How does the # on the scale relate to your emotional state?

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vikdexkaykai
vikdexkaykai Posts: 92 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi all,
This is my history of scale related problems.

I start with a weigh in.
I eat well.
See some good change on the scale so I weigh myself daily every morning after my first void.
The scale keeps going down, little by little and I feel GREAT.
Then it slows down or stops and there goes my emotional state.
I feel crappy and end up sabotaging myself.
I eat crap until I feel so down on myself that I say "enough. I start fresh on Monday".
I weigh myself again as I need to know an exact number that's my beginning.
I eat well and the cycle continues.

Am I alone in this happening and feeling this way?
I haven't weighed myself for about 3-4 weeks now as the last time I was like 230 (I had gotten down to 212), and I become so depressed that I swore I wouldn't use the scale for a long time.

Is the scale a detriment to your emotional state??

On top of this, my sister has lost like 50+ lbs doing nothing at all which erks me a little because I can't seem to shake this food addition thing!!

Feeling extremely frustrated with myself.
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Replies

  • zeebruhgirl
    zeebruhgirl Posts: 493 Member
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    Well after following my diet like a beast all last week and not losing anything, I'm feeling pretty crushed.
    I'm hoping I can just turn this into fuel to keep going.
  • jessie9584_
    jessie9584_ Posts: 3
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    YES! I'm exactly the same way and have been for years. I will say that my greatest weight loss accomplishment came when I weighed myself once and then never again. I don't know how much I actually lost, but I definitely dropped significant weight, about 7 dress sizes. I loathe the scale. As long as your eating right and working out, the scale shouldn't matter.
  • ashandloggiesmom
    ashandloggiesmom Posts: 92 Member
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    Uggh. THIS IS MY LIFE! I hate it, this is why I've vowed to only weigh once a week, however if I have gained I do exactly what you wrote, all the while knowing I will have to start again so why do I still do it? This trying to lose weight and change my lifestyle is one of the hardest things I have ever done!
  • sarahmaryjane
    sarahmaryjane Posts: 41 Member
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    I feel the very same way - I weigh in the morning as part of my morning routine (I know I shouldn't do it daily, but I need to make sure I'm not doing something to put me in the wrong direction). If that number increases more than it should, I am pissed. I get over it eventually, try to go to the gym and crush it, but that little number weighs (ha, pun) on me more than it should. Don't know how to fix it.
  • ashandloggiesmom
    ashandloggiesmom Posts: 92 Member
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    Well after following my diet like a beast all last week and not losing anything, I'm feeling pretty crushed.
    I'm hoping I can just turn this into fuel to keep going.


    That is exactly what we should do, but it's so hard to actually do it!
  • Katrina_vw91
    Katrina_vw91 Posts: 232 Member
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    When I don't see the scale move, it makes me more determined than ever to work myself harder! And if I can feel that my muscles are stronger, I know that I am still doing something, even if the scale hasn't moved :)
  • dixoncrew
    dixoncrew Posts: 186 Member
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    My husband threw my scale away for this very reason. I have an ED and the scale is a huge trigger for me. My self worth shouldn't be wrapped up in a number on the scale.
  • muziclver
    muziclver Posts: 145 Member
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    What I started doing was weighing myself in a different unit. (ex. I know pounds, not kg.) So I started tracking myself with kg. When I see 100 kg on the scale I don't think "OMG! This is too much." Because I honestly have no idea what 100 kg is in pounds. But when I step on the scale next and it says 99.7 kg I'm estatic even though I still have no idea how much it is. Even the other way, if I'm 100.3 kg I don't get upset because I'm kinda detached to what the number "should" be.
  • pensfan1
    pensfan1 Posts: 45 Member
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    I was/am the same way. Now, my husband hides the scale and it only comes out 1 or 2 times per month. I'm certainly less upset by the numbers this way. Even if I've gained a pound from the previous day, I'd never know it because the number is still lower than it was 2 weeks ago...
  • miqisha
    miqisha Posts: 1,534 Member
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    I have that same feeling, which is why I try to weigh only once a week, however, the scale hasn't moved in 2 weeks, though I am told i look smaller. I do crossfit which includes weight training, a lot of weight training. I know I should feel good knowing I am losing inches, however, I don't. I want the number to go down as well. I use to sabotage myself as well, but since going Paleo, there is zero processed food in my house, so that is no longer an option. Unless I want to go buck wild on some fruits. My measurements is this Friday, will see how many inches I have lost in the last six weeks. I am also trying to increase my calories as well, I am lifting heavier and pushing harder, so I think the calories I was at before is no longer sufficient, so could be part of the problem.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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    Hi all,
    This is my history of scale related problems.

