Too Much scale?

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BlackSmith701
BlackSmith701 Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Recently it was brought to my attention that I weigh my self entirely too much. I didn't believe that until I started realizing that I weigh myself after every meal, every work out and every bathroom trip. So starting last night I boxed away my scale and I'm going to leave it alone for a week and stick to mfp diet. Does anyone else have that problem? And do you think it's a good move to leave the scale alone for a while?
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Replies

  • sno_flakee
    sno_flakee Posts: 11 Member
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    I think that's a great idea. Once a week is plenty...
  • bellanean
    bellanean Posts: 220
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    I have that problem. I weigh myself everytime I walk past it. I tried putting it away before, it was horrible! Will never do that again.
  • ladytap
    ladytap Posts: 36 Member
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    I weigh about 3 times a day, and I see no reason why I shouldn't. It helps me know exactly which foods and workouts have what effect on my body. If you feel like you're weighing yourself too much and becoming obsessed with it, then that's the sign for you to ease up on it a bit. For some people, once a week is all they can handle...and that's great for them. I'm a 2-3 times a day girl and love it :) Just do what feels right for you :)
  • pixieE
    pixieE Posts: 30
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    WOW you sound like me a year ago!!!!! I was constantly on the scales after every meal, every drink, every toilet visit etc
    I had to force myself to gradually weight myself less and less. It took me a few months before i was only weighing myself once per week and even then it felt really weird not weighing in as much. But i got used to it and now i still only weigh myself once per week and i'm comfortable with it now and i feel less disheartened as i don't see the numbers going up as my day progresses lol :)
    Wean yourself off the scales and think more about how your clothes fit you throughout the day instead x
  • sexylonglegs
    sexylonglegs Posts: 278
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    I was the same way...finally I got sick of being compulsive every time I gained an ounce. Do what you have to do to keep the momentum going!
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
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    I also think 1x per week is plenty but sometimes especially if I've had a cheat I'll weigh myself everyday till my real weigh in day just to try and keep myself on track on with doing damage control. I really do prefer only 1x a week though.
  • aquavitae30
    aquavitae30 Posts: 43
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    I weigh myself every morning and sometimes at night. I'm trying to break myself of the habit, but if I go a day without weighing myself, it drives me crazy. I joined a group that weighs in every Thursday and that is my "official" weigh in, so the daily ups and downs don't get me down.
  • leix
    leix Posts: 176
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    Half & Half really.

    I like to go on daily in the morning to find out how day before has gone, like if ive ate to mant carbs fo example then i know for the day ahead to cut down.

    Some days im in im not fussed mode ha
  • JesP
    JesP Posts: 2
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    I tend to weigh 2 times a day too... and yes, I think it is too much. I need to wean myself to just a couple times a week.
    My reasoning for weighing more than once a week, is so I know if I should push my self harder(if I see a gain), and to know I'm on the right track(if I'm losing).

    I always weigh at the same time, with the same clothes on each time when I do weigh myself.

    Do what works for you :)
  • ducky5m48
    ducky5m48 Posts: 50 Member
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    I am a compulsive weigher like that and I really need to stop. It may not effect some people's motivation but I can tell it is eating away at mine. I used to only weigh once a week but now it is constantly, like at least 5 times a day. The constant back and forth of the 1 lb up and 1 lb down and 1 ounce here is killing me. I am going to try and put mine away far from the bathroom and only weigh on friday morning like I used to. Good Luck!
  • BlackBeltLife
    BlackBeltLife Posts: 180
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    Its a common addiction. I know I weigh myself too much just (daily once). It just causes more mental fights than need be. Today I weighed in and was up 2lbs from yesterday. I know that I lifted yesterday soooo weight probably from tight muscles. Why do I put myslef through this mental exercise is beyond me. Once a week is probably good.

    The other advice would be to measure as well. You can find hundreds of measuring methods of waist hips so on and so on. I have found that a week or two in the same weight on the scale usually meant one of my measurments was changing. Just a thought.

    Keep up good work
  • jesluvmk
    jesluvmk Posts: 4 Member
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    I once heard that it takes a few days (3 days for food and 2 days for exercise) to even show its effects on the body. Therefore weighing yourself once a week gives your body time to adjust to what you have done to it so you really know how it effected you.

    I've begun to weigh myself less than once a week because weekly fluctuated too much for me. Depending on the time of the month-I could have a great week, weigh myself and become really really discouraged after gaining several pounds. I do once a month, same time each month and watch how I fit into my clothes and feel. In addition, if you do any type of strength training, you will most likely gain weight as muscle weighs more that fat in the beginning.

    I guess all in all, the scale should be one measurement you use to track your success....but not the end all be all.
  • lizzys
    lizzys Posts: 841 Member
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    do as much scale as you want i do i know how fast my body is burning the calories if your on a diet to lose weight and your exercising hard your body should not put on any weight no matter what time of day it more for the hard core dieters
  • Todzilla
    Todzilla Posts: 4
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    Recently it was brought to my attention that I weigh my self entirely too much. I didn't believe that until I started realizing that I weigh myself after every meal, every work out and every bathroom trip. So starting last night I boxed away my scale and I'm going to leave it alone for a week and stick to mfp diet. Does anyone else have that problem? And do you think it's a good move to leave the scale alone for a while?

