I don't own scales or a measuring tape...
glc1990
Posts: 22
...and I'm not sure I want to - does anyone else just go with how they 'feel' or how clothes fit?
I'm not desperate to lose weight fast or anything so I'm fine with experimenting for the next couple of months and seeing if I've lost weight when I next go to the doctor for my birth control pill (they weigh me every time me have a check up so every 6 months for me).
Or can this be risky? I don't want to accidentally be putting on weight though I'm sure I would realise?! Feel a bit nervous thinking about never having a weigh in or measuring myself.
Apologies if this sounds totally weird!
I'm not desperate to lose weight fast or anything so I'm fine with experimenting for the next couple of months and seeing if I've lost weight when I next go to the doctor for my birth control pill (they weigh me every time me have a check up so every 6 months for me).
Or can this be risky? I don't want to accidentally be putting on weight though I'm sure I would realise?! Feel a bit nervous thinking about never having a weigh in or measuring myself.
Apologies if this sounds totally weird!
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Replies
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sounds good0
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Step 1 - Go to the Dollar Store
Step 2 - Buy a measuring tape0 -
Not becoming a slave to tape measures and scales is psychologically one of the best things you can do. In my opinion! You'll definitely feel/notice it if you're putting on weight, and if you're losing as well. Go by how you look and feel, and how your clothes fit.0
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Even if you don't have a measuring tape and don't want one, you could make due with some twine or some other non-stretchy material. Or a belt. Just make sure and mark where you started so you can see what's changing.0
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If that's what you want to do...it's your business. I don't use my scale too often. Whenever I notice a change in my clothes, I weigh myself. Plus, I get to log larger losses that way. haha Weight isn't the most important part though. I would suggest a measuring tape.
-Fabric measuring tape: $1.00-ish I've had mine so long that I can't remember.
-Food scale: $8
-Bathroom scales: $10+ depending how fancy you want to get. I bought one that measures: weight, bmi, bone density,and water weight. <<<not sure if I believe the last 2. Either way, it was less than $20.
If you don't want to use them, don't use them. They help to keep me motivated and on track though.0 -
I've been struggling with the scale or no-scale question for a few weeks now. I own one but the last time I was trying to lose weight, the scale controlled me emotionally. My entire day's mood was determined on what that number said. I was so terrified of seeing a higher number. But on the other hand, when I saw a lower number (which was 90% of the time), I was motivated for the rest of the day to stay on plan! Even if that number was a tenth of a pound either way, I still let it dictate my mood.
This time around, I am going to start with letting my clothes tell me where I am. And every day I eat really good is another feel good day for me.
I will likely jump on the scale in about a month but until then, I'm just going with the flow and eating within my allotted calorie limits daily.
And I've never done the measuring tape. I just don't trust myself to measure in the same spot to get an accurate picture.0 -
I wouldn't rely on clothing because I'm about fitness/health/maintenance for life. I don't want to have to try on the same jeans for 20 years to make sure my weight isn't changing. Also, clothing gets stretched out. Sometimes, my butt is going to be more muscular and my clothes might fit funny. Things like that. Also, vanity sizes are real, so staying a size X for 20 years might not be an accurate representation of your weight.
Take the guesswork out. Give yourself all the tools you need to check on yourself. You don't have to weigh in every day.0 -
It depends on your goals.
My trainer likes to quote another person, who's name escapes me right now, who says that it doesn't matter what the scale or tape or body fat calipers say...if you're not happy with your body in the mirror, then those objects are worthless anyway.
They can only tell you your trend. Take regular photographs with your phone. Save them. Do what you do. Take more pictures. Compare. Rinse and repeat.0 -
If you can go without and see results and feel results then who cares if you are measuring your stats?! You know what you have to DO in order to feel and see results... and your opinion on this matter is most important. If you think you can do it without it, then you can!! If you feel like you need to see numbers to feel better about your results, then you better save to invest!
BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!!0 -
I don't own a scale or a tape measure either. That scale number means nothing to me. I do have a body fat machine, just to keep and eye on things every once in awhile. But I refuse to be a slave to a number on the scale.0
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Step 1 - Go to the Dollar Store
Step 2 - Buy a measuring tape
QFT ^^
They have them at gas stations/convenience stores, too, typically.0 -
I don't own scales. I go to my doctor's office to weigh myself roughly every 6 weeks. I do have a tape measure, but I'm not entirely sure where it is. I've measured myself once while trying to lose weight. I did that because someone made some costumes for me before I started losing weight and sent me my measurements so I could see how far I'd come. That was about a year and a half ago. It would be interesting to measure again and see where I am now.