    I start with a weigh in.
    I eat well.
    See some good change on the scale so I weigh myself daily every morning after my first void.
    The scale keeps going down, little by little and I feel GREAT.
    Then it slows down or stops and there goes my emotional state.
    I feel crappy and end up sabotaging myself.
    I eat crap until I feel so down on myself that I say "enough. I start fresh on Monday".
    I weigh myself again as I need to know an exact number that's my beginning.
    I eat well and the cycle continues.

    Am I alone in this happening and feeling this way?
    I haven't weighed myself for about 3-4 weeks now as the last time I was like 230 (I had gotten down to 212), and I become so depressed that I swore I wouldn't use the scale for a long time.

    Is the scale a detriment to your emotional state??

    On top of this, my sister has lost like 50+ lbs doing nothing at all which erks me a little because I can't seem to shake this food addition thing!!

    Feeling extremely frustrated with myself.

    First off, I love your profile pic (made me smile) :laugh:

    I feel the same way, except, since it is my fate to live by numbers, I'm not only a slave to my scale, but to my glucometer too :grumble:

    I am a *super* Crankasaurus Rex when any of my numbers are higher than my latest historical lows. I have to keep reminding myself that it's a process, more so than a destination :ohwell: and to let things go.

    Sometimes I fixate on things and it's clearly unhealthy, so I try to be aware of what's really over the line as opposed to a fluctuation here and there.

    I tend to think in terms of pass or fail but that's changing and I'm much happier for it :wink:
    Good luck, it's a struggle, I know it well. :drinker:
  • ames105
    ames105 Posts: 288 Member
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    It used to bother me a lot more when I was heavier. I always thought that I was already fat and why bother to watch I ate when it didn't matter anyway.

    I had to let go of the scale, realize its just a tool. Exercise helped me lose inches and look better. In turn, I then wanted to eat better. Then the scale started to move. The scale is just a tool to help me track, as are my measurements and my clothes sizes.

    Let go of the scale. Let go of your frustrations of how anyone else is doing. What may appear easy to you may have been really hard to someone else.

    It took me a long time to figure out how to lose weight. Once I did, it seems to be melting off. It still takes work though, counting calories and exercising. You will figure it out too, just let go of the scale and put in the work.

    Good luck to you on your journey. I know you can do it.
  • nathotte
    nathotte Posts: 51 Member
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    Weighing yourself daily is detrimental as your weight can change by a lot, according to my dr and my trainer, could be close to 10 lbs. Which is why they suggest always weighing yourself at the same time, same week day, same everything as much as you can. And also remember each scale will have a variance in it. The number changes a lot due to in vs out, water retention, and everything else that we can't really control.
  • vikdexkaykai
    vikdexkaykai Posts: 92 Member
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    I love this! Made me giggle! Thanks :)
    What I started doing was weighing myself in a different unit. (ex. I know pounds, not kg.) So I started tracking myself with kg. When I see 100 kg on the scale I don't think "OMG! This is too much." Because I honestly have no idea what 100 kg is in pounds. But when I step on the scale next and it says 99.7 kg I'm estatic even though I still have no idea how much it is. Even the other way, if I'm 100.3 kg I don't get upset because I'm kinda detached to what the number "should" be.
    [/quote]
  • pinkpanthers1995
    pinkpanthers1995 Posts: 41 Member
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    I can relate - it is very brutal cycle that we put ourselves thru. I know I get frustrated when I feel like I am eating nothing but rabbit food and the scale doesn't move - then I get mad, eat junk and scale goes the totally wrong way. This leads to "screw it" attitude and I sabotage myself further. It is really hard to watch others put forth little effort and drop weight like nothing. We are all individuals tho and will lose at our own pace.

