Say NO to the scale!
nurseinthenorth
Posts: 19 Member
I am overweight, and I know it. I started back to MFP almost 5 weeks ago. I haven't weighed myself in quite a number of days. When I get on the scale, more often than not I feel discouraged. I've made a decision to not let that number define me. Maybe there are others who want to follow this path as well. Document accomplishments, document the positives, the other milestones and goals that have nothing to do with that blasted number on the scale. Truth is, balanced, reasonable diet and calorie intake and regular exercise will do nothing but improve overall fitness and improve quality of life. The number on the scale will go down eventually and incidentally. So... Today I'm celebrating that I had a terrific workout! I've had a healthy breakfast, and after more than 4 weeks of working out I do believe I can see some defined abs starting to become visible. I feel fantastic and strong and I sleep great with no aches and pains when I get up in the morning! i hope others will find inspiration and motivation with this group! 
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Replies
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Just read this..."it take 4 weeks for you to notice a change, 8 weeks for your friends and family to notice, and 12 weeks for everyone else to see, so keep it up!"0
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Strongly disagree. The scale is an objective measure of progress. It's too easy to fool yourself with the rest.0
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thanks I needed that this morning. I stopped weighing when I stopped going to weight watchers. I would over eat if I lost weight and would over eat when I gained so I just put it away!!! I let my clothes be the judge. I like the change quote!!0
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Yes! The scale is a dirty rotten liar! I have not gone down any this week, but I totally look and feel a lot better, so that is all that I care about.0
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I have a healthy relationship with the scale. I don't rely on the scale to tell me my success. I use it as one tool in my arsenal. I weigh only once per week when I'm slimming. It helps to be aware that natural fluctuations in weight are not a measure of failure or success. There are a whole lot of reasons you may gain and lose throughout a week that have nothing to do with fat loss.0
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+1. The best way to measure the weight you've lost, is to measure your weight, no?
I'm not suggesting that's the ONLY thing you measure, but if you rely on other measures (appearance, measurements, photos etc.) exclusively you could just be kidding yourself that you're making progress, and you could be setting yourself up for an even greater sense of despondency.
I hop on the scale every day. Yes, I've had days when it's been up, when I really wanted it to be down, and initially that was tough, but you become immune to the fluctuations after a while and just focus on the trend, and gain a lot of emotional resiliency as a result. I use a 10-day moving average to tell me if I need to focus a bit more.0 -
I disagree. I weigh almost daily and rarely get discouraged because I have a realistic expectation in my head. I'm aware of daily fluctuations and only TRACK weekly. The scale is only discouraging if you're expecting to lose 2+ lbs per week. Because I know that I will be losing slowly .5-1lb per week, I am never really disappointed. But a lot of this knowledge and trust in the scale come with time so if you're newer to your journey and looking for quick results, these feelings make a lot of sense.0
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I really like this quote!nurseinthenorth wrote: »Just read this..."it take 4 weeks for you to notice a change, 8 weeks for your friends and family to notice, and 12 weeks for everyone else to see, so keep it up!"
Thank you for sharing!!
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I use the scale AND non scale victories to monitor my progress. As I started with 50lbs to lose, I wanted to make sure I am moving in the right direction. With that being said, weight loss is NOT linear and they're WILL be weeks that the scale doesn't move.
*** When you are doing everything you are supposed to AND the scale isn't moving, THIS IS WHEN you need to chill and rely on those NSV. I track my weight loss trend, and this helps to smooth the bumps and helps me to see that I am still headed in the right direction even when my loss is slowing down.
Otherwise, I just see the scale as another tool to evaluate if what I am doing works or not. Our body sends us feedback, and it is our job to be attentive to this feedback. When we are, we learn about ourselves, we tweak, we improve and we keep moving forward in the right direction.
I understand if not everybody is comfortable with this, but I do think that this is an important thing to get used to in order to be successful in the long run.
Maybe weighing yourself once every 2-weeks/month could help monitor your progress without stressing you too much?
Good luck!0 -
I definitely say no to the scale when I either start working out again after sitting on my butt for weeks or increase workout intensity. Right now I'm carrying at least 5 pounds of water weight and the scale is a stinking liar. That or I've been sleep eating!0
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I used to get super discouraged by the scale..I would weigh daily and if my weight didn't change or "gasp" went up, I would become upset and unmotivated.