    Yes, I'm guilty of the SAME thing! I should know better too. "Experts" say the human body varies too much during the day . Too many factors are in there to judge your progress by weight. You got hydration, muscle mass, fat percentage, of of what a scale can't tell you. With that said, I'm the biggest hypocrite out there. I weigh myself 3 times a day, but I'm finally stopping that and going to once a week. I blame the internet! See, I always want to post that I lost weight so my family and friends can see my progress. But in the end it's damaging my will power, because over time I'm losing weight, but I'm sabotaging myself by living and dying by the scale.

    Seriously though, if your clothes are fitting better, you feel better and you look good, what does it matter what you weigh? Like I said, I should practice what I preach. :)
  • JUSTFORME2010
    JUSTFORME2010 Posts: 125 Member
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    I do not own a scale for that reason. I go to my dr office close to the house at first every 2 weeks and now once a week because if i focus on what the scale says then the ups and downs will make me nuts and it is easy to get off what you should be looking at the food and exercise.

    Put it away!!!
  • bellanean
    bellanean Posts: 220
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    do as much scale as you want i do i know how fast my body is burning the calories if your on a diet to lose weight and your exercising hard your body should not put on any weight no matter what time of day it more for the hard core dieters

    Never heard this before.
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
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    do as much scale as you want i do i know how fast my body is burning the calories if your on a diet to lose weight and your exercising hard your body should not put on any weight no matter what time of day it more for the hard core dieters

    I don't understand your logic. If I eat a meal or drink something I will weigh more immediately afterward.
  • flyingspatulas
    flyingspatulas Posts: 97 Member
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    I weigh myself every day, just because I like to track the fluctuations and see when I'm retaining extra fluid, etc. (Perhaps I'm a bit OCD haha!) If you're weighing yourself so often with the expectation of seeing weight loss every time, you're going to get frustrated very easily. I think it just depends on your attitude towards the scale. If it helps you stay motivated to box it up for a week, go for it! :)
  • oats4breakfast
    oats4breakfast Posts: 225
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    I don't see a problem in it, depending on how you use that information. If it's causing you grief, stop it. If it's just intersting, like reading the newspaper, do it.
    I jump on the scale often, just to see. That's all it is too, pure interest. I do not let the fluctuations affect me or enter my mind. It's purely a "hmmmm, interesting". After weighing myself a number of times, and, through understanding that our bodies change by the minute, that the weight on that scale will always be different.
    I have a set time and place that I weigh myself (once a week) and that is the only number I care about.
    This is a journey over a long time, so, you have to understand that things will change over time, but gradually change in a certain direction.

    It's kind of like the stock market. They say that over time, (a long time, like 1+ years) it appreciates by 10%. However, if you look at it everyday or less, it will change like crazy. Up and down, up and down. Over long periods of time, there's a trend either up or down but over even longer periods of time, there's other trends too. You just have to accept it. Day traders can make a lot of money and then loose it all within a few hours if they aren't carefull or have no plan/strategy.
    So, let's say you invest $10000 into a stock and the very next day it decreases, what do you do ? Sell or wait ?. Now, let's say you wait. Now, if after a month has passed and it's still going down, then it's probably a good idea to consider changing your strategy - so long as that is part of your plan, however, if it was a good choice to begin with, it will have gone up/down during that entire month, but ended up overall. Little by little it will crawl up to that 10% per year gain ... but if you panic, you could waste it all.

    Weightloss is the same.
    I could weigh myself 3 times a day every day this week, and it'd go something like this.
    Monday 221, 224, 223. Tuesday, 223, 225, 228, Wednesday, 222, 224, 232. Thursday, 230, 229, 224. Friday, 222, 223, 235. Saturday, 235, 236 236. Sunday 237, 234, 236. Monday 224, 223, 223.
    Now, because I weigh myself on Mondays at that 3rd time, even though my weight went all over the show - depending on foods eaten, exercise (like what and perhaps even sore muscles) when I went to bathroom, water intake/retention etc. What it tells me is I stayed the same over that week. It could just as easily be up or down, but it's the same for my overall journey. Do I freak out ? No! Because next week I could go through all those different weigh ins again and end up 222 on Monday. 1 pound lost, and since I weighed 225 the week before, all is good. 3 pounds in 3 weeks even though I only lost on 2/3 weeks.
    Do I change my strategy everytime the scale tells me something different and on daily basis? NO! because if I did, I wouldn't know what the heck I'm doing and I may as well stop logging in here and tracking anything. I just threw my long term goal and strategy out the window.

    I think anyone that has lost weight over a 6+ month period and weighed themselves the same time every week, will attest that they did NOT loos at exactly 1 pound (or whatever) a week. Sometimes they lost 2 pounds, over times they stayed the same, and other times they may have even put on. But over 6 months, they are down 20-30 pounds. Plotted on a graph, it's a zigzaggy line, trending downwards.
  • chilli
    chilli Posts: 211 Member
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    The scale is evil and must not be relied on all the time it gets too depressing when it hyo yos up and down. Once a week is plenty
    :smile:

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