Scale Addiction?

Is anyone else addicted to getting on the scale? I don't know what it is, but until yesterday I would seriously get on the scale 5+ times a day. I saw Jillian M. on Dr. Oz the other talking about this and how it can be really bad for weight loss cause if the scale is "too high" you might starve yourself, sending your body into fight or flight mode. Makes so much sense. I had my husband hide the scale from me and am going to weigh in only once a month, when I do my measurements.

Just wanted to see if I am a weirdo or not, lol.

Replies

  • Nico_the_enabler
    Nico_the_enabler Posts: 123 Member
    YES!! but weird is better than being a lemming :P. You're not the only one. I can kinda keep it down to twice a week now. But it has been known to be daily or after every bathroom visit. Husband threatened to hide the scales if I didn't stop. So its just mondays and thursdays pretty much now. Its hugely addictive. So I understand? Anyways. Go you for lasting a month.. I would be off finding a pharmacy with scales in it after a week. lolol.
  • HAHA! I say a month, but who knows if that's how long it will really be :wink:

    Glad there are others like me!
  • dlcarroll13
    dlcarroll13 Posts: 65 Member
    I do weigh daily and record in an app called "libra weight"...it tracks the trends and shows it graphically. Its kinda nice to see the general downward trend so the individual weights don't get to me. But more than once a day...no...I'd drive myself crazy.
  • imstrong4me
    imstrong4me Posts: 119
    once a month is too long I do it every morning but im gonna stop weighing myself bc im up to 210 I was 207 2 days ago im getting discourage Im gonna start weighing myself on sundays like I did when I first started
  • mcdebbie
    mcdebbie Posts: 940 Member
    I am addicted to weighing everyday during the week but never even think about it on the weekends. I don't think I could go a month without weighing.
  • avababy05
    avababy05 Posts: 930 Member
    I'm not weighing at all this month.I too am addicted to the scale.

    My logical brain knows the numbers don't mean all that much but a couple pounds can drive me crazy.

    A typical day of weighing for me would be : Weigh myself as soon as I get up,go to the bathroom,weigh myself,workout,weigh myself,take a shower,weigh myself,go to work,come home,weigh myself.

    It can make you crazy!
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    I do weigh daily and record in an app called "libra weight"...it tracks the trends and shows it graphically. Its kinda nice to see the general downward trend so the individual weights don't get to me. But more than once a day...no...I'd drive myself crazy.

    I use that same app and weigh daily first thing in the morning
  • baileybiddles
    baileybiddles Posts: 457 Member
    Absolutely! This happened to me the last time I tried to lose weight, about a year ago, and caused me to give up.

    I would highly recommend weighing yourself once a week rather than once a month. Set a day. Mine is Monday. Weigh yourself when you wake up, only after using the bathroom, and be completely naked. There's your most accurate body weight.
  • I'm not weighing at all this month.I too am addicted to the scale.

    My logical brain knows the numbers don't mean all that much but a couple pounds can drive me crazy.

    A typical day of weighing for me would be : Weigh myself as soon as I get up,go to the bathroom,weigh myself,workout,weigh myself,take a shower,weigh myself,go to work,come home,weigh myself.

    It can make you crazy!

    OMG this sounds like me!!!!!
  • I really shouldn't say once a month, because it would be too hard to track progress. Once a week is better. Better yet, before the weekend and after the weekend so I can see if there is a trend there :) lol
  • TKRV
    TKRV Posts: 165 Member
    One summer during college, I weighed myself every single morning. Sometimes at night to. That number determined what I ate for the day. If it was the same or lower, I'd eat normal. If it was even one pound higher, it was salad all day long.

    Now, this just goes to show you how much I knew about how weight changes. I was not happy at the end of that summer, needless to say. Being on the scale every day defiantly had a negative affect on my health and self esteem.