After doing A LOT of research, educating myself about weight loss, I've learned that the scale is NOT my enemy. Now, if I don't see a change, I use it to motivate myself. I go over my food diary, my exercise diary, I try to figure out what I did differently that week than the week before. If the scale goes up, I don't freak out. I figure it out, am I weighing at a different point in the day? Is my scale accurate? Did I correctly track my food intake that week? Did I overestimate my workouts? Did I eat too much sodium or is it approaching TOM? When we ignore the scale, it's sometimes easier to 'believe' we're doing everything perfectly...even if we really aren't.
NSV's are SUPER important, and how you FEEL should always be your motivation, but a scale is always going to be an important way to track progress. I truly believe that getting over my fear of the scale, getting over my ideas of what weight loss 'should' look like, realizing it isn't always going to be linear and accepting it, I believe that this is aiding in my weight loss and truly helping me have a better relationship with food, having a healthier outlook, and with myself.0 -
I love my scale. I also love my measurements. And my progress photos. It's a tool, just like any other to track your progress. Don't let it have so much power over you and you'll come to love it, too.
Good luck 0 -
TheVirgoddess wrote: »I love my scale. I also love my measurements. And my progress photos. It's a tool, just like any other to track your progress. Don't let it have so much power over you and you'll come to love it, too.
Good luck
Yes!0 -
ItsJordanNicole wrote: »I disagree. I weigh almost daily and rarely get discouraged because I have a realistic expectation in my head. I'm aware of daily fluctuations and only TRACK weekly. The scale is only discouraging if you're expecting to lose 2+ lbs per week. Because I know that I will be losing slowly .5-1lb per week, I am never really disappointed. But a lot of this knowledge and trust in the scale come with time so if you're newer to your journey and looking for quick results, these feelings make a lot of sense.
This. I don't live and die by the scale, but it's one of many ways I track my progress. Scale, measurements, how clothes fit, fitness goals and progress photos.
Photos are my favorite, because that "it takes 4 weeks for you to notice" thing never works for me. In 4 weeks, I might lose about 5 pounds. I can't "see" five pounds in the mirror. I didn't notice it coming on and didn't notice it going off. But I might see the difference if I take photos and compare them side by side.
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Don't say no to the scale. Say no to OBSESSING about the scale.
It's only 1 tracker of your progress. I tend to use how my clothes fit more. I'm down 10lbs, but I'm also down 2 pant sizes.
If you are logging accurately and truthfully and staying near your goal EVERYDAY, it doesn't matter what the scale says because it WILL work. Consistency is the key.0 -
I love the discussion! You are all so right! I do agree that the key is not to obsess about the scale. For me that means not bothering with it at all. Perhaps I'll get on it next month, but the other victories I plan to achieve will far out measure any number that comes up. I see so many people feeling discouraged by their day to day weight numbers. I hope those folks find their own way to conquer that power the scale has over them.0
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I guess it's a matter of personal preference and what motivates you. For me, the scale gives me feedback on what works and what doesn't. If I'm up a quarter pound or so, I don't get discouraged if I know I'm adhering to my plan. I might increase my water intake, my activity or fiddle with my macros a bit. I don't obsess about it. I just use it as motivational tool.
Years ago, after I lost a lot of weight and slipped into a size 8, I stopped using the scale. Now THAT was a big mistake. I kept fooling myself into thinking I wasn't gaining much, even after I was buying size 12 jeans. Gains of a few pounds a year over say, a 30 year period, can add up to where I am now.0 -
kristen6350 wrote: »Don't say no to the scale. Say no to OBSESSING about the scale....If you are logging accurately and truthfully and staying near your goal EVERYDAY, it doesn't matter what the scale says because it WILL work. Consistency is the key.
I think this is it. My scale was nice to me today but I don't trust it. Pretty well guaranteed when I weigh in at Weight Watchers tonight I will show a three pound gain from this morning.
I track because my support team insists on it. It's an objective measure of progress. But I get a great deal more comfort from the trending change than from any one measurement. Or so I keep telling myself.
Maybe one way to stave off obsession is to weigh only once a week or once a month.
http://www.weightgrapher.com/
I also get a lot more satisfaction from behavioral and exercise goals. Those are more under my control.0 -
In response to the comment regarding what happens if after 12 weeks I've made no progress. I eat a well balances diet, with plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and legumes and stick to my calorie allotment. I work out 45- 60 min 6 days a week. This is a recipe for success. I don't need the scale to tell me I'm succeeding. Every day I chose salad over french fries, or ignore cravings for sugar or chose a healthy desert option I am succeeding. Developing healthy habits are my measure of success. And like I said previously doing this will automatically result in a gradual drop in weight, but looking at that number on the scale everyday is not a good choice for me.
