4 Signs It's Time to Step Off the Scale
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IsMollyReallyHungry
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4 Signs It's Time to Step Off the Scale
Does Weight Weigh Heavily on Your Mind?
-- By Jason Anderson, Certified Personal Trainer
It cannot talk yet it speaks to you. Some days it makes you giddy with delight. Other days it puts you into a deep depression. It judges you on a superficial level. The thought of it is enough to worry even the most optimistic person. What am I talking about? The notorious bathroom scale.
What is with this obsession we have with the scale? For most people, the scale can be an adversary or an ally, depending on the day. We often hate what it says or argue with it, but we still feel the desire to use it. When used properly and taken for what it is, it can actually be a very useful tool for weight management. But for many, the scale does more than measure the total weight of all your various parts. It somehow defines who you are as a person. And sadly, it can determine your own self-worth. We read way too much into this single-purposed tool.
Here are four signs that you might put too much weight on weighing in:
** 1. You constantly worry about weighing in.
When you're trying to lose weight, it's normal to experience some hesitation when it's time for your weekly weigh in. After all, you want to see the numbers go down as confirmation that all of your hard work has paid off. We all want to be rewarded for our efforts, and it can be discouraging when you have done everything right and things still don’t pan out. However, if you find yourself preoccupied with worrisome thoughts of what the scale is going to say tomorrow or the next day, then you might be a little too obsessed with the scale.
By Jason Anderson, Certified Personal Trainer
**2. You weigh in more than once per day.
Most recommends weighing in once a week (or even less). Ever wonder why it's not a good idea to do it more often? Your body weight can and will fluctuate from day to day, and change throughout a single day, too. There is no sense in putting yourself on that roller coaster of ups and downs. In the war on weight, if you become so concerned that you weigh yourself daily or several times a day, you are fighting a losing battle and you will be discouraged. If you feel like you can't control yourself or stop yourself from weighing in each day, then you could be headed for trouble.
**3. You can recite your weight to the nearest fraction at all times.
This is a sure sign that you are relying too heavily on the scale. Anyone who can tell you not only how much she weighs each day, but measures her weight loss to the nearest quarter of a pound is probably weighing in too often. There is nothing wrong with wanting to see a lower number on the scale, even if it's a quarter pound lower, but remember that weighing in is more about trends (an average decrease or consistency in weight over time).
**4. The scale determines how you feel about yourself for the day.
When the number is down, you step off the scale singing and have a jump in your step all day. When the number goes up (or stays the same when you expected a loss), you feel like Charlie Brown walking around with a rain cloud above your head. To me, this is the saddest situation of all—to let the scale dictate how you should feel. How would you feel about yourself if you hadn't weighed in that day? What other ways would you determine your self-worth if weight didn't exist?
If one (or all) of these situations sound familiar to you, it's time to step away from the scale. Go cold turkey. Or at the very least, weigh in less often. But what's a "compulsive weigher" to do?
Instead letting the scale alone determine whether you're a success or failure, use more reliable measures to determine your progress. My philosophy is that weight loss is not a goal, but the result of healthy habits like a better diet and regular exercise. When you do step on the scale and don't see the reading you had hoped for, ask yourself these questions: Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? Am I making healthy food choices most of the time? Am I exercising consistently? If you are, then rust that your body is making positive changes, and the results will come. If you are not, then resolve to be consistent in healthy behaviors to see the results you want.
Weighing yourself is definitely helpful and it has its place. Just make sure you don’t go overboard and give too much credence to this one measurement! After all, other measures (like how much energy you have, how much easier it is to climb a flight of stairs, or how well your clothes fit) might not be as precise or scientific, but they're sure to make you feel happier and more successful than a scale ever can.
Does Weight Weigh Heavily on Your Mind?
-- By Jason Anderson, Certified Personal Trainer
It cannot talk yet it speaks to you. Some days it makes you giddy with delight. Other days it puts you into a deep depression. It judges you on a superficial level. The thought of it is enough to worry even the most optimistic person. What am I talking about? The notorious bathroom scale.
What is with this obsession we have with the scale? For most people, the scale can be an adversary or an ally, depending on the day. We often hate what it says or argue with it, but we still feel the desire to use it. When used properly and taken for what it is, it can actually be a very useful tool for weight management. But for many, the scale does more than measure the total weight of all your various parts. It somehow defines who you are as a person. And sadly, it can determine your own self-worth. We read way too much into this single-purposed tool.
Here are four signs that you might put too much weight on weighing in:
** 1. You constantly worry about weighing in.
When you're trying to lose weight, it's normal to experience some hesitation when it's time for your weekly weigh in. After all, you want to see the numbers go down as confirmation that all of your hard work has paid off. We all want to be rewarded for our efforts, and it can be discouraging when you have done everything right and things still don’t pan out. However, if you find yourself preoccupied with worrisome thoughts of what the scale is going to say tomorrow or the next day, then you might be a little too obsessed with the scale.
By Jason Anderson, Certified Personal Trainer
**2. You weigh in more than once per day.
Most recommends weighing in once a week (or even less). Ever wonder why it's not a good idea to do it more often? Your body weight can and will fluctuate from day to day, and change throughout a single day, too. There is no sense in putting yourself on that roller coaster of ups and downs. In the war on weight, if you become so concerned that you weigh yourself daily or several times a day, you are fighting a losing battle and you will be discouraged. If you feel like you can't control yourself or stop yourself from weighing in each day, then you could be headed for trouble.
