How do you stay OFF the scale??

RedE4Change
RedE4Change Posts: 43
edited September 25 in Health and Weight Loss
I have always been paranoid about my weight (which you would never guess since I have 50lbs to lose!!). Anyway, I have started diets before in the past few years but got discouraged because I would weigh myself daily and when I saw it fluctuate, or not go down fast enough, it would mess with my head and I would feel like it wasn't worth the effort to keep it up. So this time I am trying so hard to avoid it. But I am running out of willpower. My weigh in date would be Tuesday. I just don't know if I can make it until then without sneaking a peak!!!

I just might have to have my husband hide it from me. Haha.

Replies

  • Jenn070608
    Jenn070608 Posts: 206 Member
    I have had the same problem. I would weigh myself daily. Since I started MFP, I have made myself stay off the scale until Thursday mornings. The impulse to weigh in is like an addiction. If you have to, let hubby hide (lol).
  • IanGiles
    IanGiles Posts: 54
    I've hidden them until tomorrow morning...
  • loriefolk
    loriefolk Posts: 352
    Weight fluctuates, that's natural. That should not impact whether or not you make yourself healthy. Health isn't about being skinny, or looking good in cute clothes - it's about being healthy - physically and mentally strong.

    I stay off the scale because I know what my weight is. I do pretty well at maintaining my weight. If I lose a pound, great. If not, so what? I'm healthy, that's what counts!

    Good luck to you!!
  • sexygenius
    sexygenius Posts: 1,078 Member
    sledge hammers...works like a charm
  • I weigh myself weekly also. I have been tempted to get on the scale in between, but I force myself not to. I say "Leave the surprise til Friday" or "The number will be lower on Friday, so it's better to wait". I also give myself a little reward on Friday. I allow myself to wear something different to work. This is exciting for me, b/c my jeans are fitting looser now. Because they feel looser and I feel happier, I don't blow my "diet" because I showed a loss on the scale. Anyway, I've made Friday my special day. So, I save the weigh in for just then.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    I don't own scales. I never have. I was anorexic as a teenager and weighed myself twice a day, so when I got together with my husband and we moved in together he didn't let me buy scales, and 15 years on I still don't own any. If I start weighing myself I start pushing myself too hard to lose weight, in an unhealthy manner.
  • BerniceB
    BerniceB Posts: 44 Member
    You may want to also measure your arms, legs, hips, breast etc. Many times when the scale is not going down you are making progress. Maybe you want to weigh twice a week if that is more manageble. I do weigh every morning. But it is true that it takes about a week for a real pound or maybe two to come off. One thing about dieting that makes me crazy is the fact that thinking about it all the time takes away my time from my life. Hmmm, one idea, when you think you want to look at the scale put on a song and dance and jump around - kids, get them to join you. Just a distraction and more movement. What do you think/
  • pldittrich
    pldittrich Posts: 2 Member
    I am also addicted to the scale. My scale at home is always off by a few pounds, but I weigh myself at work. I work in a hospital and have VERY easy access to those darn scales! I weighed myself this morning and didn't lose an ounce. I worked my butt off for 5 days straight of doing Zumba and Jillian Michaels DVDs. I should have lost something!!! It was very detrimental to my mind at this point. I had to regroup and remember.....I feel better and my clothes are looser. The scale number means nothing at this point. That is my mantra. I also found out by our dietician that I am not eating enough calories. She told me that I should be eating the calories earned by exercising, and I haven't been doing that.
  • shanna5
    shanna5 Posts: 69
    I also did the same thing, sometimes weighing myself 3 or 4 times a day. Finally, I got tired of it. I told my husband to hide it from me and not give it back! It helped alot just knowing that it wasnt there in the bathroom waiting for me. It's been about 3 weeks and I did have him give me the scale so I could do a check-in. I did my weigh-in and as soon as I left the bathroom, he hid it again! Good Luck!
  • This is my struggle as well. I have just started my official diet and I want to get on the scale every day, but I think it might be better if I did it once a week instead. Be strong, and if takes asking the hubby to hide the scale, I say go for it.
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
    I weigh every day... it is kind of an addiction, but I don't let it get to my head. If I've lost, great! I keep at it because I know it's actually working. And I don't go 'treating' myself to things I know I shouldn't because of it. If I haven't lost, or even if I gained, I don't let it get to me. In most cases, it just adds fuel to the fire of my motivation... If I'm not losing or I'm gaining, it means I need to work harder, so I do. *shrug* I can totally understand why avoiding the scale would be preferable to some, though. If you have to, have hubby hide it. Do what works best for YOU, because that is what's important! :)
  • AngiMoss
    AngiMoss Posts: 77
    Maybe try keeping it in a inconvenient place? For me it's tucked away in my basement bathroom....a room that I don't go into very much.
    Having your husband put it away actually doesn't sound like a bad idea.
  • shannonpatton
    shannonpatton Posts: 299 Member
    I'm in the same boat as you! It's so hard to stay off of it :(
  • marci355
    marci355 Posts: 292
    Excellent idea! Seriously, have your husband hide it for you and instruct him to let you only weigh once a month. Trust me, take it from a former "scale *kitten*" (LOL!), you will drive yourself nuts, over every little fluctuation and when you do weigh in, you will see a couple of pounds, not just daily fluctuations. TOM, sodium intake etc etc....makes a world of difference of what the evil scale says! So get him to "supervise" your weigh in's. Now, if I could get a "wine supervisor" I'd be doing great! LOL....But thats a whole other story...Best of luck to you!
  • sarahs440
    sarahs440 Posts: 405
    Excellent idea! Seriously, have your husband hide it for you and instruct him to let you only weigh once a month. Trust me, take it from a former "scale *kitten*" (LOL!), you will drive yourself nuts, over every little fluctuation and when you do weigh in, you will see a couple of pounds, not just daily fluctuations. TOM, sodium intake etc etc....makes a world of difference of what the evil scale says! So get him to "supervise" your weigh in's. Now, if I could get a "wine supervisor" I'd be doing great! LOL....But thats a whole other story...Best of luck to you!