I feel that by weighing infrequently, the whole thing feels like a lot more of a lifestyle change rather than some temporary condition that needs to be monitored. It's worked really well for me. I don't feel I would have had the success I have without that strategy.0 -
Step 1 - Go to the Dollar Store
Step 2 - Buy a measuring tape
I live in London so unfortunately Dollar Stores don't exist here
On a serious note though, a lot of you have said it doesn't matter whether I track my lbs/inches or not but some say it does... I can't quite decide whether I want to or not as I can get quite obsessive and beat myself up if I don't lose an expected amount of weight or inches every week or fortnight or whenever. At the moment I'm quite happy just tracking my calories but part of me says I should be tracking my lbs/inches too. Don't know!0 -
I feel that by weighing infrequently, the whole thing feels like a lot more of a lifestyle change rather than some temporary condition that needs to be monitored. It's worked really well for me. I don't feel I would have had the success I have without that strategy.
I really like this - perhaps if I get myself into the lifestyle change properly for once (I have been a yo-yo dieter since I was about 13 years old) I can then start tracking if I feel I have to.
I really envy those who never track their weight/inches and genuinely don't mind!0 -
I've been struggling with the scale or no-scale question for a few weeks now. I own one but the last time I was trying to lose weight, the scale controlled me emotionally. My entire day's mood was determined on what that number said. I was so terrified of seeing a higher number. But on the other hand, when I saw a lower number (which was 90% of the time), I was motivated for the rest of the day to stay on plan! Even if that number was a tenth of a pound either way, I still let it dictate my mood.
This time around, I am going to start with letting my clothes tell me where I am. And every day I eat really good is another feel good day for me.
I will likely jump on the scale in about a month but until then, I'm just going with the flow and eating within my allotted calorie limits daily.
And I've never done the measuring tape. I just don't trust myself to measure in the same spot to get an accurate picture.
It's as if you have stolen the words from my mouth 0 -
Step 1 - Go to the Dollar Store
Step 2 - Buy a measuring tape
I live in London so unfortunately Dollar Stores don't exist here
On a serious note though, a lot of you have said it doesn't matter whether I track my lbs/inches or not but some say it does... I can't quite decide whether I want to or not as I can get quite obsessive and beat myself up if I don't lose an expected amount of weight or inches every week or fortnight or whenever. At the moment I'm quite happy just tracking my calories but part of me says I should be tracking my lbs/inches too. Don't know!
It's nice to have an impersonal measurement strategy when you think that nothing is happening. I'm sure London has shops where you can buy a tape measure for less than a pound.0 -
Step 1 - Go to the Dollar Store
Step 2 - Buy a measuring tape
I live in London so unfortunately Dollar Stores don't exist here
On a serious note though, a lot of you have said it doesn't matter whether I track my lbs/inches or not but some say it does... I can't quite decide whether I want to or not as I can get quite obsessive and beat myself up if I don't lose an expected amount of weight or inches every week or fortnight or whenever. At the moment I'm quite happy just tracking my calories but part of me says I should be tracking my lbs/inches too. Don't know!
You need to do what YOU are comfortable with, not what random strangers on the internet tell you. If you know you'll become a slave to your measuring tools, why not do just as you planned and just use your clothes to let you know how you're doing?0 -
If you set a calorie and exercise goal that should work for your body, and you log your calories accurately, weighing yourself shouldn't matter. Be honest about what you put in your mouth and don't eat back all your exercise calories (they are estimated high).
I would go by a friends house and weigh before you start. If you have gained since your last check up you won't get an accurate reading when going for your next one and that may be discouraging. (doctors scales usually weigh you a little heavier than you are)
If you do all accurately and honestly, you should lose weight. Getting your starting weight will be important when you go back to your doctor. If you haven't lost anything by then, you may have underlying issues they can help you with.0 -
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I know a lot of people that go by the mirror only. I'm not one of them though, at least not when trying to actively lose weight. I use both scale and measuring tape.0
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I don't see a problem with weighing when you see the doctor (especially when you see him more than once per year) or going by how you feel when you're more or less where you want to be. I'm not quite there yet but hope to eventually.0
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If you think having a scale/tape measure might hurt your progress, DON'T DO IT. It isn't so much about the numbers (tho they can help be a good indicator) more than about how you look/feel/how your clothes fit.
If you are good at tracking your activity and measuring your food carefully, you will be able to lose and not have to worry about whether or not the scale will be higher the next time you go to the doc (as it WILL be lower).
Do what YOU think will work best for you. I personally love to weigh myself daily, but then I am data scientist and love more data points. I know this method doesn't work for a lot of people becasue some days you weigh more or less due to natrual fluctuations. It really is all about what you think you need.0 -
A scale and measuring tape are used to record 2 different things. Using data from both devices combined can give you a more accurate picture on how your body is changing versus using 1 alone.
So imagine using none at all. All you are left with is your own perception of how you look / feel in your clothes and in the mirror.
