my scale hates me
mapnerd2005
Posts: 363
I'm yelling at myself right now....."GET OFF THE SCALE!!!!" because I've been on this journey a while, with a little detour for the past year or so, but I'm back on the right road now. I know I need to do weigh-ins about once a week. But the problem is my scale hates me. It won't budge. Some mornings (yes, I get on the blasted thing every day, which I know I should not) it goes up, especially if I had a particularly intense workout the evening before and am feeling sooorrrrrreeeeee.
Well, this morning I stepped on the scale. It hasn't budged in over a week, and this morning it went UP a pound. So the obvious answer is that it hates me. That's all. I went and got dressed, put my jeans on and they were a little loose in the waist. Progress! I put my shirt on and it was a little looser in the sleeves. Progress! My clothes like me, my scale just hates me.
I also know I was way over on sodium yesterday. And today. And everyday. I don't add any salt to any food, but I do eat some processed foods that are high in sodium and I LOVE buffalo sauce, and I am craving it, so I'm eating it today. I will drink more water.
I am also SORE today, like holy cow, my armpits are sore. I didn't even remember I had muscles in my armpits. But I used them last night, and it felt good. And I know repairing muscles hold on to water and electrolites for the repair process. So maybe that pound is a sign of progress.........but the scale still hates me.
I'm also a female, and thinking about where I am in my cycle (yep, guys, deal with it - we don't like it either). The low-grade nauseousness and sore boobs have set in (there, I said boobs, that makes up for me talking about PMS, right?), and I know my body likes to hold onto a little extra in the 2nd half of my cycle....
But my scale still hates me. I will not give up. I will not back down. I stand up to bullies. I will continue to face this bully every single day. And I will make notes to drink more water today. And I will try to cut some sodium out of my diet. And I will keep walking to work like I do every day. And my jeans will be a little loser. And the next thing I know they will fall off. And hopefully my scale will change and come to love me.
Well, this morning I stepped on the scale. It hasn't budged in over a week, and this morning it went UP a pound. So the obvious answer is that it hates me. That's all. I went and got dressed, put my jeans on and they were a little loose in the waist. Progress! I put my shirt on and it was a little looser in the sleeves. Progress! My clothes like me, my scale just hates me.
I also know I was way over on sodium yesterday. And today. And everyday. I don't add any salt to any food, but I do eat some processed foods that are high in sodium and I LOVE buffalo sauce, and I am craving it, so I'm eating it today. I will drink more water.
I am also SORE today, like holy cow, my armpits are sore. I didn't even remember I had muscles in my armpits. But I used them last night, and it felt good. And I know repairing muscles hold on to water and electrolites for the repair process. So maybe that pound is a sign of progress.........but the scale still hates me.
I'm also a female, and thinking about where I am in my cycle (yep, guys, deal with it - we don't like it either). The low-grade nauseousness and sore boobs have set in (there, I said boobs, that makes up for me talking about PMS, right?), and I know my body likes to hold onto a little extra in the 2nd half of my cycle....
But my scale still hates me. I will not give up. I will not back down. I stand up to bullies. I will continue to face this bully every single day. And I will make notes to drink more water today. And I will try to cut some sodium out of my diet. And I will keep walking to work like I do every day. And my jeans will be a little loser. And the next thing I know they will fall off. And hopefully my scale will change and come to love me.
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Replies
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Love it! And I am right there with you!
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Sometimes I believe that my scale hates me also. I too have been weighing myself daily this week. It is not a good thing. Yesterday I was down and today I am up. It is completely frustrating. Don't give up and please stop weighing yourself daily. I just made a promise to myself to stop this as it only serves to frustrate me.0
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I get on it daily because like how much my weight fluctuates on a day to day basis. I am a researcher by nature, and in this journey I have my very own guinea pig (me). I take notes. I record things like mood, energy levels, body aches and pains, and how my hair feels. I compare those notes with my food and exercise diary. It has helped me learn more about my own body. I consider myself fortunate that I have noticed things like the 7 POUND (or stall) monthly fluctuation I experience because of my normal hormone cycle. (TMI coming up, guys may want to skip ahead to the next paragraph) I like it because it has helped me keep better track of my cycle, and I can predict the onset of my period almost to the HOUR.
That being said, I only record my weight once a week, and I weight myself at the same time every morning. As long as the trend is a downward one, I don't sweat it. Or I do sweat it (off) in my workouts!0 -
The scale is unbiased and is merely confirming the source of weight fluctuations you have noted. Don't let it get to you emotionally or else another adaptation, elevated cortisol, will further mask fat loss and induce even greater fluctuations and frustration.0
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Probably just water. After a huge workout water will be in your muscles to help them heal or something like that.
Anywho, if the scale is still mean next week, take it outside and beat it with a baseball bat, shovel, or drill. Then set it on fire. You'll feel better and get a good exercise! Win win. (ps you can add me as a friend if you want
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The scale is unbiased and is merely confirming the source of weight fluctuations you have noted. Don't let it get to you emotionally or else another adaptation, elevated cortisol, will further mask fat loss and induce even greater fluctuations and frustration.