    You are not alone - this time tho I am not allowing myself to wallow in my frustration. I am trying to keep my food consistent, and my attitude that of as long as the scale isn't going up (with the exception of small occasional water retention), I am still winning and breaking my self-defeatist cycle. Everyone goes thru plateaus and I am seeing this one as a victory - I am not letting it defeat me and drive me back to the nothing happens give up and eat which is really tough when you are addicted to food I know. Time to focus on feeling better and staying consistent. Adding more exercise, and if I continue to obsess over the scale it is going in the trash! Feel free to add me if you want - we can encourage each other to stay on track! I am determined that this time I will not quit, even when I have an off meal or day, must focus on not letting it completely derail me! You can do it, don't let yourself quit!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    How about instead of placng so much emphasis on some arbitrary number on the scale, you place more emphasis on being healthy...improving your fitness, etc. Your actual weight is only one fraction of being a healthy individual; there's so much more to it than that. If all of your focus is on the number on the scale, you're going to be in for a very tough haul due to the fact that weight loss isn't linear...you have natural fluctuations and slow downs, etc. It's going to be pretty much impossible to achieve your goals if all you are focused on is that number on the scale as it sounds like natural fluctuations just derail you. Place your focus elsewhere.

    When you focus on the result, you rarely see the change; when you focus on the change, you ultimately will see the results.
  • vikdexkaykai
    vikdexkaykai Posts: 92 Member
    Options
    It's nice to not feel alone in my emotions.

    Before I go on the scale, I tell myself that it's just a number and it doesn't matter. Unfortunatley I don't believe it and therefore it bothers me, even if it is down, but isn't down what I think it should be.

    I agree...a number shouldn't have so much power on how someone feels, but for me, it does.
    I need a good way to measure any loss and weight is the best way for me and my OCD tentencies :tongue:. Strength or other NSV's just don't cut it. Wish it did tho :laugh:
  • kristen49233
    kristen49233 Posts: 385 Member
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    OP...that is me completely!! It took me some time before I realized the morning weigh in was tied to how I did that day and my emotional state. Since that discovery, I try to only weigh myself one morning / week--to avoid those emotional days. Too many triggers control the weight scale (water retention, PMS, etc), and I get too disappointed when I don't see downward movement on the scale when I am putting forth effort. My daughter has threatened to remove the scales from the house----what???? NOOOOOO!
  • vikdexkaykai
    vikdexkaykai Posts: 92 Member
    Options
    Great response! Thanks a bunch!!!
    Jen

    First off, I love your profile pic (made me smile) :laugh:

    I feel the same way, except, since it is my fate to live by numbers, I'm not only a slave to my scale, but to my glucometer too :grumble:

    I am a *super* Crankasaurus Rex when any of my numbers are higher than my latest historical lows. I have to keep reminding myself that it's a process, more so than a destination :ohwell: and to let things go.

    Sometimes I fixate on things and it's clearly unhealthy, so I try to be aware of what's really over the line as opposed to a fluctuation here and there.

    I tend to think in terms of pass or fail but that's changing and I'm much happier for it :wink:
    Good luck, it's a struggle, I know it well. :drinker:
    [/quote]
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    Options
    I love this! Made me giggle! Thanks :)
    What I started doing was weighing myself in a different unit. (ex. I know pounds, not kg.) So I started tracking myself with kg. When I see 100 kg on the scale I don't think "OMG! This is too much." Because I honestly have no idea what 100 kg is in pounds. But when I step on the scale next and it says 99.7 kg I'm estatic even though I still have no idea how much it is. Even the other way, if I'm 100.3 kg I don't get upset because I'm kinda detached to what the number "should" be.
    [/quote]

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
    Clever girl!!!

    Good for you for finding a way to break that 'circling the drain' pattern :drinker: :drinker:

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