    HAHAH Scale *kitten*! Love it!! That's me all the way! And I am also thinking of having my husband hide the scale from me. I h\get way too obsessive and I am still learning self control when it comes to foods and the scale. If I don't buy the food, I don eat it, and if I dont have the scale staring at me every time I pee, I wont use it! Good luck!!
  • The scale is a terrible thing. I used to weigh myself once a week, but would catch myself checking in every couple days (and sometimes every day!)..I was becoming addicted. And I would find it frustrating because it would fluctuate so much..some days the scale told me I had gained 2 pounds in a day! :noway: And then one day I saw a post on here about giving up the scale for lent, and I thought, what a great way to try and break such a bad habit. So the scale is hidden, and I don't have access to it until Easter. It's been tough, but I know that when I step on that scale next month I'll see a bigger difference than I would in just a week (or a day). Best of luck to you in your journey!
  • chicalatte
    chicalatte Posts: 174
    I have always been paranoid about my weight (which you would never guess since I have 50lbs to lose!!). Anyway, I have started diets before in the past few years but got discouraged because I would weigh myself daily and when I saw it fluctuate, or not go down fast enough, it would mess with my head and I would feel like it wasn't worth the effort to keep it up. So this time I am trying so hard to avoid it. But I am running out of willpower. My weigh in date would be Tuesday. I just don't know if I can make it until then without sneaking a peak!!!

    I just might have to have my husband hide it from me. Haha.

    I can't stay off the scale. I literally weigh myself EVERY morning and sometimes midday. It's horrible and addicting.
  • ahsongbird
    ahsongbird Posts: 712 Member
    once i became aware that i was doing this for the long haul to become healthy and strong I stopped weighing myself constantly b/c the weight doesnt matter. I MATTER. . My physical and emotional health matters. I now only weigh myself now and again out of curiosity or if im doing a challenge on here.
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
    The scale is just information. It’s one part of a larger equation. If you can’t look at it as simply that—and your self-worth rises and falls with every weigh-in—then I think you need to stay away, until your relationship with your body and your understanding of why you are on this journey are more solid. Find a different measure of success. The scale can deceive you. My favorite example of this comes from this post: http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=3926473&SPShared=TRUE
  • Amybcb
    Amybcb Posts: 292 Member
    I have the same problem. I still weigh myself daily - I can't help it. It's the first thing I do in the morning before getting dressed.
  • kansasamy
    kansasamy Posts: 5 Member
    I weigh in once a week at my local TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly). I occasionally weigh on Wii fitness but that's just so I have a weight history to look back at. I don't have the need to see my weight on a scale. I know how I am doing based on how I feel.
  • Thank you all!! Seriously, this has been some great support and good advice. I really thought I was going to cave the day I posted this. So I did have my husband hide it. And it's been much easier since I don't see it every time I walk in the bathroom. It's still on my mind more than it should be. But I'm hoping that as I start feeling better and better, the number won't matter as much.
  • jleegirl
    jleegirl Posts: 44
    I feel EXACTLY the same way! I'm determined to only weigh myself every 2 weeks. Hopefully after two weeks of doing my best, the scale will show a good amount of progress, which will give me motivation for the next two weeks. You can do it! My first two weeks will me up on monday and I can't wait! I'm trying to keep in mind that even if I don't see a huge amount of movement in the scale, I can feel a difference already. Things are tightening up so I know I'm on the right track! friend me if you want, maybe we can help keep each other motivated.:happy:
  • skinnyhopes
    skinnyhopes Posts: 402 Member
    Me and the scale hate each other.
  • jrbanta
    jrbanta Posts: 4,368 Member
    The scale is too frustrating and I end up sabotaging myself if I weigh in daily or weekly. Due to that I'm only weighing in one time per month unless I feel I need a reality check to see how I'm doing and stay on track. I want this to be a lifestyle change producing a healthier me, so I'm focusing on how my clothes feel, my strength, endurance, and energy level. I've taken my measurements and will check them again soon but I can tell by how I feel if I'm becoming healthier and slimmer. This way I don't get frustrated because the number on the scale is only one way to measure success and doesn't say a lot about all the progress I'm are making for a healthier me.:smile:
  • danaclang
    danaclang Posts: 28
    Glad to know I'm not the only one! :) I'm at the point that I think I will donate mine to Goodwill. My only other obstacle, I work in health care...around scales ALL DAY!
  • ruthie3110
    ruthie3110 Posts: 160 Member
    I used to weigh at least once a day but I have it up for Lent, and moved it out of the bathroom.
    I then realised my other set of scales were still in the bathroom... Although they are still there I haven't stepped on them once! I also told a lot of people I wasn't going to weigh so I'd feel guilty if I did.
    I'm hoping that this spell without them will make it easier not to jump on every day when I put them back in the bathroom.
    If not I'll put them away again and only get them out on mondays/weigh day.
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