Lent - Giving up the Scales!!!!!

Denziee
Denziee Posts: 523 Member
edited September 24 in Motivation and Support
Hello all,

as lent starts soon I've been debating what to give up this year. last year I gave up cheese and boy was it hard!! I dropped half a stone though just through no cheese!! (which obviously meant o pizza, no lasagne, no philly on jacket potatoes, no cheese toasties!!)

so I've been struggling, because I eat cheese now but not as much and I don't feel like I'll be "depriving" myself of something. then i came across another post where someone is giving up the scales. THIS IS REALLY SCARY FOR ME. how will i know if i am on target??! How will I keep up with my 6 weekly MFP challenges??

But I am going to do it!!! Final weigh in is Tuesday and thats it... all through lent... I will give up the scales.

who wants to join me!?! xx

Replies

  • sarahaha
    sarahaha Posts: 20
    oh my gosh, that's impressive. i'm not quite ready to give it a shot yet, but good luck! i think it is a very healthy thing to do. i will be giving up the scales for about a week and a half when i go home over spring break and it's gonna be really scary for me, but i think it's a good thing too.

    you rock :D
  • jlewis2896
    jlewis2896 Posts: 763 Member
    I am so in!
  • amycal
    amycal Posts: 646 Member
    Cheese - that's a good idea! I was just debating what I should do because I usually give up candy but now I eat very little candy other than some dark chocolate. I don't drink pop and I don't eat fast food (two other things I would forgo during Lent).
  • LaurenRoseMD
    LaurenRoseMD Posts: 39
    I hope it works out OK for you. Good luck.
  • sunshine79
    sunshine79 Posts: 758 Member
    I gave up the scales a few weeks ago as I felt it was becoming mentally too destructive for me. I decided to gage my success by measuring which for me has been much better. It's been 3 weeks now that I haven't weighed and I feel so liberated. I've learned to listen to my body more which is great.

    You will be fine and after the first week you won't even miss the scales.
  • sunshine79
    sunshine79 Posts: 758 Member
    I gave up the scales a few weeks ago as I felt it was becoming mentally too destructive for me. I decided to gage my success by measuring which for me has been much better. It's been 3 weeks now that I haven't weighed and I feel so liberated. I've learned to listen to my body more which is great.

    You will be fine and after the first week you won't even miss the scales.
  • miovlb6
    miovlb6 Posts: 339 Member
    I'm giving up my scale for Lent too. You'll know you're on target because you'll feel better and your clothes will fit better. As for your weekly challenges, put them on hold; that's what I did. And if you're still unsure, take your measurements if you want, just to make sure you're still going in the right direction. I'm undecided as to whether or not I'm going to take measurements during Lent; I think I'm going to try not to.

    I don't know about you, but I get hung up on the scale, and giving it up is going to (hopefully) make me focus on my health rather than my weight.

    Good luck!
  • Rainbow_Brite86
    Rainbow_Brite86 Posts: 313
    Awesome!! Good luck. I think I need to do this also. I have become SOO dependent of them....I have vowed only once a week..and the once every 2 weeks.
  • WomanPower79
    WomanPower79 Posts: 37
    I gave up the scales for the entire month of march... DAy 7 with on weigh in!! huge for me.. i used to be a two times a day weigh-er!
  • swissmardi
    swissmardi Posts: 57 Member
    I gave up the scales for over 10 years... It was the best time of my life as well as the most trying... I found it amazingly enlightening as to how my brain works. I was my thinnest but that didn't help my head from feeling that I was totally obese at times. I only weighed in at Dr's appointments but told them not to tell me as I was addicted to the number.

    I've gained a bunch of weight back due to various reasons and I have decided to get back on it as well as get on a calorie counting regime (that's why I'm here...). I am finding it tough, though, to not let the numbers rule my self worth. Strange how finding out that I was over 200 pounds for the first time in my life made me suddenly feel inferior, less, not "good enough". I was ok with my self before I got on the scale, just wanted to get down a couple of pant sizes...

    So, am I in for lent? Hmmmm.... As you say, I'm scared, but it actually scares me to see that I am depending upon scales again to tell me if I'm "on" or not. I know if I walk the walk then magic happens, may not happen at the pace I want it to, but my body can take care of itself.

    Ok, I'm in. I'm new here, just weighed in yesterday, and I'll wait 7 weeks and see what happens. Keeps me in the moment. Thanks for the idea.
  • Denziee
    Denziee Posts: 523 Member
    Ok so it looks like we have two people in and rainbow do you want to join and call it giving up being obsessive about the scales?! Or you wanna go cold turkey with us?

    I'm thinking we could final weigh in tuesday morning and log it on this thread and then just keep coming back here for support and bit of chat about fitness etc ?! I'm scared so I need some friends to do this with!!! Xx
  • swissmardi
    swissmardi Posts: 57 Member
    Ok. I'm in. Tomorrow we begin. Scares the begeebees out of me, too...
  • Denziee
    Denziee Posts: 523 Member
    grand! so tomorrow we will weigh in and then i think I'l have to get the boyfriend to actually hide the scales!!

    come on swissmardi we can do this!
    (i am Clare by the way!) xx
  • swissmardi
    swissmardi Posts: 57 Member
    Hey Clare. I'm Mardi. Yes we can! Glad you are doing this with me.:smile:
  • autumn13
    autumn13 Posts: 295
    I'll have to think about this one...no scale for forty days....wow!I thought giving up after eating after seven was a biggie:)
  • awendybird
    awendybird Posts: 4 Member
    OK I'm in too. I am definitely an obsessive weigher (twice a day if I am home). This is going to be reaalllly hard for me! I'll have my sister hide it.

