Screw The Scale

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FitnessOver50
FitnessOver50 Posts: 35
in Health and Weight Loss
Do you use a scale on a regular basis? If you do STOP right now.

In fact, consider throwing it out. Whether you weigh 5 pounds more or less, who really cares?

I stopped using my scale some time ago. Frankly, I really don’t care whether I weigh 175 or 190 lbs. What I do care about is how that weight looks on me. So, if I am looking at a toned body in the mirror with no fat, I really don’t care about how much it weighs. If, I see a body that isn’t toned and looks like the Pillsbury Doughboy, I really care. It means I am doing something wrong.

Something to keep in mind. As you begin and continue on with an exercise routine, you will be replacing fat with muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat but obviously looks better. So if you use a scale on a regular basis, you could be setting yourself up for some frustration. That isn’t what you need or want when you are starting out.

I have even thrown the tape measure out. I can tell my body has changed by how my clothes fit. Shortly after starting to improve my diet and starting to exercise, I went down a pant size. The collars on my shirts began to get loose. So, I didn’t need a tape measure to tell me what was happening.

So my fitness tip for today is short and sweet. Stop using the scale and the tape measure. Use the mirror instead. You will be able to tell right away if you are heading in the right direction. Seeing even the slightest change will be uplifting and extremely motivating.
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Replies

  • mamacassi
    mamacassi Posts: 131
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    Without the scale I don't believe I lost anything. A lot of people see themselves differently, sort of a michael jackson thing. I agree if you obsess, but honestly I have to.
  • mamacassi
    mamacassi Posts: 131
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    Without the scale I don't believe I lost anything. A lot of people see themselves differently, sort of a michael jackson thing. I agree if you obsess, but honestly I have to.
  • guidosgal
    guidosgal Posts: 581 Member
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    Very Very Wise words :heart: I am a scale addict ( which is not a good thing) I have been stuck for a month :grumble: so I worry and fret and worry somemore. What am I doing wrong why am I stuck. BlahBlahBlah :ohwell: Then I thought well dummy stay off the stupid scale :huh: So I will be in your class and take your words of wisdom and (Back away from the scale) Thanks for putting it in writing :bigsmile:
  • mhesterruns
    mhesterruns Posts: 49
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    I agree that sometimes the scale holds a too much power over us on this journey. It is a combination of the scale, tape measureer and mirror image that best tell of your success.
    HOWEVER, I have never met a doctor who agrees with that sentiment:)
  • FabulousFifty
    FabulousFifty Posts: 1,575 Member
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    I totally agree with you. I posted a blog on this very subject a couple months ago. I am only weighing in on Sundays. If that scale shows a pound or two gain, I tend to throw in the towel. I take a closer look at how my jeans fit, how loose my wedding ring is, and puffiness (or lack of) in my face. There are more than one ways of measuring success! Thanks for reminding us of this!:smile:
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I agree that if you obsess, it can frustrate and stress you out. I only weigh every few days just so I can keep track of it on here and see where I am in relation to my goals.
  • FabulousFifty
    FabulousFifty Posts: 1,575 Member
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    Great minds think alike! :happy: Check out my Feb. blog...:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/FabulousFifty/view/farewell-to-my-dearest-scale-17010
  • atouchet
    atouchet Posts: 24
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    I agree that we shouldn't become a slave to the scale, but I do appreciate the accountability in which I'm held every morning when I check the scale. I know I make healthier choices at meal time when I know I have to answer to the scale in the morning. That being said, I don't fret when I've gained 2-5 lbs from one day to the next when I know I've been doing everything I can to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

    Different strokes for different folks. My scale is my numerical pep talk in the morning.....
  • ♥seoid♥
    ♥seoid♥ Posts: 476
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    I disagree.
  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
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    Although I still weigh once a week, I will say that I agree that the scale is not the end all.

    When I weighed 130 lb, before really exercising, I was a size 6.

    Now at 142 lb, I am a loose size 5.

    The exercising, running, weights, toning, have definitely made a difference. My endurance level is way off the charts now and I'm doing things physically now that I never was doing when I was 130. All this with an extra 12 lb.

    So for me, my goal is to fit into a pair of pants I have in my drawer that I have had not been able to get into for a few years. Then I will know I have reached my "vanity weight", whatever the scale might say.
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
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    I'm about sick of it too. In the beginning, it was important to see progress, but now I am happy with my body and I don't care if I ever get to goal (like 4 lbs. away). I wear a baggy size 8, so why should I care anymore? I hateeeeee the scale although no one seems to agree with me but you :)
  • ♥seoid♥
    ♥seoid♥ Posts: 476
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    My reasoning is that I go by the BMI range. It doesn't ask what size you are. It calculates your height and weight. Just my two cents. No one has to agree either way. Everyone has their own opinion.
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
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    I agree with you screw the scale. But I have been shamefully bowing to it b/c I am so eager to hit the 100lb lost mark.
  • gummibaehr
    gummibaehr Posts: 143
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    Might work for you, but would never work for me! No matter how much weight I lose or how good people tell me I look, I still see the overweight woman in the mirror. :-\ It's my own personal demon that I have to overcome and the numbers help with that. Seeing numbers go down, be it on the scale, the tape measure, or the clothing label, helps me believe in my success even if I have trouble seeing it in the mirror.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    The problem is not with the scale or measuring tape. The problem is how people let what the scale or measuring tape reports affect them negatively.

    While I completely agree that the most important thing is feeling and looking healthy and if you do, then who cares what the number is, I also think that weighing and measuring can be a great way to track your progress and keep you in check. But, before the scale can do that for you, you have to come to terms with the fact that daily fluctuations do happen and are normal. :smile:
    Edit: typo
  • HealthyKt78
    HealthyKt78 Posts: 439
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    I disagree. I don't see ANY difference when I look in the mirror. I have to go by the scale. Your weight will have fluctuations and you may not measure in the same place when you're measuring around your waist as you did the last time but it is still the most reliable way their is to track your progress. People see different things when they look in the mirror. One store's size 6 may be another's size 10. There's nothing consistent when you're only measuring yourself that way. If that's what helps you lose weight then great but for people who need to rely on solid empirical data like myself, there's no way that would work.
  • aerobicgirl
    aerobicgirl Posts: 354 Member
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    I have to weigh myself it keeps me on track. for instance if i don't weigh myself my mind says eat whatever you want. but if i weigh myself on a weekly basis. it reminds me that i can keep doing what i am doing or change things up a bit. my thats my mental note anyway. again it just keeps me on track.
  • kimmyonherway
    kimmyonherway Posts: 35 Member
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    the scale is the devil
  • Sparksfly
    Sparksfly Posts: 470 Member
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    I need to weigh myself regularly or get scared of the scale! I have gone months without weighing myself for fear of what the number might be...crazy I know, but if I keep weighing in like once a week I can keep track better.
  • whyflysouth
    whyflysouth Posts: 308 Member
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    It really depends on how little or how much you are trying to lose and how easily it comes off for you. For me it's very hard to tell a definite difference from just looking in the mirror. And the measuring tape is a problem b/c there are too many places to mess around (for instance, my mind messes w/ me and says are u sure u measured right the last time, am I sucking in, am I pushing out? am I going to tight with the tape, or too loose?). I'd like to use % body fat as the metrix but I don't trust myself, the spot might be different or maybe I'm squeezing too hard...yikes.

    So I think the best metrix is the weight that I lift when I lift, and the endurance I have when I exercise. If I can last 40 minutes on the elliptical and last week I could only do 30 min then I must be improving.

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