scale addict

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.

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).

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

why is this in success stories?

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.

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.