    I'm scared, but I think I really need to do it! Good idea!!
  • swissmardi
    swissmardi Posts: 57 Member
    Here we go... I'm down my first Kilo and, boy is it going to be difficult to trust... How should we communicate? Here? or through messages??? Let me know.
  • swissmardi
    swissmardi Posts: 57 Member
    Let's really try and do this together... It freaks me out, too, but if I'm doing what's to do, then I can actually trust that all will be ok... Know what I mean?
  • Denziee
    Denziee Posts: 523 Member
    OK!!! SO here's the weigh in.


    Copy and Paste below, add your name and add your starting weight. (SW) and your goal weigh (GW) if you intend to try lose weight over this period too. If not just write MAINTAIN

    WEIGHT:
    Finnhead (Clare): SW: 155.2lbs GW: 151LBS
    swissmardi:
    awendybird:
    flipipino_wardog:




    if you want to join just copy and paste the latest post of the above and add your details.

    ps - is anyone taking measurements? if so we could add these in too?
    pps - I think we should check in on here whilst doing it together so we can all chat and support each other!!
  • awendybird
    awendybird Posts: 4 Member
    I am so excited!! (and nervous) Here we go!!

    WEIGHT:
    Finnhead (Clare): SW: 155.2lbs GW: 151LBS
    swissmardi:
    awendybird: SW: 123lbs GW: 118lbs
    flipipino_wardog:
  • swissmardi
    swissmardi Posts: 57 Member
    Here we go... I have yet to measure myself. I will try and do that at some point soon and let you all know.

    WEIGHT:
    Finnhead (Clare): SW: 155.2lbs GW: 151LBS
    swissmard (Mardi)i: SW: 199.1 lbs (90.5 k) GW: 191 lbs (87 k)
    awendybird:
    flipipino_wardog:
  • Denziee
    Denziee Posts: 523 Member
    So just us three so far!! haha! nevermind at least we can egg each other on :-)

    So where are you both from? I am from the UK (possibly why I post at such werid times to you!!) I'm 26 and a Planning Officer so work for Local Government. Getting married in August 2012 and starting the weight loss thing early!


    WEIGHT:
    Finnhead (Clare): SW: 155.2lbs GW: 151LBS
    swissmard (Mardi)i: SW: 199.1 lbs (90.5 k) GW: 191 lbs (87 k)
    awendybird: SW: 123lbs GW: 118lbs
    flipipino_wardog:
  • awendybird
    awendybird Posts: 4 Member
    I'm from NY but live in Northern Virginia now and work in DC as an office manager. I applied to graduate school for my Masters in Social Work and hope to hear back soon on whether or not I got in. It is taking them longer than they said it would and I'm soo anxious now! My ultimate goal is to be a child/adolescent therapist.

    Today I noticed my sister hid the scale (like I told her to do). I hope I can rely on the way my body feels!
  • swissmardi
    swissmardi Posts: 57 Member
    I'm working right now in Russia and have a scale in my bath... But I'm happy to give it all up and trust right now. I was born in the USA (Colorado) but live in Zurich, Switzerland. I travel A LOT for my work. Get's a bit difficult to figure out food stuff sometimes.
  • swissmardi
    swissmardi Posts: 57 Member
    I'd like to talk with you all about my head obsession with my weight. I woke up feeling obese, after breakfast I felt svelte, then during rehearsal (I'm an opera singer) I realized my dress was smaller since last time (or I was bigger...) which made me feel obese again. This constant brain-baggering is so difficult for me... I also, after the rehearsal, was really hungry. It's so hard for me to know what to eat and how much as one doesn't know exactly how many calories is burnt during a dress rehearsal. I can't sing if I haven't "enough" and I also get way to hungry after is I didn't eat enough before... Rock and a hard place. Makes me want to go the secure route and get on those scales. Do either of you have similar experiences in your own world?
  • Denziee
    Denziee Posts: 523 Member
    eugh I am so sorry I've not checked in over the weekend and i didnt see your post till this morning!! feel bad!!!

    i have had a bad weekend, i was hungover on saturday (which is naughty in iself) and i literally just ate constantly all day on saturday. i ate crisps, pizza, cans of coke, stuff i never normally eat even when i am not dieting!! it was bad all round, so i've started again, yesterday was better and today will be good. i'm going for a run later.

    hun, you may feel a little different in your dress because of water, or times of the month, or literally what you have eaten might have made you bloat a bit. I dont always feel like that because when i'm on a loss and on a roll, i just keep going and going and going. my problem is i hit a day like saturday and i just scrap the whole darned thing. i have no idea how much damage i've done because i cant weigh myself!! usually i would weigh in today and do... "ooops weight on!!!" and then i would be super good all week. but because i havent weighed in..... i dont have any impetus to do anything. I have an obsession with the numbers. and i never really know how i feel.

    so, maybe you are in a better position. you take huge notice of how your body feels and how you feel in clothes. use that observation positively and do something about it. and the times when you feel svelte and good, hold on to them and remember how much that feeling will be intensified the further into this journey you go.

    in the meantime.... i will start listening to my body ad tuning in. and recognising when my body wants something and whe it doesn't. and maybe!! i can give up my hed obsession with the numbers. xx
  • swissmardi
    swissmardi Posts: 57 Member
    Hey! Now I'm sorry that I haven't checked in. I've been working in a different city and they want 60 a week for internet... So I've just been checking my food in on my cell, but it doesn't let me get your posts....

    Anyway, how are you both doing? I'm ok. I know I've lost as my clothes are lose. I keep hoping it's not too much, which sounds weird, I'm sure to you both... Because I am a singer, I have to watch out not to lose too quickly or I can't produce what I need to. My premier is on next Friday, then I'm off traveling without being able to cook... And it's Italy... Well, let's see what happens. Thank God I can try and figure out calories...
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