Weighing yourself holding you back?

pixelled · May 2014

I would say I'm addicted to the scale. I weigh myself every single day (on a FitBit Aria so it gets uploaded online automatically). I think this dependence is holding me back from making progress.

For example: last week I ate pretty well, cut back on the vino and worked out HARD. I lost a pound. This frustrated me and I blew it all weekend gaining back 2 pounds. Had I not weighed in and gotten blah feedback, I think I would have kept up my positive momentum.

Has anyone gone from obsessively weighing in daily to letting go and letting your body tell you how you're doing? I really want to be able to do this but I can't seem to. If so, any advice?

SezxyStef · May 2014

how is losing a pound a blah result? seriously? :noway:

and you didn't gain 2lbs over 2 days unless you ate 7000 calories over maintenance...for me that would 11,000 calories which is impossible for me to physically do...

kmajaVCU · May 2014

I have become a little addicted lately, but kind of in a good way. I'm one of the few that actually LIKES weighing myself everyday. I tend to hide from the scale when I KNOW I am gaining weight (which hasn't been in a while but still). But I weigh myself every morning knowing that I may be up and down because that is naturally. But then I judge by the week if the average number is going down or if it is staying the same. It is important to keep in mind that your weight will fluctuate and you should not get hung up on that. If you weigh yourself everyday with that in the back of your mind you should be okay. But if you are someone who is going to freak out if you're 150 one day and 151 the next, you probably shouldn't weigh yourself everyday lol.

I see the number on the scale not as a "weight" but as an indicator as to whether or not I am going in the right direction. I use more physical judgements, like how my clothes fit or how I feel to determine whether or not I am really achieving what I want to achieve and that is important, too!

pinkshiningstar · May 2014

I used to have a pretty intense love/hate relationship with my scale. I weighed daily. Didn't do much for me, but I did it.

I now weigh once a week. Tuesday mornings when I get up. I even have a post-it I stick on my scale that says "Tuesday Only" that is on the top as a reminder.

It's a hard habit to break, but sooooo worth it.

ChristineRoze · May 2014

how is losing a pound a blah result? seriously? :noway:

and you didn't gain 2lbs over 2 days unless you ate 7000 calories over maintenance...for me that would 11,000 calories which is impossible for me to physically do...

I would also like to know how you gained 2lbs over 2 days??

KylaDenay · May 2014

Many things cause your weight to fluctuate. Unless you ate 7000 calories you did not gain the weight. Weighing your self every day is not good for the mind, at least I do not think so. It would stress me out! Try just once a week, at the same time and day.

d3m1urge · May 2014

I will bet my mortgage that you didn't gain 2lb of mass/fat.

pixelled · May 2014

I understand that there are water fluctuations, that's kind of what I'm getting at by asking the question. That said, I still can't seem to let go of the weigh-ins, or how disappointed I am when they don't go the way I'm hoping. Mainly looking for advice from anyone who has successfully broken this addiction and gone on to lose weight without the daily scale obsessions.

pixelled · May 2014

how is losing a pound a blah result? seriously? :noway:

and you didn't gain 2lbs over 2 days unless you ate 7000 calories over maintenance...for me that would 11,000 calories which is impossible for me to physically do...

I would also like to know how you gained 2lbs over 2 days??

I'm guessing water retention. I shouldn't have put in specifics of pounds gained and lost, just showing an example of how I get frustrated by the random fluctuations.

Looking for help from those who have been in my shoes of compulsively weighing in and letting that derail your progress and if applicable, how you broke out of that cycle.

swilkinson0705 · May 2014

I relate to this. I have to weigh myself daily because of my heart. My doctor requires I weigh myself and record it daily as a way to make sure I am not retaining fluid (a sign of heart failure). Because I am also trying to lose weight I get discouraged if I feel I am doing everything right and then don't lose any or very little weight. Then I think !@#$ it I will just do what I want if the scale isn't going to reflect it. This becomes sabotaging to my progress. Wish I knew the answer...just wanted to let you know I understand how you feel.

Shananigans_ · May 2014

Daily weigher too. Need to get back to weekly weighins

JustSomeEm · May 2014

I weigh daily, but I like the knowing. I use it as motivation. When the scale is going the way I wnat it to, it makes me want to keep it up. When it fluctuates above where I think it should, I pay closer attention to my diet and exercise.

If you're having trouble with the daily weigh ins, maybe put the scale up in a place that is not convenient to get to? Then you'll have to consciously think about whether you want to weigh.

jwooley13 · May 2014

I've definitely been in that cycle, so I can relate. I broke it by throwing away the batteries in the scale. Two weeks later, I went out and bought new ones and weighed in. I felt like I was going nuts not being able to weigh in at first, but I forgot about it eventually. When I did weigh in, I was pleasantly surprised! Also, that compulsive urge had dissipated a bit. Now I'll allow myself to weigh mid week, but I don't let myself enter that progress on MFP more than once a week.

Feel free to add me if you like! Happy to talk you off the scale ledge any time!

MBrothers22 · May 2014

Well there's a few things you HAVE to understand:

- Your weight fluctuate every day based on when you eat and go to the bathroom, and also sometimes when you workout. Lifting can retain water making you see a bigger number on the scale

- This happens to EVERYONE

-Eat at a deficit, and you will lose weight. Simple as that. There's no secrets.

If you can't get that into your head, you'll always have this feeling and shouldn't weigh yourself nearly as much. Twice a month maybe.

