Getting on the scale for the first time

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arowe1279
arowe1279 Posts: 2 Member
in Getting Started
Hello! I'm 11 days into using MFP and I'm having a difficult time motivating myself to get on the scale and admit where I'm starting. Any pointers?

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  • __Roxy__
    __Roxy__ Posts: 825 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I understand that, but it's a very important step and can be very motivating on the journey to a healthy weight! It feels really amazing to watch that number drop each week and to know the progress you are making.
    If your goal is to feel better and have more energy, than don't worry about the scale. Eat healthy, exercise, drink water and get sleep... and you can gauge your progress by how you feel. BUT, if your goal is to lose x lbs, or become y lbs, or wear size z; then you will need to know your numbers and follow a plan to reach your goals.
    Good luck :)

    I can relate as the first time I stepped on a scale, I was 50 lbs (FIFTY!) heavier than I expected myself to be. That's a HUGE difference. I am so glad I did it though because now I know how far I've come.
  • adriennel502
    adriennel502 Posts: 72 Member
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    my best friend just started, and logged her starting weight at what she THOUGHT she was. When she eventually weighed herself she was quite a bit more, which upset her a lot and set her into a bit of a tailspin for a while. Better to grit your teeth, step on the scales and admit what the number is - then every time you go down you get that surge of motivation and enthusiasm. Being honest to start with will help in the long run.

    Good luck! You can do it. :)
  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
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    That first time you step on is hideous because you are almost guaranteed to weight more than you thought. But you just have to grit your teeth and do it. The next week when you step on it and its a bit less then you will feel better about it.

    Another tip is to change the setting on the scale from how you normally wight yourself. For example, wight yourself in kg if you normally go with pounds, that somehow makes it more palatable
  • Tuala42
    Tuala42 Posts: 274 Member
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    I can completely relate, I avoided stepping on the scale for years--avoiding it probably was one reason that my weight crept up so much higher than I had realized. I'll definitely never forget seeing that awful number on the scale, but it motivated me to finally do something about it and stick to my goals. I had half-heartedly made attempts over the years but keeping an eye on the scale finally gave me the motivation. I make sure to weigh in once a week now (in maintenance for 2 years) so that those numbers never creep up again.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    you don't have to if you don't want to. a friend of mine on here has no idea what his real starting weight was, because he refused to step on the scale. i think he was a month into eating healthy before he finally jumped on the scale and was still shocked at the number, although he had started to trim down.

    jump on the scale when you're ready, and don't let the number define you.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    You don't have to if you don't want to, but have some sort of record of where you started. For example, the dreaded full length mirror selfie. Down the track it will be a good reminder of how far you've come. I deeply regret not doing my measurements when I first started, so that's another thing you could do, and actually often a better indicator of weight loss, because you will have weeks where you do everything right but the scales don't move (totally normal, happens to everyone).
  • JoanLovell
    JoanLovell Posts: 127 Member
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    I stepped on the scale when I joined MFP and weighed LESS than I thought I would. You might think this would be good news - and on one level it was - but it made me realize that my biggest problem was that I had lost so much muscle tone through my sedentary lifestyle.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    edited March 2015
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    It is where it is, just get on and do it because thats the start point. Its just data and recognising where you are now and that you will be somewhere different in several months time.

    When I did it I always had a supoion of where I might be and it turned out to be more. The nice thing is at the beginning you cna lose weight a bit faster so you see it move.

    The next thing you will be asking is how often will you weigh. I would suggest you understand that your body will fluctuate daily 1-4lbs for most people. That means dont become obssessed by natural movements but plot your weight to track the general trend.
    Weight at a frequency which suits you (daily, weekly, monthly)and be sure to use other measurements such as a tape measure, performance values at the gym and just visual.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Just do it. It may be a bitter pill to as swallow, but it's an important part of the process.
  • prettygirlstorm1
    prettygirlstorm1 Posts: 722 Member
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    When i started again, I felt the same way. I went on a "diet" for two weeks and then got on the scale. Since I did really well for that time I used that weight as my starting weight. It was not as bad as a thought. Go for it you may be pleasantly surprised!!
  • arowe1279
    arowe1279 Posts: 2 Member
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    Thanks so much everyone - tomorrow morning that scale will be broken...just kidding...but I will weigh myself :)
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
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    take the time to measure yourself as well. Sometimes the weight comes off first, sometimes the measurements change.

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