    That being said, I do still weigh myself often, but I don't freak out over every pound. My scale also measures body fat, so that helps. I don't really care if my weight goes up a bit so long as the fat goes down. I honestly value the fat percentage number more than the weight.
  • mamax5
    mamax5 Posts: 414 Member
    I keep forgetting to weigh myself :(
    I don't have a scale at home so I weigh at the gym. My problem is I am so excited to start cardio that I forget to weigh in.lol
  • cook6609
    cook6609 Posts: 182 Member
    I will honestly say that I got crazy addicted to the scale these past 4 weeks. I was doing the 30 Day Shred, and the scale did not move for me. The worst part was that I was 202 lbs. Just 3 lbs to being in One-derland, so that really added to the "addiction". Finally, after starting level 3, it started to move. I finally dropped to 199 lbs last week!! I was sooo excited about it that I seriously kept stepping on the scale every hour just because the number was absolutely beautiful to someone like me who has been above 200 for more than 5 years.... Earlier this week, I started to get crazy because I was ready to see the scale continue to move down. I tried to calm myself, but I really became obsessed earlier this week. I think what really threw me off was the fact that I went 3 weeks without losing anything due to the 30 Day Shred (I was losing inches which helped to keep me motivated and to stick with it... just completed it yesterday). Another thing that has caused a problem (especially with this week), is that I didn't have my weight loss class this past Monday. We would weigh in on Mondays (I weigh on Fridays on MFP). It's nice to see another downward trend to remind me that I am doing the right things. Since I didn't see that this week, it kinda threw me off. Well, officially this morning I've dropped another 2 lbs from last Friday. I'm excited to weigh tomorrow and see what the scale says. I'm just glad that it's finally moving in the right direction...lol... Although, I have to admit that I'm still get on it all the time due to the fact that I am now 200 lbs in the evening after eating!!! That's also another good reminder for me since I remember being at 205 and 203 in the evenings!!! Hopefully, my addiction will subside now...lol
  • jade2112
    jade2112 Posts: 272 Member
    Is anyone else addicted to getting on the scale? I don't know what it is, but until yesterday I would seriously get on the scale 5+ times a day. I saw Jillian M. on Dr. Oz the other talking about this and how it can be really bad for weight loss cause if the scale is "too high" you might starve yourself, sending your body into fight or flight mode. Makes so much sense. I had my husband hide the scale from me and am going to weigh in only once a month, when I do my measurements.

    Just wanted to see if I am a weirdo or not, lol.

    I even brought a scale to work and weigh when I feel I need to. It's an obsession and I don't like it much.
  • dmb0114
    dmb0114 Posts: 49
    I do weigh daily and record in an app called "libra weight"...it tracks the trends and shows it graphically. Its kinda nice to see the general downward trend so the individual weights don't get to me.

    I like this idea! Definitely going to check the app out. Thanks!
  • favhrnstr
    favhrnstr Posts: 55
    I really shouldn't say once a month, because it would be too hard to track progress. Once a week is better. Better yet, before the weekend and after the weekend so I can see if there is a trend there :) lol

    But remember that if you're a bit naughty on weekends (like with sodium-laden restaurant meals), you could see a water weight bump, not a true fat weight bump. So don't end up starving yourself Mondays!
  • IIISpartacusIII
    IIISpartacusIII Posts: 252 Member
    Once a day, first thing in the morning (after bowel movements) and buck nekit! Control all the possible variables so that you get some real numbers to work with but after that it's pointless to weigh in again since a number of variable will factor in such as: food, clothing, fluids consumed, water retention, etc. I personally like to see in which direction I'm heading so I can make adjustments before the week ends and I've lost a week if I haven't lost any weight. If you're not on a schedule and in no particular rush to lose weight this is going to seem excessive. I don't like waiting around to see just how fat my *kitten* got before summer so I prefer the preemptive strike (Tsun Zu : Art of War).
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    No, I'm not. I weigh myself once a day, but am not horrified with high numbers. I generally know why I get them (high sodium meals, TOM etc.). If I am away from my house and scale for several days I am not anxious or thinking about it all the time. I'm interested to see the number when I get back but not concerned.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    You have to be careful not to get obsessed to a point where it becomes your main way of keeping track of progress. I have sort of lost interest in daily weigh-ins now--I mostly go by how clothes fit and how I look in the mirror, and more importantly, by my progress in lifting and running.
  • bethlaf
    bethlaf Posts: 954 Member
    i weigh daily, because it keeps me in check , i hydrate extensively though , so i know all about "water weight"

