new, don't know my weight

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Katiex100
Katiex100 Posts: 19 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hey , I just started mfp today but have been tracking my calories in a journal and working out for about a week. My problem is I don't really know my weight. The weight I put in my profile is a guess based on what I have weighed in the past. I could be way off but I'm afraid to get on a scale. I was large most of my life(200-210lb) then lost a lot of weight through exercise and was at a healthy size(140lb). Then, about three years ago, I got married and stopped working out completely, I gained all my weight back (based on the size pants I'm wearing). I know it's not logical to not weight myself but it has become a fear. Hopefully I will get the courage soon! Oh and I'm new to this forum stuff so sorry if I mess something up!
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Replies

  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    Get on the scale. It's just a number to start with.
  • GCanha
    GCanha Posts: 66 Member
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    I understand your concern about getting on the scale- but I really think you should. You need to acknowledge and accept where you are at right now- so that you'll know how far you'll go. otherwise, you could be having great results and not knowing it.

    I was scared too- but once I confronted it- it became just the starting point.
  • emculp1
    emculp1 Posts: 12 Member
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    If you don't know where you've been, you won't know where you're going. Hop on the scale, record the number, then never look back. Keep up the good work!
  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
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    well you will need to know a starting weight but just start trying to eat around 1400-1500 calories a day and walk as much as you can in 30 minutes everyday. You will get where you want to go. Good Luck

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  • Katiex100
    Katiex100 Posts: 19 Member
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    Thanks everybody, I agree I need to know where I'm at right now so I guess it's time to buy a scale today! I will weigh myself tomorrow morning and adjust my number if need be. I'm so nervous it's going to be way higher than I think.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
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    Don't get on the scale .. it is just meaningless information. Just do your journey .. eat well and get some exercise.

    Unfortunately it is what MFP goes by though .. there are better ways to measure success than that.

    So getting on it is totally optional.
  • RoseyDgirl
    RoseyDgirl Posts: 306 Member
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    I went for 2 months before I bought a scale. And, as I exercised and was losing weight and feeling better about myself, I eventually thought - it'd be good to know an accurate number. So, end of May, I bought a scale - and I found out I was still heavier than I thought I was. And that's ok.

    this journey isn't about rushing to some mysterious finish line. It's about a day by day adventure of making the best choices we can, over the course of a life-time.

    You may not want the scale now - just do what you can to eat under a specific calorie alotment, and exercise - exercise like you love it - it's all you dream about - and eventually, you'll attain results.

    Good luck!
  • harmar21
    harmar21 Posts: 215 Member
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    Hey I was in the same position, when I started I didn;t want to get on a scale (heck I didn't even OWN a scale), scared of the number I would see.

    So I guesstimated my weight at 370-375.
    Well 1 week after starting I decided to get a scale, stepped on it and I was astonished.. I was "only" 337! now in the first week I lost a LOT of water weight probably at least 10 lbs, so I was probably closer to 350, but still was happy, and I already have a 35lb head start to what I thought I was!
    Just 2 weeks in and already my shirt fits just a tad looser, and I had to make my belt 1 notch tighter.
    My goal is to get below 300 by christmas... I might be setting my goal a little too high, but I think with some work it will be doable
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Don't get on the scale .. it is just meaningless information. Just do your journey .. eat well and get some exercise.

    Unfortunately it is what MFP goes by though .. there are better ways to measure success than that.

    So getting on it is totally optional.
    I get the thought behind this but your calorie burns and goal are going to be based on your body mass and that requires your weight to calculate. If you have a problem with the numbers just use a scale somewhere else (a test scale at the store or one at a gym or a friend's house) rather than actually buying one. Once you know your weight, enter it into MFP and use it as your starting point. Use a tape measure rather than the scale as your measuring tool. Then, in a month or two, use the scale again to judge your progress and update your numbers on MFP so you can continue to get accurate goal information.
  • Katiex100
    Katiex100 Posts: 19 Member
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    It's great to know I'm not the only one who is/was afraid of a number!
    I think I'm gonna go for the scale though. I can do it! Congrats on being lower than you thought! That must have been a great feeling. As for me, just hoping it's not way over my guess. Thanks for the support guys!
  • amehh91
    amehh91 Posts: 1,282 Member
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    Hiya, I posted similar last night! I too have been worried about the scale, due to issues with excessive weighing when I was younger I have avoided it but have realised I am using it as an excuse to not do something about my weight now!

    I have guessed my weight at what my weight was in pregnancy (taken from my notes) and I will be buying my scales in a couple of weeks when I get back from a week away with my son.