**3. You can recite your weight to the nearest fraction at all times.
This is a sure sign that you are relying too heavily on the scale. Anyone who can tell you not only how much she weighs each day, but measures her weight loss to the nearest quarter of a pound is probably weighing in too often. There is nothing wrong with wanting to see a lower number on the scale, even if it's a quarter pound lower, but remember that weighing in is more about trends (an average decrease or consistency in weight over time).
**4. The scale determines how you feel about yourself for the day.
When the number is down, you step off the scale singing and have a jump in your step all day. When the number goes up (or stays the same when you expected a loss), you feel like Charlie Brown walking around with a rain cloud above your head. To me, this is the saddest situation of all—to let the scale dictate how you should feel. How would you feel about yourself if you hadn't weighed in that day? What other ways would you determine your self-worth if weight didn't exist?
If one (or all) of these situations sound familiar to you, it's time to step away from the scale. Go cold turkey. Or at the very least, weigh in less often. But what's a "compulsive weigher" to do?
Instead letting the scale alone determine whether you're a success or failure, use more reliable measures to determine your progress. My philosophy is that weight loss is not a goal, but the result of healthy habits like a better diet and regular exercise. When you do step on the scale and don't see the reading you had hoped for, ask yourself these questions: Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? Am I making healthy food choices most of the time? Am I exercising consistently? If you are, then rust that your body is making positive changes, and the results will come. If you are not, then resolve to be consistent in healthy behaviors to see the results you want.
Weighing yourself is definitely helpful and it has its place. Just make sure you don’t go overboard and give too much credence to this one measurement! After all, other measures (like how much energy you have, how much easier it is to climb a flight of stairs, or how well your clothes fit) might not be as precise or scientific, but they're sure to make you feel happier and more successful than a scale ever can.
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Replies
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Good post!! I am not too obsessed with weighing in, but I do let a scale reading improve or worsten my day... silly, but it happens!0
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I only "officially" weigh in once a week... but now I am mad at my scale... this morning it told me I gained 30 pounds in 5days! Think it's malfunctioning?? LOL
Btw... excellant post!0 -
Great Post!0
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Good post..................
I do weigh in every day but it is very helpful to me. It doesn't change my mood at all.
I can feel what my weight will be, I know when it will be up or down and I don't get discouraged. If it's up, I feel great and try harder, if it is down I STILL try harder. I know this isn't good for most but it keeps ME focused.
H.A.N.D. ~~~~ (Have A Nice Day):bigsmile:0 -
thanks for posting.
I really need to work on some things!0 -
Great post Mollie!! Thanks! I admit it, I am addicted to my sclae! But I've been trying to lay off!!0
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I will not lie....I step on my scale every single morning.
I only take into effect the number on Sunday (that is when I officially record any loss or gain)
When I have gained a little bit here and there between my weigh-in days I don't let it get me down.
It makes me re-examine what I am eating and how much effort am I really putting into my workouts.
Good article.0 -
Wonderful post!0
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Great post!! I only weight in once a week now. It is hard ..0
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i steer clear of the scale unless i am weighing at the Dr. i go twice a month so i am ok with that. Great post Molly!0
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Good post 0
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Guilty as charged! I haven't weighed in for over 3 weeks because unless the scale tells me what I feel I deserve to see, I get really discouraged (and it destroys my motivation)...............so best for me to just keep doing what I'm doing and maybe weigh in next week. Maybe not.0
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Sometimes it's so hard not to let the scale determine how I feel.
I just have to keep things in perspective.
Thanks for sharing! 0 -
I will not lie....I step on my scale every single morning.
I only take into effect the number on Sunday (that is when I officially record any loss or gain)
When I have gained a little bit here and there between my weigh-in days I don't let it get me down.
It makes me re-examine what I am eating and how much effort am I really putting into my workouts.
Good article.
this is the same for me. I do not get upset and it does not spoil my day. It keeps me in check and on track.0 -
Sometimes it's so hard not to let the scale determine how I feel.
I just have to keep things in perspective.
Thanks for sharing!
It takes practice because I use to be the same way but not anymore and I do weigh daily too, but only once a day in the morning after going to bathroom and totally naked. If I know I ate something really saltly I may skip one day if I know I am not in the mood to see a high number. But most days I say OK up because of this and usally it is true and down in 2 days or down even further depending on exercise, etc. Before I had WLS they had us weighing daily and I learned so much from weighing daily, it was amazing. I learned what type of foods cause true gains, etc. Every time I try to weigh weekly I end up with a gain because I lose site of my focus. But this definitely does not work for everyone.0 -
Great post as always mollie. I step on the scale maybe twice a day sometimes. I don't let it affect me but its just a habit i have developed. I honestly think i expect it to say I still way 300 lbs one day. I still just can't believe I'm actually losing weight.
However, I only officially weigh in and document my weight once a week.0 -
I've been trying to change my attitude about weight loss for a while.
I used to weigh myself three or four times a day and get so upset if the number was up by a point or two. Now I'm trying to focus on getting healthy and realizing how unrealistic my goal weight was.0 -
Great post as always mollie. I step on the scale maybe twice a day sometimes. I don't let it affect me but its just a habit i have developed. I honestly think i expect it to say I still way 300 lbs one day. I still just can't believe I'm actually losing weight.
However, I only officially weigh in and document my weight once a week.
You are doing it!! and as long as you stay mindful you will reach your goals! You can gain weight so quickly, so good you caught yourself. Maintenance can be a killer also, but I plan to maintain my weight this time around.0 -
This helped so much Thank you0
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This helped so much Thank you
Great!!! I know it was long but definitely helps us when we get obsessive about the scale or upset. Hang in there you are doing good!!0
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