Ah yes, the whole "inanimate objects are not capable of showing emotion" argument.
It kinda ruins the point of the post to point out the (maybe not so obvious) intent of saying, "hey, even though my scale isn't showing a loss, there are all these other measures of progress, and that the human body takes steps to help repair itself while making itself stronger, including retaining fluids". That's the "having to explain the joke" makes it less so, thing. Anyway, :drinker: raise your glass (of water)!0 -
Probably just water. After a huge workout water will be in your muscles to help them heal or something like that.
Anywho, if the scale is still mean next week, take it outside and beat it with a baseball bat, shovel, or drill. Then set it on fire. You'll feel better and get a good exercise! Win win. (ps you can add me as a friend if you want)
I will absolutely beat that thing with a bat if it doesn't start cooperating next week. It should be TOM anyway, I'll be looking to get rid of a little extra aggression and something to take my moodiness out on.0 -
Well if the clothes are getting looser and the weight is staying the same (or possibly going up) then the answer most likely is added muscle. We know muscle weighs more then fat so don't sweat it. You are the same weight in a smaller, tighter package!
=)P
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter0 -
Yep, muscle tissue is denser than fatty tissue, and the clothes are definitely fitting differently. I call it progress
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I will absolutely beat that thing with a bat if it doesn't start cooperating next week. It should be TOM anyway, I'll be looking to get rid of a little extra aggression and something to take my moodiness out on.
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You can borrow my bat. This morning I went to weigh in and the damn thing wasn't working. At first, I panicked and thought, oh my god I broke it I'm so big. And then common sense hit me that it was just broken. Now I'm upset at it for making me think such a horrible thought. Curse you scale!0 -
I made my husband hide my scale because I was an obsessive scale hopper! I'm only allowed on it on Monday now
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Mine hates me too and like you, I'm in the throes of PMS. It really sucks.0
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I made my husband hide my scale because I was an obsessive scale hopper! I'm only allowed on it on Monday now
ahhh, yeah, I don't have one of those "husband" things anymore. And if I hide something from myself, it's gone forever :-)0 -
Hey there
I'm having the same problem actually.
Just curious- do you use a digital or non-digital scale?
My husband and I have a digital scale and not only do the readings fluctuate, but our scale is insanely "off" from what my doctor's scale said when I went the other day. My scale made me 4 lbs heavier the SAME DAY that I weighed in at the Dr!.
So if you're using a digital scale, I might suggest switching back to the ole' non digi scale. That's what I'm doing ASAP. It's never failed me. I mean, I still freaking HATE all scales , lol , but the digital scales are so moody. If you're using a non-digital scale, then maybe then maybe it's time for an upgrade to a higher quality scale of the same type? Just a few suggestions. I know how frustrating it is to see that you made even the *slightest* progress, and then the next day see the weight (AND some) come right back. It might not be 100% biological. Machines are faulty 0 -
I just got on the scale this morning and ended up in tears. I am eating right (too low according to the log on some days) and I am up .6 pounds. I am about to throw in the towel, but i know that's not the answer. If anyone can help, I would appreciate. I just really need some encouragement today.0
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I just got on the scale this morning and ended up in tears. I am eating right (too low according to the log on some days) and I am up .6 pounds. I am about to throw in the towel, but i know that's not the answer. If anyone can help, I would appreciate. I just really need some encouragement today.
.6 pounds is nothing to worry about. This morning, yes, I hate getting on my (digital) scale and not seeing it drop 10 pounds overnight (wouldn't that be awesome???), but there were soooo many other signs of progress this morning that what the scale said didn't get me down. It is scientifically proven that the human body can fluctuate up to 5 lbs a day, that's why it is recommended to weight yourself at the same time of day when you do weight and not hop on the scale every 30 minutes (like I do, hahahaha). Don't give up. Look for other signs of progress (do a forum search of NSV - non-scale victories), because it is very likely they are there. Make sure you eat enough. I know it's hard when you want to see progress. Last night after my workout I know I probably should've eaten more than I did, but I was not hungry and it was hard enough to eat the dinner and snack I had planned for the day prior to working out. Stick to it. It will happen. I started this journey a long time ago and lost over 100 pounds. I didn't follow through to my final goal, and when I gained 20 back I decided it was time to jump back on the wagon and get through to my final goal....which is to be in excellent shape no matter what my weight.
Here is what progress can look like:
BEFORE: April, 2009
At my lowest of my adult life (and 40 pounds to go til goal of my "ideal" weight....)