    I really am nervous to see that number and feel a bit sick when I think about it but I am finally ready to lose weight properly.

    Good luck! I'll be posting in a couple of weeks!
  • Katiex100
    Katiex100 Posts: 19 Member
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    I'm right there with you, I get a little sick even thinking about taking that first step onto the scale. But I just keep telling myself that I already weigh that number and seeing it won't change that. Good luck!
  • GunbunnyFuFu
    GunbunnyFuFu Posts: 22 Member
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    I was certainly dreading my first step on the scale. I knew I was heavy...my visit to the Doctor's office in the months before I made the decision to change my lifestyle confirmed that. I had watched it go up, up, and up for years.

    But my thinking became this...like others said, it's just a number. It only has power over you if you let it! Weigh yourself, and don't look back!

    If you need a friend, feel free to shoot a friend request my way!
  • dfranch
    dfranch Posts: 207 Member
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    I bought a new digital scale (yeah, new toy) when I started to lose weight. Made me want to use it to weigh myself every day.
  • jasper186
    jasper186 Posts: 134 Member
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    Everyone is different but I agree if you don't know where you are, you won't know how you are doing.....if the number matters to you, which I think to most of us it does. If you just pick a number and you are wrong, how will you feel down the road when you start losing and decide to weigh yourself and you weigh more than you thought? Personally that would really upset me, I would rather face the awful truth now and work on changing it. In my opinion, brutal honesty with yourself is the most important step you can take. Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • Katiex100
    Katiex100 Posts: 19 Member
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    Just thought I would report my findings. I did it, I got on the darn scale and as I expected, I'm heavier than I guessed. BUT only by 15lb and surprisingly it really didnt bother me! I was so much more afraid to get on than I was when I saw the number. Thanks for the encouraging words everyone!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Just thought I would report my findings. I did it, I got on the darn scale and as I expected, I'm heavier than I guessed. BUT only by 15lb and surprisingly it really didnt bother me! I was so much more afraid to get on than I was when I saw the number. Thanks for the encouraging words everyone!
    Congrats for doing it and for the one pound loss so far!!
  • gbklvr
    gbklvr Posts: 84 Member
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    Thank you for this. I really needed that gentle reminder today that it is a journey.:smile:


    quote]
    I went for 2 months before I bought a scale. And, as I exercised and was losing weight and feeling better about myself, I eventually thought - it'd be good to know an accurate number. So, end of May, I bought a scale - and I found out I was still heavier than I thought I was. And that's ok.

    this journey isn't about rushing to some mysterious finish line. It's about a day by day adventure of making the best choices we can, over the course of a life-time.

    You may not want the scale now - just do what you can to eat under a specific calorie alotment, and exercise - exercise like you love it - it's all you dream about - and eventually, you'll attain results.

    Good luck!
    [/quote]
  • EmmaOnTrack
    EmmaOnTrack Posts: 425 Member
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    Well done for confronting the beast head on...I think it's terrifying for pretty much everyone the first time.

    You know what you're dealing with, not hiding from it anymore, and can easily track your progress. While you're feeling brave, measure yourself too.

    Now - forget those numbers. Focus on eating better, eating less, moving more, TRACKING and enjoying the benefits that come from being better to your body. Weigh and measure yourself every week or so to reassure yourself you're heading in the right direction if you need to, but don't get hung up on that stuff or it will drive you mental.

    Welcome to the party! :smile:
  • yellowlemoned
    yellowlemoned Posts: 335 Member
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    Edit: congratulations on doing it! I'm really proud of you taking that first step. :D You won't be sorry you did. I'm still going to leave my post here though incase someone else comes along that needs to see it. :D

    Trust me, I get it.

    I cried, told myself my feet were hurting, made up excuses about my period being a week away and having extra water weight, and overreacted in general about having to get on the scale the first time. I thought if I didn't know the exact number it wouldn't be real. The problem with that thinking is that regardless of whether or not you know what the scale says, it is real.

    It's not easy to have to face up to reality, but I did it. I'll admit, I cried and got really hard on myself when I saw the number in front of me. It's most definitely not an easy reality pill to swallow. The important thing though is I started doing something about it.

    Seeing that number, and knowing exactly how far off track I had gone, really forced me to take a serious look at myself and decide to do something for my future. it. It's just a number, a hard number to face, but still just a number. A few months from now, that number could be smaller. You just have to grit your teeth and get on that scale for the first time and decide to make a change.

    I know you can do it. :)

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