If you are fine with that, then alright then. Save your $20 and buy other stuff.0 -
All you need is something to track your progress, be that a scales, measuring tape, calipers, or simply your clothes as you suggest. Beyond that its only how often you feel it best to check yourself with any of the previous. Some people get a little too anal here I think, and the bottom line is you need to find what works best for you, and have *some* way of tracking your progress, so you know how you're getting along.
Myself, I weigh myself every morning, but the scales I have is quite consistent, so no wild fluctuations for no reason, and to be honest part of it is a curiousity thing about my weight, and learning more about when it goes up or down. For example, my diet and exercise each day is pretty consistent, yet the manner in which my weight drops isn't, so I don't worry about expecting to see a regular and linear drop in my weight, as I know it goes in fits and starts, much like weight seems to go on it seems. The other reason for my daily weighing, is once I lose this weight I plan to, I don't plan to see it creep back on, and plan to nip weight gain in the bud as soon as I notice it 0 -
Step 1 - Go to the Dollar Store
Step 2 - Buy a measuring tape
I live in London so unfortunately Dollar Stores don't exist here
On a serious note though, a lot of you have said it doesn't matter whether I track my lbs/inches or not but some say it does... I can't quite decide whether I want to or not as I can get quite obsessive and beat myself up if I don't lose an expected amount of weight or inches every week or fortnight or whenever. At the moment I'm quite happy just tracking my calories but part of me says I should be tracking my lbs/inches too. Don't know!
It's nice to have an impersonal measurement strategy when you think that nothing is happening. I'm sure London has shops where you can buy a tape measure for less than a pound.
I'm not sure if something has been misinterpreted here but the cost of a measuring tape/scales is not any issue - I'm aware of how much things cost; true re. having something to use when I'm not sure if anything is happening but the point is that I can become obsessive and let the inches/lbs on the scale control my moods and I don't want that to happen again.0 -
All you need is something to track your progress, be that a scales, measuring tape, calipers, or simply your clothes as you suggest. Beyond that its only how often you feel it best to check yourself with any of the previous. Some people get a little too anal here I think, and the bottom line is you need to find what works best for you, and have *some* way of tracking your progress, so you know how you're getting along.
Myself, I weigh myself every morning, but the scales I have is quite consistent, so no wild fluctuations for no reason, and to be honest part of it is a curiousity thing about my weight, and learning more about when it goes up or down. For example, my diet and exercise each day is pretty consistent, yet the manner in which my weight drops isn't, so I don't worry about expecting to see a regular and linear drop in my weight, as I know it goes in fits and starts, much like weight seems to go on it seems. The other reason for my daily weighing, is once I lose this weight I plan to, I don't plan to see it creep back on, and plan to nip weight gain in the bud as soon as I notice it
I've been taking underwear photos in my mirror so I suppose that is a tracking tool of some sort. Thanks for your input!!
In response to the person who said I shouldn't be asking strangers on the internet for advice, I'm trying to work out what works best for me, and I like to listen to other peoples' viewpoints - that is why I've come to these message boards for advice. I've been pretty much socially inactive on MFP for the past couple of years (I first joined in May 2012 I think) but read the message boards frequently for ideas, success stories etc.0 -
Here's something I always tell my clients:
If you are wearing the clothes you want to wear (fitting), liking the way you look, and getting compliments on it, then does the measurement of weight or inches really matter?
Trying to "fit" into what is "considered" the correct weight and measurements for your body type and height (by social media and magazines) is part of the reason people (especially women) pursue relentlessly these goals to feel more "beautiful" or "accepted".
I like the "could care less what others do" approach much better. If you don't need a scale or tape, don't get one.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I've been taking underwear photos in my mirror so I suppose that is a tracking tool of some sort. Thanks for your input!!
Just make sure you do it with consistency. Doesn't matter how often so much as tracking yourself at the same time. For example I weigh myself first thing in the morning after I use the bathroom, as I figure this is a good way to evaluate things before any food or water goes into my system, thus scale readings should be consistent. Whenever you take pics of yourself, you should aim to do it at the same time when you do it, as you don't want any weight fluctuations which we all have throughout the day, to be a factor
As for your method, I think its all about what makes you happy, after all, we all want to lose weight usually to feel better about our bodies. I might use a scales and have target weights in mind, but to be honest when I reach the point when I look in the mirror and I feel I would not be happy dropping any more weight, thats when I shall stop losing, no matter what the current weight targets I have in mind now, say 0 -
I have a scale, but the closest I come to using a tape measure is when I put my belt on in the morning. That I am almost ready to move it in one more notch tells me I'm losing off my belly, which is where my fat is centered.0
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This might be a stupid question but doesn't a person need to regularly update their MFP weight so that their calories get adjusted accordingly?0
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