Afraid to Get on Scale

1alaalex
1alaalex Posts: 9
in Motivation and Support
Does anyone have anxiety about getting on the scale besides me? Everytime I think about it, my chest gets heavy! I am trying to over come this but it is hard. I keep telling myself no matter what the scale says to don't give up. I don't want to do what I have done in the past.....get upset and just eat my sorrows away. :cry:

Love to hear advice and personal experiences!

Replies

  • Ladysquire
    Ladysquire Posts: 61 Member
    I am actually quite anxious to get on the scale but only since following a normal healthy diet. Previously I've always been into fad diets that pretty much guarantee weight loss (making me miserable in the process) so I knew that I would lose weight. Since signing up to MFP and eating just a regular healthy diet I must say I've been worried about getting on the scale simply because I'm not hungry..... I'm not punishing myself with 500 cals a day so I keep thinking I won't lose weight. Ridiculous I know!

    I will say though that if I did get on the scale one week and nothing changed that I honestly woudn't feel disheartened because for the first time EVER I'm very aware of the fact that I'm in it for the long haul and this is just the way I eat now. The weight will come off just not in 2 months :)
  • 1alaalex
    1alaalex Posts: 9
    I get on the scale next Wednesday for my first weigh in! Even if it is one pound, I am going to celebrate!
  • eve7166
    eve7166 Posts: 218 Member
    I get scared too! :( LOL. When I started MFP again it took me 2 weeks to get my starting weight! LOL
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
    I hate it too!!
  • 120weeks
    120weeks Posts: 242 Member
    You don't have to weigh yourself. I didn't weigh myself for the first 10 weeks of this. I swear. I just stuck to my plan and did the best I could. I weighed myself and measured myself and took pictures to compare to day 1. Everything was going in the right direction, my clothes felt so comfortable on me.....so I just kept going.

    I was like you at one time. I let the scale affect my mood. But you don't have to live like that anymore. I wish you all the best :flowerforyou:
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Does anyone have anxiety about getting on the scale besides me? Everytime I think about it, my chest gets heavy! I am trying to over come this but it is hard. I keep telling myself no matter what the scale says to don't give up. I don't want to do what I have done in the past.....get upset and just eat my sorrows away. :cry:

    Love to hear advice and personal experiences!

    YUP. We've all been there. I even hate it now in maintenance and I've learned to not use it anymore, someday when you reach your goal I think it's important to let the tool go and learn to use the mirror and how your clothes fit, but unfortunately it's a necessary tool for weight loss.

    Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

    Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

    The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    Does anyone have anxiety about getting on the scale besides me? Everytime I think about it, my chest gets heavy! I am trying to over come this but it is hard. I keep telling myself no matter what the scale says to don't give up. I don't want to do what I have done in the past.....get upset and just eat my sorrows away. :cry:

    Love to hear advice and personal experiences!

    YUP. We've all been there. I even hate it now in maintenance and I've learned to not use it anymore, someday when you reach your goal I think it's important to let the tool go and learn to use the mirror and how your clothes fit, but unfortunately it's a necessary tool for weight loss.

    Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

    Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

    The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.

    All good advice, though I would advise OP to face her fear and get on that scale. I would even go so far as to advocate weighing yourself regularly. If not daily, than at least a couple of times a week. The more often you weigh yourself, the less you will fear it.
  • bluechip777
    bluechip777 Posts: 160 Member
    NO fear, girl --- You're in Charge whoop!
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    Don't weigh...measure.
  • joeamendiola
    joeamendiola Posts: 54
    In the beginning (or whenever you don't like the result). Tell yourself; "That can't be right. Then use it to work harder. When ever you lose anything, then you use it as encouragement. Progress is all that matters, no matter how little. I will celebrate a 1/10 of a pound lost. Just don't celebrate with cake.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    In the beginning (or whenever you don't like the result). Tell yourself; "That can't be right. Then use it to work harder. When ever you lose anything, then you use it as encouragement. Progress is all that matters, no matter how little. I will celebrate a 1/10 of a pound lost. Just don't celebrate with cake.
    So true! I celebrate by shopping lol. Buy new clothes or get your hair done as a treat. Don't reward yourself with food. That only defeats all the work you've done. I set small goals for myself. Example: first 10 pounds lost I got a hair cut. After the next ten my husband and I went to the movies. After I lost another 10 pounds I had to get new clothes. Got a few new bras and girly things. My next goal is to get out of the 180's and into the 170 mark and that will mean a new pair of boots for mommy!!! woo hoo!! come on 2 more pounds!! momma wants a new pair of boots!!
  • whitelaurel
    whitelaurel Posts: 162 Member
    Hm... I've been apprehensive towards the scale, but only when it's after a REALLY bad day. You just have to have confidence in your good habits. Use the scale to motivate you to get into better habits.

    For example, sometimes I don't lose weight even though I know I've been netting 1200~1400 calories every day in a week, going to the gym and jogging 4-5 times a week... It's frustrating not to see a loss after all that! But none of it was pointless. If my body feels better and stronger and I feel like I'm looking better and I'm sticking to my plan... Then all I have to do is think, 'So is this water weight, muscle weight, indigestion, ToM, ate before getting on the scale, or something else beyond my control? If yes, proceed with abandon! If no, reevaluate habits.' :)

    Don't be afraid of the scale. Try and get out of that ASAP. That's a loop that never stops spinning you around.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    I both dread and love the scale.

    It's horrible when you get on and there's NO CHANGE or, worse yet, an increase. Ugh.

    I had to cut back to weighing only once a month for awhile. Now I"m back to once a week and I REFUSE to let it affect my mood.

    Might I suggest breaking out a tape measure. Measure yourself once a month and weigh every other week? As things start to go down you'll find your fear easing off. :)

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