TXRanchGirl · May 2014

I can relate..but Im getting better. I weigh daily and Im getting ALOT better about not letting the number scare me. I think it comes down to TRULY understanding your body.

for example, I "gained" 3 pounds over the weekend..but I sure didnt eat enough to make them "real"
pounds. I was very high in my sodium this weekend, I am battling a VERY severe allergy attack and am approaching "that time". I know my body well enough, or at least I think I do, that I have a pretty good feeling those pounds will dissapear soon enough.

I dont let it deter me..in fact, if I see a gain, I find I concentrate HARDER..and its not reducing calories, its just being very mindful of what Im eating. Due to my sodium intake over the weekend, I am going to be VERY careful this week..cutting out canned goods(espc veggies) and drinking alot of water and making sure Im eating enough protein.

you can either let a failure (perceived or otherwise) define you or strengthen your resolution..be the victim or be an advocate for yourself.

DivineChoices · May 2014

Looking for help from those who have been in my shoes of compulsively weighing in and letting that derail your progress and if applicable, how you broke out of that cycle.

I weigh often (about every 1-2 days) but don't record the weight except on weigh-in day (which is Sunday mornings for me).

On the recorded weigh-ins that don't meet my expectations, I used to be prone to fall into a pity party, and question why I'm doing this cause I'm a BIT FAT FAILURE!! <enter tantrum and crying, etc>

Now, I see the number, and know that it doesn't mean I'm failing. It doesn't mean I've succeeded. It doesn't mean I'm unlovable. It doesn't mean I'll NEVER get there. It's a tool to get some feedback on my plan. I look over my food and exercise diary and see how it went. What can I improve on?

For those of us, who feel emotional validation, or feel self-esteem based on what the SCALE says, I urge you to re-evaluate. Yes, it is rewarding to see the number on the scale go down. But that shouldn't effect how I feel about myself.

FWIW - past "dieting" experience for myself shows a pattern of it taking two weeks for my scale to reflect the hard work I put in. IDK if that is a rule of thumb, if that will apply to anyone besides myself, but its something to think about.

Keep up the hard work. It WILL pay off.

JesterMFP · May 2014

I understand that there are water fluctuations, that's kind of what I'm getting at by asking the question. That said, I still can't seem to let go of the weigh-ins, or how disappointed I am when they don't go the way I'm hoping. Mainly looking for advice from anyone who has successfully broken this addiction and gone on to lose weight without the daily scale obsessions.

So why get upset? Water fluctuations are fact. Your weight means the weight of your whole body - including organs, muscle, bones and, yes, water. Of which there is a lot. I weigh every day because I like to know what's going on and observe trends. I'm not obsessed or addicted, and I don't get upset if I suddenly gain a few pounds overnight - because I understand that there are water fluctuations. Daily weighing has helped with that. With weekly weighing, you don't really know what's going on because you could be dehydrated one week, and show a lower than expected number, and then be retaining water the next week, showing a higher than expected number. If you'd weighed every day, you'd have a better sense of what was going on.

Also, why on earth would a 1lb loss over a week upset you? That's a very good loss for one week. What were you expecting?

weird_me2 · May 2014

how is losing a pound a blah result? seriously? :noway:

and you didn't gain 2lbs over 2 days unless you ate 7000 calories over maintenance...for me that would 11,000 calories which is impossible for me to physically do...

I would also like to know how you gained 2lbs over 2 days??

I'm guessing water retention. I shouldn't have put in specifics of pounds gained and lost, just showing an example of how I get frustrated by the random fluctuations.

Looking for help from those who have been in my shoes of compulsively weighing in and letting that derail your progress and if applicable, how you broke out of that cycle.

I found that when I made it my resolution one year to weigh in every single day, no matter what, I got over letting the scale dictate my mood. I still weigh in daily, but I accept normal fluctuations and they really don't affect me like they used to. I l started really thinking rationally about the scale fluctuations - did I really burn 10000 calories yesterday to drop three pounds overnight, did I really eat 7000 calories extra yesterday to gain two pounds, etc. Once I recognized that the fluctuations were no reflection of if I was "good" or "bad", I found that I didn't respond emotionally to the scale.

Not weighing at all is a BIG no-no for me because I find it very easy to ignore my poor eating habits when the mood strikes.

leggup · May 2014

I weigh myself every morning (as long as I'm not traveling). When my weight fluctuates, I look at my diary to figure out why. In the last 24 hours I have "gained" 2.5 lbs. The day before that, I lost 1.5 lbs in 24 hours. I'll probably be back down 1-2 lbs by tomorrow if I can stay within my sodium recommendations for dinner.

You know that it's normal to fluctuate, so why get bothered? Here's an idea- since your scale automatically uploads, why not use painter's tape to cover off the last 2 digits of the scale number. Then, if you want to know how much you weigh, look at the 3 month graph on MFP. That way you log all of the data, but you only look at the trend.

pixelled · May 2014

Thank you all who shared your similar struggles! It helps to see others talk about their experience with the same battle. Thanks for the encouraging words and ideas on how to conquer the scale :bigsmile:

I currently weigh myself on 2 different scales (had to keep the old scale after I bought a new one) and record my weight in a spreadsheet in addition to the automatic upload, then calculate monthly ranges and averages. It's..... pathetic. I need to let go.

I think I'll try twice a week for now and see how that goes. Tuesdays and Fridays. I would ultimately like to look at this as a lifestyle change - eating healthy most of the time, getting exercise and sleep and taking care of my body. Certainly going by numbers hasn't encouraged that for me anyway.

Weighing yourself holding you back?

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