    but i see the "scale obsession" starting with my DH , he has 150 to lose though , so its a different scenario
  • Looking at the scale every morning helps motivate me. I find that I benefit from a constant measure of progress, but I have heard that it can hurt a lot of people because they become obsessed. My mother will weigh herself 3 or 4 times a day.
  • Rockstar_JILL
    Rockstar_JILL Posts: 514 Member
    I weigh myself every morning...but only track the weight on Friday's....up or down...whatever it is....I am basically in maintenance now, I think, so I just wanna make sure I don't go up too much. :) Keeps me in check!
  • Sharkington
    Sharkington Posts: 485
    I do not keep a scale in my home anymore because I would step on that scale obsessively - and it's true that is can really mess with you psychologically. I know some people can easily keep a scale in their home and only step on it once a week or less, but I had a hard time staying off that thing. I think I would be much better about it now, but I also do not want to feel tempted to start counting that number again. :ohwell:
  • I will honestly say that I got crazy addicted to the scale these past 4 weeks. I was doing the 30 Day Shred, and the scale did not move for me. The worst part was that I was 202 lbs. Just 3 lbs to being in One-derland, so that really added to the "addiction". Finally, after starting level 3, it started to move. I finally dropped to 199 lbs last week!! I was sooo excited about it that I seriously kept stepping on the scale every hour just because the number was absolutely beautiful to someone like me who has been above 200 for more than 5 years.... Earlier this week, I started to get crazy because I was ready to see the scale continue to move down. I tried to calm myself, but I really became obsessed earlier this week. I think what really threw me off was the fact that I went 3 weeks without losing anything due to the 30 Day Shred (I was losing inches which helped to keep me motivated and to stick with it... just completed it yesterday). Another thing that has caused a problem (especially with this week), is that I didn't have my weight loss class this past Monday. We would weigh in on Mondays (I weigh on Fridays on MFP). It's nice to see another downward trend to remind me that I am doing the right things. Since I didn't see that this week, it kinda threw me off. Well, officially this morning I've dropped another 2 lbs from last Friday. I'm excited to weigh tomorrow and see what the scale says. I'm just glad that it's finally moving in the right direction...lol... Although, I have to admit that I'm still get on it all the time due to the fact that I am now 200 lbs in the evening after eating!!! That's also another good reminder for me since I remember being at 205 and 203 in the evenings!!! Hopefully, my addiction will subside now...lol

    WOOOO!! That is a huge accomplishment! Keep it up!
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I am probably one of the few who prefers to step on the scale daily. I like seeing water weight gains and such. I know that if the scale goes up a few pounds overnight that it's water weight. It doesn't affect my eating habits or my exercise.

    What would bother me:

    Week 1 weigh day - 205lbs
    Week 2 weigh day - 207lbs
    It would bother me not to know if that was water weight or not.

    But seeing a pattern like:

    Day 0 - 207.4
    Day 1 - 206.4
    Day 2 - 206.8
    Day 3 - 207.8
    Day 4 - 207.8
    Day 5 - 207.4
    Day 6 - 207.8
    Day 7 - 207.8
    Day 8 - 205.4

    This doesn't bother me. I chart it with excel, and over all my weight is going down. I can see the effect of my strength training and the effect of high sodium intake. Where is if I were to weigh on Day 0 and then again on Day 7, I would think what I was doing wasn't working and thus further restrict my calories.

    But this is just my mindset. I prefer more data.
  • Bonny619
    Bonny619 Posts: 311 Member
    I have always been a huge fan of weighing everyday. It worked for me for the past 2 years. But just today I put the scale away. I'm not weighing until May 1st. I have been focusing way too much on what the scale will say the next day and it's been stressing me out. I'm excited and feel a little free right now!
  • Mtleiker
    Mtleiker Posts: 160
    I'm not weighing at all this month.I too am addicted to the scale.

    My logical brain knows the numbers don't mean all that much but a couple pounds can drive me crazy.

    A typical day of weighing for me would be : Weigh myself as soon as I get up,go to the bathroom,weigh myself,workout,weigh myself,take a shower,weigh myself,go to work,come home,weigh myself.

    It can make you crazy!
    i think once a month or even twice is great. im waaaay addicted and have the same weigh in schedule. i think that using a tape measure would be more than enough at this point. im at a plateau so the scale is really taking away my motivation. in fact im gnna measure myself today , haven't done tht in a while.