Scale Stress Syndrome

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Replies

  • interrobanger
    interrobanger Posts: 13 Member
    Rationally, I know that what the scale shows is not that important in the grand scheme of weight loss progress, and to obsess over an arbitrary number that can change with the next glass of water or a heavier pair of pants isn't really going to help matters.



    But it still ruins my morning when that thing shows a one pound weight gain from the last day. :#:#:#
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i always weight and log once a week (typically friday). other than that, sometimes i weigh daily and sometimes i dont. depends on how foggy my head is when i get up, i guess. LOLOL i dont think ive weighed in 3 or 4 days. if its not friday, i tend to forget what the number was by the time i make it downstairs, anyways LOLOL
  • yapdog
    yapdog Posts: 33 Member
    Love this post very positive!
  • cleanbulk_hatersgfy
    cleanbulk_hatersgfy Posts: 31 Member
    I used to weigh myself everyday. I now use the scale once a month and go by how my clothes fit.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    cleanbulk_hatersgfy wrote: »
    I used to weigh myself everyday. I now use the scale once a month and go by how my clothes fit.
    I step on the scale everyday, however it's just a gauge of what I may need to do that day. If I'm up a little, I usually just drink more water.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • DoreenaV1975
    DoreenaV1975 Posts: 567 Member
    I weigh every day but only log my losses.
    BTW - I just posted a topic about the struggles of water weight (before I saw this thread)! LOL!
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Thanks for sharing! I used to let the scale dictate my moods (and I only weighed in once a week then) but with all of the information I have learned about on these boards I can weigh in daily and not worry about the fluctuations or stalls.
  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,114 Member
    Great post!


    I think I've overcome my "Scale Syndrome". After six months of weighing daily, I'm not longer scared of the fluctuations. I was that person, who would let that number ruin my entire day and mood. At one point I stopped weighing myself for years and just went by the fit of my clothes.

    Seeing and reading about those who have lost inches and but not scale numbers and look Awesome. I found the courage to begin weighing daily.

    The first 2 weeks it was a bit intimidating getting on the scale every morning, because I didn't want to ruin my day. I gave it a chance. Now, the scale doesn't dictate my mood. I've gone up 3 whole pounds on days I ate less than my alloted calories. The next day or 2 it will be gone.

    Take control people!... lol
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  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    I weigh myself after a workout at home - which is about 2 or 3 days a week. I don't trust the gym scale and I'm not about to stand on it naked in front of everyone!

    I workout in the morning on an empty stomach (well, maybe a cup of coffee is in there). So I know my weight is lower than it really is given how much I sweat during a workout, but since I do it this way consistently I can track my progress.

    I do use the fluctuations up as motivation for the rest of the day (or days) until my next weigh-in.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    bump
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I manage my scale stress by not logging a new low into MFP until I have seen it there for a few days, and weighing daily and logging this into a spreadsheet so I can make my own "Weight loss is not linear" chart.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    bump
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    4733659-3532147396-Mario.gif

    I like this post and I'm bumping it for visibility.
  • GillianSmith2
    GillianSmith2 Posts: 387 Member
    Great post, thankyou
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    If you're going to weigh everyday and use that as a gauge, make sure to weigh under the same circumstances for consistency. Usually, no clothes, after using the bathroom in the morning will be your lowest weight for the day. I get people who complain they gain when they weigh in the morning one day, then the next day weigh in the evening. You will inevitably fluctuate at least a couple of pounds up from the previous day in most cases.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Excellent information! Can we get this stickied!?!

    I weight myslef most days, except the days I dont. I really need to get back into lifting because while the number keeps dropping :smile:, I can tell that I'm flabbier (softer, less toned, whatever term is currently inoffensive) that I was the last time I dropped to 150 while lifting :frown:

    The scale is but one measurement and can help you achieve some goals but not all goals.
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    I take everything I see on the scale with a grain of salt these days because the number I see is consistently all over the place. And weight is coming off me very slowly anyway.... BUT....I lost 4" last month and my pants are all very loose. :smile:

    Definitely not a good idea to get overly fixated on scales as they're only one piece of a much larger puzzle!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I had a nice post-menstrual weight loss whoosh last week, started working out again after not being at the gym in six months, and am up six pounds after my 4th workout. Threads like this help me not freak out about it.

    I did go over a few days this week, but certainly not 21,000 calories worth, and I was under an equal amount as well.
  • korenelm
    korenelm Posts: 7 Member
    The scale kills me. In my 1st month I lost 10 lbs. Now still staying under my calories and nothing really changing its staying in the same spot. I am loosing the "go get it attitude" and I still have 30 to 35 lbs left on my goal by March..... It might seem stupid but I cant help but let the scale dictate how my mind perceives how well I am doing. And I don't see weight loss changes in my body either. 1200 calories a day - and nothing!!!!
  • prettysoul1908
    prettysoul1908 Posts: 200 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    The scale is the one tool that the majority of people use to gauge their progress on weight loss/gain and physical transformation. Unfortunately there are so many variables, scale weight can fluctuate so much that people are so dismayed that they quit their weight loss attempt when they see 3-5lbs gained after busting their butts on a single day or week. So I'm here just to let you know that weight loss isn't linear.