And Current (I reset my ticker to my current weight when I jumped back on the wagon)
Feel free to add me as a friend. I love giving encouragement!0 -
You look fantastic! Great work!0
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Thanks :-)
Actually, I'm glad I got to looking for pics, because I haven't looked at my before pic for probably almost 2 years, HELLO MOTIVATION!!!0 -
And....it hated me even more this morning. It went up ANOTHER pound. I know there is no way I can "actually" gain 2 pounds in two days unless I went over my TDEE by 3500 calories each day, so I know this has to be day-to-day fluctuation. So, further evidence that I need to put the scale away except for once a week. And I am going to. My official weigh-in day/time is Monday morning. So no more scale until Monday morning.0
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sound advice here, lets break the culture together of scales being the only measure of success. We all know the before and after pics show real success. eat less, move more and everyday you will move nearer to your goal. Its a long haul but with MFP it can be fun too x good luck0
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When you are sore, that means that your muscle needs to repair. In order to do that you always retain water. So it's pretty common when someone starts to lift weights on the first days to gain some weight. It will keep this way for a while. Unless you're doing something wrong there will be a point where you'll lose weight really fast, like 1-2 pounds/day. Just keep working out, don't lose your motivation and drink lots of water.
Also that's why you shouldn't weight yourself every single day. Our weight fluctuates a lot, and it can easily increase even though we are making good progress. Just weight less often and keep in mind that the weight doesn't matter, what matter is what you see in the mirror. Take pictures monthly and compare them, and you'll see progress 0 -
My body is exactly the same way! I'm so glad that I am not the only one. I haven't lost anything for 2 weeks, despite eating pretty awesome (in my opinion) and working out EVERY DAY. I have been super sore too, and yes, I am the same way I like to weigh every day my thinking is if I make it a daily habit then if I ever get off track I will see the results right in front of my face right away and get back on track. usually though, I do just stop weighing myself if I don't want to admit I am out of control...still working on that.
So what I do instead of just focusing on the weight though, is I always take my measurements. like a lot of measurements....
neck
arms
chest
waist
hips
thighs
above the knee
calves
then I add all those inches up so I have a total inches...then once a month or 2 weeks, or whenever I am feeling thinner but not seeing my scale budge I do them again and I subtract the numbers so that I can see a total amount of inches lost. It's pretty fun to see 7 inches off your body even when the scale doesn't move. I have gotten pretty good though the years at not getting discouraged during plateaus because for some reason that is just how my body works. I will go 3 or 4 weeks without losing and then I will lose 4. It's quite annoying, but I am glad to see that it truly is a pattern for me.
Feel free to add me, I could definitely use encouragement!0 -
I took a QUICK look at your diary for a few days. I am far from an expert but in my opinion, eliminate the amount of sodium you are having. You are having way too much. Add more FRESH fruits and vegetable and ELIMINATE the processed foods and the microwaveable stuff. Lean pockets, hot dogs, microwaveable broccoli and cheese are loaded with bad stuff. Try sandwiches with lean meats and whole grain bread.
Some good things I like to have for lunch
Egg whites
Toasted tomato sandwiches
Tuna sandwiches (I get the tuna canned in water not oil)
Fresh fruit
Fresh vegetables0 -
Ha! Love this thread and Your humor! My scale surely hates me too...stayed on track all week, some good excercise...andup a pound! But i am sticking to it...also going tochange my weigh day to wed...not sat and ONLY weigh on Wed...i a, totally a scale hopper...morning, after excercise, afternoon...if I walk by it...
I did a 'cleanse' and lost 3 pounds..but like i knew... I am actually up one today from last Sat...
But I will not give up this time....i have a drawer of swim suits and 4 kids to entertain all summer...I want to feel great and look great chasing my two year old while wearing a bikini!!!
Playing with calories too..i moved it up to 1400 from 1200 gonna atick there for 3 weeks...if I dont see change i may go up a bit more and see if that works ,,no change then I'll go back dow to 1200!!! Something has to work, right...
If it is such an xact science..TDEE BMR and all that how can i have been stuck at 151 for a yesr!!! ( but I know i have more muscle...i just want less FAT!0 -
If you look, I have noted that my sodium has been very high lately, and I know that. I have been extremely busy at work lately, and haven't had time to go to the grocery store and am out of veggies except for the little packets of frozen ones I had in my freezer. I usually do my veggie shopping at the farmer's market. Since I don't have time to eat and breath weightloss (get it, haha, but I do have a full time job, family, other obligations, AND trying to finish my PhD, and workout), I have to be realistic. Sometimes I am going to have bad weeks full of processed foods. Some weeks I am going to have yummy delicious meals prepared with fresh veggies (I did a few times this week, but I was out of brown rice and all I had in the pantry was minute white rice. And since i don't like wasting food because I work at a non-profit and live in one of the most expensive cities in the country, I'm going to use the white rice until it runs out. The point of my original post was to say, hey, I'm not seeing the scale move, and here are allllllll the reasons I know are probably the culprit. It was me blowing off steam for doing things I know I shouldn't do, like weighing myself every day and going almost DOUBLE my sodium goal. Salt = bad, I know. I'm trying to weed out the bad foods in my house while incorporating better, healthier foods. I will say, if you look at my pics, this is not my first time on this journey. I got off it for over two years, and I have kept off 75% of the weight. I want to get back in shape and get to my final goal now.
Maybe I'm a little grouchier on Saturday Mornings. Or maybe I should take this off the message boards and make it a blog post.0
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