Think it's time to throw my scales away

nicola8989
nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've done really well this week, no naughty chocolatey sugary snacks, eaten 1500 calories a day, exercised, done everything right. But I haven't lost any weight. Last time I dieted and exercised the weight just fell off me.

I find it so demoralising, I am weighing myself 2 or 3 times a day and I think I'm getting a bit obsessed. It turns me into a ball of self-hatred, hating my fat ugly useless body, and as someone with a past of EDs I know this is bad for me.

So I'm only going to weigh myself once a month. If I can. But it's really hard to get out of the habit.

Replies

  • HM2206
    HM2206 Posts: 174 Member
    I've stopped using my scale.

    Granted, I only have a few vanity pounds to lose. If the goal is to lose a lot I can see why it's important to somewhat track the progress.

    I find that my weight fluctuates so much - around my period or just the morning after a big meal. And I know myself well, I get so demotivated if it isn't moving.

    So the past weeks I've just stuck to my diet - 1400 calories a day or sometimes less. I can feel my clothes are looser, my stomach is flatter and people around me have commented that I look slimmer. I don't know my weight but am happier this way. I also find that my relationship with food is better and I am somehow content on 1400 calories whereas it felt like a hassle before.
  • thegreatcanook
    thegreatcanook Posts: 2,419 Member
    It's good to measure every 3-4 weeks as it will show changes when the scale doesn't. Sometimes we are retaining water, or have gained muscle, and the dern blasted scale hurts our feelings. The tape measure then comes along and reassures us! Trust me, it helps!

    Bust: Place the measuring tape across your nipples and measure around the largest part of your chest. Be sure to keep the tape parallel to the floor.
    Chest: Place the measuring tape just under your breasts/pecs and measure around the torso while keeping the tape parallel to the floor.
    Waist: Place the measuring tape about a 1/2 inch above your bellybutton (at the narrowest part of your waist) to measure around your torso. When measuring your waist, exhale and measure before inhaling again.
    Hips: Place the measuring tape across the widest part of your hips/buttocks and measure all the way around while keeping the tape parallel to the floor.
    Thigh: Measure around the largest part of each thigh.
    Calves: Measure around the largest part of each calf.
    Upper arm: Measure around the largest part of each arm (above the elbow).
    Forearm: Measure around the largest part of each arm (below the elbow).
    Neck: Measure around the largest part of the neck

    Please don't be discouraged. You can add me for support.
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
    Thank you xx I know I'm being silly but it really does bring me down
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    The best way to solve a problem is to ignore it, I always say.
  • Lives2Travel
    Lives2Travel Posts: 682 Member
    Thank you xx I know I'm being silly but it really does bring me down

    You're not being silly at all. You need to do what works best for you. There is no right or wrong when it comes to the scale. It's a tool to be used (or not used) in whatever way you think best.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    I weigh myself on payday, so if the number sucks at least I still got paid!
  • happysquidmuffin
    happysquidmuffin Posts: 651 Member
    Ugh my husband does that too, he will weigh himself several times a day. Sometimes it drives me nuts! I try to only weigh myself once a day, in the morning, my "empty and naked" weight as I call it, lol. Sometimes I even skip a day or two. I know it's normal for the scale to go up and down and all over the place. You just gotta focus on the overall trend over a period of time. :)
  • balburruproad
    balburruproad Posts: 8 Member
    Yep get rid of them, I did and now rely on a tape measure. Because of this I drink more water than I ever have, exerices more and make smarter choices because the scales only show you one aspect and that's your weight, not your amazing body changes you have when starting to live a positive and healthy lifestyle that is depended on a little led screen to tell you what your days worth is. Throwing mine in the bin has made me thinner than I have been in 4 years because I let my body tell me when my clothes are feeling small not a set of scales! Go do it you will not regret it
  • fitby44
    fitby44 Posts: 276 Member
    I've stopped using my scale.

    Granted, I only have a few vanity pounds to lose. If the goal is to lose a lot I can see why it's important to somewhat track the progress.

    I find that my weight fluctuates so much - around my period or just the morning after a big meal. And I know myself well, I get so demotivated if it isn't moving.

    So the past weeks I've just stuck to my diet - 1400 calories a day or sometimes less. I can feel my clothes are looser, my stomach is flatter and people around me have commented that I look slimmer. I don't know my weight but am happier this way. I also find that my relationship with food is better and I am somehow content on 1400 calories whereas it felt like a hassle before.

    I could have written this.

    I track my weight loss by how my clothes feel. Right now my goal is to fit into all of my size 14 non-stretchy pants by Thanksgiving (the Canadian Thanksgiving on October 13). When I started this challenge on September 2, none of those pants fit comfortably. Now three of them do. Only five more pairs to go!

    Then I plan to fit into my size 12 pants by Christmas. After that I will have to buy new pants because size 12 is really the smallest size I've worn in about 15 years.

    But I find that I am motivated. I started out in size 18's and 20's in early July.

    The scale makes me crazy.
  • xmissxamyx
    xmissxamyx Posts: 70 Member
    I flippin hate my scales I've been putting in a lot of effort and I notice a bit of a difference when I look at myself in the mirror, I definitely have more of a but after so many (many many) squat and such I measure myself one a week I'm noticing inches and half inch loses happening there (every where except my damn arms!!) but then when I get on the scale I've been stuck at the exact same weight for about the last 3 weeks! It's so demotivating sometimes....who new a tiny little number on a screen could make or break a persons entire day =\
  • quellybelly
    quellybelly Posts: 827 Member
    The scale is not the only measure of progress, and it's not an accurate one either. Going by how you look in the mirror, how you feel, and how your clothes fit are much better indicators of fitness. Or how much stronger you are, and how much more endurance you have :)

    <- I weigh the same in both of these pics. Screw the scale!
  • MeganDominique
    MeganDominique Posts: 229 Member

    I find it so demoralising, I am weighing myself 2 or 3 times a day and I think I'm getting a bit obsessed.

    This, OP I have litteraly became obsessed with the scale before. Its taken me a long time to finally reach a healthy place and weight in twice a week.

    if you really aren't loosing weight ( im not sure how long your journey has been) you may want to lower your calories a bit. I stalled for 5 months because I didn't think to lower my calories ( from 1500 to 1300). 1500 for me is maintenance calories.

    I wish you luck OP, take photos, those have helped me the most.
  • wagglesworth
    wagglesworth Posts: 53 Member
    I'm a scale-aholic. I've been on so many diets, with out success, that I've lost count. This time my first thought, after making the decision to lose weight, was "what is it that I've been doing that caused me to fail before?". Bingo! That damn scale. I bet I weighed myself a dozen or so times a day. Crazy? Most definitely! The scale is gone. The pounds are coming off. I visit my physician once a month to be weighed and give up a little blood to monitor all the problems I picked up along the way with the weight gain. My medical issues have radically improved. So with that being said I recommend you say ta ta to the scale.
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
    Thank you everybody for your supportive posts- it helps to know I'm not the only one! I guess as weight loss is the goal it's natural to want to track it but I can't let myself get obsessed.

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