    You can do the same exact routines, with the same exact foods, the same exact sleep patterns, etc. and lose weight one week and gain the next. Why? Because the body is complicated. There are lots of things we don't control such as hormonal balance, water fluctuation and body repair. These all play a part on the number that's displayed on the scale every time you step up on it.

    It's really not hard to gain some water weight either. Step on a scale. Get off drink 8 oz of water. Step back on and you'll have gained 8 oz. in weight. Was it fat weight? Muscle weight? Of course not. Yet so many people freak out when they weigh so many pounds one day and then the next day after a good workout out weight 3 lbs more even after being in calorie deficit. Or only slept 4 hours instead of their regular 7-9 hours. Again no muscle or fat gain, so the obvious answer is that water retention upped the weight.

    Remember that the scale is only a tool. It gives current weight of what's on it. It cannot distinguish if it's someone with clothing on or off. Tall or short. Fat or fit. So don't let it define your total progress either. Yes the number going down is an indication of weight loss, but what if that weight loss was more lean muscle than fat? Would that be good?

    Just remember, if you look the way you want, can wear the clothes you choose and people are applauding your look to you, does it really matter what that number on the scale shows?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Timely post I needed to see. I'm dealing with a 2 pound increase that I'm convincing myself not to stress over

    Instead I'm trying to focus on the three inches Ive lost from my waist.

    It's a process to undo all the years of woo and mind-f$(&@! about weight loss.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    I found a very happy middle ground. I weigh twice a day (don't panic, this ends well). Once in the morning after restroom, once at night after restroom, just before bed. If there is a significant difference in morning to night over the course of a few days: water weight. Most days not surrounding TOM, it's the exact same morning and night, and that's my motivation right there. Those days, if they are lower than the week before, I know I can trust the number and it's really gratifying:) I also, as a woman, go out of my way to weigh in the last day of TOM because that is consistently the day of the month that I am the thinnest visually as well as the lightest weight-wise. Then I can gauge the daily numbers against that constant to find the general downward trend:)
  • krithsai
    krithsai Posts: 668 Member
    This is the way I do it - I weigh myself once a week but the day before, I eat the same meal so I don't get too much fluctuation from retained water, bloating etc. And as long as I see a downward trend throughout a month, I'm happy.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    korenelm wrote: »
    The scale kills me. In my 1st month I lost 10 lbs. Now still staying under my calories and nothing really changing its staying in the same spot. I am loosing the "go get it attitude" and I still have 30 to 35 lbs left on my goal by March..... It might seem stupid but I cant help but let the scale dictate how my mind perceives how well I am doing. And I don't see weight loss changes in my body either. 1200 calories a day - and nothing!!!!
    Likely you're possibly in homeostasis. The body is really smart at adjusting metabolic rate to the available energy being taken in and used. Are you currently exercising?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    CoffeeNCardio wrote: »
    I found a very happy middle ground. I weigh twice a day (don't panic, this ends well). Once in the morning after restroom, once at night after restroom, just before bed. If there is a significant difference in morning to night over the course of a few days: water weight. Most days not surrounding TOM, it's the exact same morning and night, and that's my motivation right there. Those days, if they are lower than the week before, I know I can trust the number and it's really gratifying:) I also, as a woman, go out of my way to weigh in the last day of TOM because that is consistently the day of the month that I am the thinnest visually as well as the lightest weight-wise. Then I can gauge the daily numbers against that constant to find the general downward trend:)
    Gauging is fine. Many times you can identify possible foods that may be cause for higher water weight retention (usually sodium in them that you didn't realize). As long as people aren't living and dying by the numbers on the scale, daily weighing isn't a bad thing. Again, as long as that number isn't going to derail effort and consistency.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,401 Member
    I started getting on the scale more frequently just to get myself used to the swings. I've seen 5 lb swings in a day. People talking about using Trendweight and Libra got me interested. I just got Libra the other day and that way I can just punch it into my phone when I weigh and then I have the data available.
  • pitbullmamaliz
    pitbullmamaliz Posts: 303 Member
    I find myself fascinated with the ups and downs my body can do. I weigh daily and log daily in the Happy Scales app, but I'm only logging losses here (it's all psychological, LOL). Prior times I tried to lose weight, I'd only weigh once a week. But now, after weighing daily, I've learned so much more about my body. This morning, just for *kitten* and giggles, I weighed myself before going to bed. And then I weighed upon waking up, after peeing, my standard weigh-in routine. 2 full pounds gone in 6 1/2 hours of sleep. I just find that fascinating how weight can just come and go. I think weighing daily has just made me less stress-y about the scale.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    pitbullmamaliz wrote: »
    I find myself fascinated with the ups and downs my body can do. I weigh daily and log daily in the Happy Scales app, but I'm only logging losses here (it's all psychological, LOL). Prior times I tried to lose weight, I'd only weigh once a week. But now, after weighing daily, I've learned so much more about my body.

    Exactly the same here.

  • Duchy82
    Duchy82 Posts: 560 Member
    Very good post, I usually weigh daily and after so long I'm used to the stalls, ups and downs, the overall trend is still down. The frustration still appears after 2weeks or so without losses but usually not long after, the losses reappear.

    This should definitely be read by the newbies that feel disheartened by no losses for a week or more.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    Fantastic post.
    Bumping.

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