Is anyone else obsessed ...

erinfaaaaace
erinfaaaaace Posts: 31
in Health and Weight Loss
... with the scale?

I know that it's an awful thing to do, weighing myself everyday, but I can't help myself. I think about weighing myself all of the time, as if that's some kind of reflection of how hard I'm working. I know in the long run it will be, but being totally honest with myself, I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything unless I see that number move. Because I wear stretch pants every day, it's really hard to know if I'm actually losing any inches.

Any reformed "scale watchers" that have advice on how to stop?

Are there any other "scale watchers" out there? What do you do to stop yourself from hopping on there?
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Replies

  • NanaWubbie
    NanaWubbie Posts: 248 Member
    What is wrong with weighing every day?
  • lilbearzmom
    lilbearzmom Posts: 600 Member
    I put it in a closet so it's not easily accessible. If it gets left out, it calls to me and I must step on it. If I have to pause and make an effort to get it, it makes me rethink it. I get it out once a week to weigh. Get that thing off of the bathroom floor and out of sight. That might help you. Good luck!
  • Ladina1990
    Ladina1990 Posts: 137 Member
    Don't feel bad i weigh my self every morning and sometimes every 3 days to see a change, i think its because i want to see that number move down each day, its a normal reaction to want to see results fast.
  • kandyice1
    kandyice1 Posts: 48 Member
    I am a tad. I decided recently that I'm only going to weigh once a month because that daily fluctuation can drive me crazy. I don't want to do that to myself anymore, so that's the best course of action for me.
  • ironmaidenchick
    ironmaidenchick Posts: 213 Member
    I got rid of my scales so I don't weigh myself all the time and now only weigh in every 2 weeks, it works and I always look forward to weigh in day :-)
  • flewdacoop
    flewdacoop Posts: 1
    I don't think its a bad thing. If you enjoy seeing your hard work pay off, I say stand on that scale until it bores you. Personally, I weigh myself first thing in the morning only, after I use the bathroom. I figure after that I'm also weighing breakfast, coffee, water, etc. If I only want to weigh my body, it only makes sense to do so when my body is as empty as possible.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member
    Rarely. I can tell every moment of the day and each day how my weight is fluctuating and trending down or up. I check the mirror for my progress report.
  • erinfaaaaace
    erinfaaaaace Posts: 31
    What is wrong with weighing every day?

    "They" (who is "they" anyway?) say you shouldn't because your weight can fluctuate throughout the week, between water weight, TOM, etc.
  • erinfaaaaace
    erinfaaaaace Posts: 31
    I put it in a closet so it's not easily accessible. If it gets left out, it calls to me and I must step on it. If I have to pause and make an effort to get it, it makes me rethink it. I get it out once a week to weigh. Get that thing off of the bathroom floor and out of sight. That might help you. Good luck!

    I'll definitely try moving it to a hiding spot.

    Thanks!
  • Mariposa_Lily
    Mariposa_Lily Posts: 38 Member
    If I weighed every day, I'd get so frustrated because I'd never know whether that oz. or two lost or gained was *real* weight, water, whatever. I find it much more satisfying to weigh once a week--the change is bigger!
  • shawnatheobald
    shawnatheobald Posts: 31
    Mine is tucked away in a closet, and I only allow myself to weigh on the first of the month. It is way more exciting to see you've lost 6 pounds at the weigh in than to see that number go up and down all dang month!

    It shouldn't be all about weight - it should be about how you look and feel :)
  • raneylfrick
    raneylfrick Posts: 380 Member
    In my newsfeed I saw some girls were having their hubby/boyfriend hide their scale so they couldn't find it.
  • itzCoffeeTime
    itzCoffeeTime Posts: 21
    I feel the real issue here is the apparent frustration or feeling down when your weight goes up. I weigh myself everyday because I like to graph the progress and simply want more plot points. Understanding that weight fluctuates daily, I don't get stressed out if I am a pound heavier than previously as long as I know my diet and workout regiment were in check.

    But if it is an issue, get rid of the scale and only weigh yourself at the gym weekly or bi-weekly. However, again, I don't think weighing daily is that big of a deal having the understanding you seem to have about the body.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    I weigh every day. It's not an obsession. If it goes up 3 pounds from 1 day to the next I know not to freak... but it helps catch inconsistencies faster, imo. Maybe I'm giving myself too much calorie burn on lifting days if that's when it fluctuates most/ or over/under estimating my TDEE.
  • harms97
    harms97 Posts: 15 Member
    I weigh every morning after I use the bathroom. I can't help it!
  • drezzal
    drezzal Posts: 20 Member
    Nope, i'm scared of my scale, he's a bloody liar! :D
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    Yup. The scale and I have love hate relationship. When it gives
    me good answers I'm so happy but there have also been moments
    it has almost been thrown out the bathrm window. Luckily
    I see more minuses than higher digits .l like it that way. :D
  • kyrannosaurus
    kyrannosaurus Posts: 350 Member
    I was weighing myself everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. I found I was too obsessive and it was really counterproductive for me. I gave my scales to a friend for a couple of weeks which broke the habit and since I got them back I've only weighed myself once a week on a Monday morning and I'm so much happier for it.
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    Do it every 2 weeks instead

