Say NO to the scale!

nurseinthenorth wrote: »

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!

If you do better not using a scale, then go for it! I have friends who don't own one because of the negative connotation.
We all know if our clothes fit or not.
Me though, I do like my scale. I constant to be caught off guard at the doctor's office!

I haven't weighed myself for 6 weeks and feel great.
In the past I would weigh myself and if I lost weight I'd treat myself to a binge if I didn't lose weight I'd binge so no weighing is better for me.

Years ago, we were doing a weight-loss challenge in our group at the office ... and I learned to calculate my actual loss without the scale. When we would weigh in on the scale, my calculation was within a pound of what the scale said (usually).

While there is something to the nutrient makeup of food, the simpler the formula the better ... and I've found that calories in minus calories out allows for a good measure of weight loss without the scale.

Calories in is obviously the food you eat. Calories out includes both your exercise and the number of calories your body burns naturally just to subsist (your "base metabolic rate" x your weight). I used to use a general BMR formula of 12 calories per pound per day; women would use 11 calories per pound. There are BMR calculators and formulas that will help tailor the number specifically to your body.

3500 calories equals a pound, so adding up your calories-in minus calories-out and dividing by 3500 will give you your loss (or gain). (CI - CO)/3500 = loss(gain)

This method has always seemed to be more objective than the scale, since food composition/combination and water can significantly affect the #'s on the scale.

I think it's important to weigh yourself everyday and log it. The more data you have, the better you will get to know your body and how your weight fluctuates. It's important to look at trends over 1 week and over a month and ask yourself ....Are you heading in the right direction? Are you meeting your goals? and if not...why?
Are your goals unrealistic?
Are you tracking honestly or cutting corners?
The scale and the data trends are great tools if used correctly.

I'm totally with younurseinthenorth! I don't look at the scale either. I used to look at the scale and make projections based on loses and when I didn't live up to the projections I'd get discouraged. What I do know is that I just moved another notch in my belt, I can climb a ladder without getting winded, and my sugars have been awesome. The main goal isn't weight loss, my main goal is to continue to eat healthy and work out regularly (4xweek) if I do that everything else should fall into place.

Whatever floats your boat OP. If you cnat handle the scale then dont use it and hope your other ways of measuring give you enough of what you want.

Im with the people who says it gives them objective data and I look carefully how I deal with such information. I use all the other pefromance measures for health and fitness, but I find the scale a very useful motivator and encouragement on how far I have progressed and a warning radar in case the trend starts going in the wrong direction.

If I lose weight and that corresponds with efforts I have put in then I find that rewarding.
If I gain weight, then I analyse and work hard to keep doing the right things.

Not knowing would drive me nuts and would impair my ability to plan and progress. Throwing away the scale just makes the diet more clumsy imo.

OP thanks for your post. I have recently come to similar conclusions and we agree on many points. I will still weigh in weekly because I want the data but am focusing on other things too.