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<3<3<3 I only started going on the scale when I joined MFP. I try to judge my weight on how I feel in my freshly washed jeans, if they're tight I gotta wear my emergency-size-up-pants. Which are more comfortable anyway, but I KNOW that I gained weight... Which keeps me on track, really! 0 -
zoomtech16 wrote: »Yes! The scale is a dirty rotten liar! I have not gone down any this week, but I totally look and feel a lot better, so that is all that I care about.
The fact that you can convince yourself that you look better in 1 week is exactly why you need a scale. We see what we want to see0 -
Today is a beautiful sunny, but cold day in PEI Canada. I've been out for a 45 min brisk walk/ jog, have had a great breakfast of grapefruit, toast and almond butter and am now planning a lovely lunch for some friends. I feel fit and strong. I see that my tummy is shrinking and my clothes are fitting nicely and comfortably. A friend I saw yesterday, who I hadn't seen for several weeks said to me that he thought I looked fantastic. This is enough to keep me motivated for today. I don't need to get on the scale today. Anyone else celebrating some non scale victories?
@sheldonklein... If you need a scale to keep you motivated and it works for you then please keep weighing yourself as you see fit. This does not mean that others need the scale to measure their success. I hope that you feel fantastic, strong, healthy and happy. This thread was started so that I could see if there were others who felt similar to me, and there are! There are many!
Good for you zoomtech16! Feeling better is the best motivator there is because it comes from your own internal signals... listen to your body, it won't lie to you.
@herrspoons... this site IS full of all kinds of people. If people are claiming to exercise and eat healthy and they aren't losing any weight then there is something wrong with what they are doing, they need to examine the quality of the calories they are taking in and the quality of the exercise they are doing to expend those calories. Some may also need to look very honestly at how they are tracking. They may need to consult their physician, have their thyroids checked for example... there are multitudes of issues that impede fitness. I am just saying that the scale is not what motivates me, and I think that there are others who may feel this way.
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using the scale as a tool is helpful. data points and all.
Using the scale to define your sense of self? not helpful.
know the difference.0 -
Everyone can agree or disagree on the scale debate, but it's really a personal issue. If the numbers on the scale throw you into a downward mental spiral, then it's not a USEFUL tool for you...it's a weapon. I can relate, I am one that has to avoid getting on a scale because I know it will absolutely ruin my mental health and the old memories of the long dead eating disorder will surface. I take measurements of my entire body, I gauge weight lost by the fit of my clothing, and I log every single thing I put in my mouth as accurately as I can. It works for me, and that's good enough.0
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nurseinthenorth wrote: »
@herrspoons... this site IS full of all kinds of people. If people are claiming to exercise and eat healthy and they aren't losing any weight then there is something wrong with what they are doing, they need to examine the quality of the calories they are taking in and the quality of the exercise they are doing to expend those calories. Some may also need to look very honestly at how they are tracking. They may need to consult their physician, have their thyroids checked for example... there are multitudes of issues that impede fitness. I am just saying that the scale is not what motivates me, and I think that there are others who may feel this way.
And if that person had been losing and stalled they may need that number on the scale to examine their calorie goal. I have seen cases where people have stalled out only to find out they did not adjust their calories at all and it wiped out a big portion of their deficit. While we shouldn't put too much emphasis on the scale we do need to realize that it is an important part of the equation when it comes to weight loss.0 -
I didn't weigh myself for months. That's how I ended up gaining back the 20 lbs I worked las summer to lose.
Had I caught that sooner...I would be much closer to my goal now.
It is what it is...it's not a liar. It's simply a tool.
For the rest of my days I will weigh in once a week if only to prevent being morbidly obese again...or even overweight.0 -
Here is a suggestion that helped me a lot to over come my scale fear and allowed me over time to turn the fear to joy.
I got one of these scale with Bluetooth option and I linked right to my app. I covered the reader with black cloth. It automatically adjusted my calories intake.
After a period of time I took off the black cloth.
Today I go on once a week on the same day and same time. If I gained or didn't lose anything I go back and review my food intake and any events took place.
What I found out a lot of time is that I get so stress at work that no matter what I don't lose or sometime I gained.
Scale is a great tool, so don't get discourage and keep it up.
I hoped this helped0 -
using the scale as a tool is helpful. data points and all.
Using the scale to define your sense of self? not helpful.
know the difference.
This.
I weigh daily. Sometimes I hop on several times a day because it helps me feel more familiarized with the fluctuations and less invested in any reading (whether highs or lows).
I've been most afraid of the scale in my life whenever I was doing badly at weight management and didn't want to face that fact.
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