (then I freak out that I may be losing weight too fast - lol.)

NCchar130

No harm. Last time I was a member of MFP (deleted and restarted since then), I would only weigh once every two weeks to one month. It was triple-discouraging to weigh in after working hard all month and see that I was up 3 pounds. Now I plan to weigh more often so that I can see a trend much sooner. I notice that I can go up or down 3 pounds in a single day, so I guess I just weighed in on a heavier day, but it really freaked me out.

I had something like that happen to me about 10 weeks in. I was weighing only once a week (sometimes every two weeks) at my mother's and for 3 weeks in a row, I had no loss, and once a 1 pound gain. Each time though, I found myself later that day running to the bathroom every few minutes, like I had been retaining water and it was flushing itself out of me. But I had no way to go back and recheck until the next week. That's when I bought a scale and I weigh every morning, just once. I want to be able to see the trends, especially if I have a reason to think I might be retaining water. I feel I have a good handle on what the number REALLY means so I got brave and weighed myself this morning after 4 days of Christmas overeating/diet break and saw a 7 pound gain! But I KNOW this has to primarily be water because I have eaten so much sodium, plus I did track calories and I know a 7 pound FAT gain is not possible. Still a good wake up call, no matter what the reason for it.

I also take pics and measurements to balance it out for myself mentally.