    Weights can vary a lot from day to day.......you will drive yourself bonkers
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    I also weigh everyday but I've been in Italy for the past 2 weeks and no scales except for once at a spa. I found that I lost 3 pounds but then again-it wasn't my scale so who knows? Anyway, it was very nice not weighing myself everyday. I'm sure when I get home-I'll continue weighing everyday cause I feel it helps keep me maintaining, which is where I'm at, at last!
  • Donald_Dozier_50
    Donald_Dozier_50 Posts: 395 Member
    I am in a program with the VA (Veterans Administration) Hospital and weighing daily is required and each time I step on the scale the results are automatically transferred to the weight control office and to my doctor's office :)
  • KarlaH9801
    KarlaH9801 Posts: 362 Member
    I weigh myself daily. Early a.m., and I use an app called Libra. It uses your daily weight, and your weekly and monthly averages to show you a trend. I like seeing that, even though my daily changes can be huge, the overall trend is good. Or not. It helps keep my overall weightloss in focus. You don't have to lose every day to lose overall.
  • Aliviuum
    Aliviuum Posts: 67
    I moved mine out of sight and have told myself that I should only weigh in once a week. I'm thinking it'll get me excited about weighing in and I can keep track of my progress realistically.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    I weigh every day because I find it motivating. Whether the scale moves up or down, I'm motivated either way. My mood isn't tied to the number on the scale. If it is up, I just adjust to get my weight back down again.
  • shadus
    shadus Posts: 424 Member
    What is wrong with weighing every day?

    Because weight fluctuation on a daily basis due to activity level, sodium, hydration level, time of day, and how full your bowels and bladder are make daily weights completely moot more or a less unless just marked down and viewed as a general trend over time. My weight at 9p is typically +4-7lbs from my weight at 9a. I didn't gain 4-7 lbs in day. Weigh ins are only as good as your consistency over the time period... the larger the time period the more likely there is an average degree of consistency.

    To see an example in real life (assuming you're generally healthy): Weigh yourself in the morning. Weigh yourself at noon. Weigh yourself in the evening. Then do the same the next day but add an extra teaspoon of salt to your food (total over the whole day) over the course of one day but don't increase your water intake drastically to compensate and eat EXACTLY the same foods. Watch the massive weight change upward in your weigh-ins... and then see a day or two later your weight is back to moving normally on its normal trend after your body has flushed the salt and water.

    Weekly is better because it helps take some of the variability out of the equation... longer is typically better up to the point of reasonable correction time if an error has been made without backslide. I find a week is a good compromise, two weeks would probably be better but I like the accountability of a week.

    There are exceptions to that though, a friend of mine has a scale that transmits his weight information to a website which tracks his weight trends over time... that's useful and if you're hard tracking your weight long term on a daily basis, good for you... but it's not really a good day to day evaluation tool because its still going to fluctuate on a daily basis, but for building more information and tracking trends in the long run its very useful.

    For ME, having a weigh in come in higher than my last is very discouraging... day to day that happens off and on due to the reasons listed above. It rarely if ever happens on week to week and never on bi-weekly unless you inhaled a few tablespoons of salt the day before the weigh in which is very apparent.
  • BigDnSW
    BigDnSW Posts: 641 Member
    No. I am in for the long term.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    Data is useful. It can be empowering or debilitating depending on how you utilize it. If you just weigh yourself and don't record it, it could drive you batty. Track it over long periods of time and it can be liberating. I track daily. I get fluctuations as high as 5 lbs day to day. But plot that over time and clear trends tend to emerge. I am in maintenance now and the scale helps ensure I stay there.

    Tom

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  • Scaramouche73
    Scaramouche73 Posts: 3
    My wife and I weigh once a week on a Saturday morning before breakfast and before any coffee etc.

    Once a week at the same time of day is enough and shows you the best results that give you I spurs too throughout the week.

    Certain anomalies in the body means your weight could fluctuate daily, plus scales are always slightly inaccurate by a few pounds either way.

    Is it worth weighing every day just to learn that you've put a pound on, when this could be due to inaccurate scales or anomalies in the body and through no fault or lapse of your own? That can be so demotivating.

    Rather weigh myself once a week and get a good result than everyday and chance a bad one!
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    What is wrong with weighing every day?
    For people prone to anxiety etc, it's not generally a good idea as a heavier weigh in can ruin their whole day.

    For those who want to track trends, it's fine.
  • SkimFlatWhite68
    SkimFlatWhite68 Posts: 1,254 Member
    I weigh myself every day and I don't have a problem with it at all. I don't get caught up in it though. I think it's great to recognise that the scale does go up and down during the week. All I really care about is that from month to month, the numbers are going down.

    If I was only weighing once a week, or a fortnight and that day happened to be an UP day, I would be discouraged. But weighing vp every day means that I'm in touch with the pattern and the numbers and it doesn't overly bother me.

    The other aspect is that the scale is not an accurate picture of success. It's just a number and does not take into account all the small goals and positive changes in life toward a healthier new you. What matters is clothes, size, photos and the person looking back in the mirror.

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