Scale Phobia!

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JessieW1969
JessieW1969 Posts: 15 Member
edited December 2016 in Motivation and Support
I started my weight loss journey Nov. 1st and have only taken 5 days off from my workouts. (48 workout days! Yay!) I'm very excited to feel this level of motivation because I want to look like the "old" me. My problem lies with the fact that the scale is the bain of my existence. I know my body is changing and I know I've lost some pounds but I don't want to be discouraged by those days when the scale doesn't move. I've been eating right and staying below my max calorie count. I know myself though... I know my motivation will take a steep dive if I don't see the numbers I expect to. How important is the scale really???

**I know the weight I started with and stopped weighing at the end of Nov. when I had a few days of no change**

Replies

  • mari5466
    mari5466 Posts: 137 Member
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    I didn't weight my self the first 3 months and honestly I wish I had stuck with that. I have become so obsessed with the scale it started dictating my mood every morning so I am taking a break from it, still working out and counting but less obsessing.
  • mari5466
    mari5466 Posts: 137 Member
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    BTW my clothes and my body started to change during those three months and that progress was much more promising than the scale.
  • JessieW1969
    JessieW1969 Posts: 15 Member
    edited December 2016
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    Thank you Mari! Glad I'm not the only one! o:)
  • jessiquoi
    jessiquoi Posts: 400 Member
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    I haven't weighed myself yet. I am focusing on building the habits that support a healthy weight, and when I feel ready, I will get on the scale. It's not important to me, and makes me feel bad. I am more interested in how I feel and move. FYI, I have 100lbs to lose.
  • JessieW1969
    JessieW1969 Posts: 15 Member
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    Jessiquoi, when I was at my highest weight, I had 100 to lose as well. My journey hasn't been constant and I was able to keep initial losses off. This is my renewed last push to get where I want to be. I know you can do it!!!
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,717 Member
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    Good for you for realizing that the scale does not dictate the rate of your success. There are other ways and that's where you should focus your attention.

    I'd suggest taking the "power" away from the scale and write down (or keep track however is best for you) a list of all the ways you track your progress: measurements, how your clothes fit, how you feel, reaching workout goals, etc. and stick the "scale" on that list somewhere in the middle or the end. If you don't give it that TOP spot then it has less control over you. It is just a number. Inside you're the same person no matter what that number says.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    I encourage you to educate yourself more about the weight loss process and the body. I do not intend to sound mean. If you read the discussion threads and sticky threads on MFP, you will learn that weight loss IS NOT LINEAR. This means that weight loss does not go in a straight downward line. You will not lose weight every single day, perhaps not every single week. Body weight naturally fluctuates, especially for menstruating women. EVeryone's weight fluctuates throughout the day, after eating and drinking, which is why you should weigh yourself at a consistent time and circumstances. Usually the best time is first thing in the morning after rising, after eliminating, before eating or drinking. Do not weigh yourself multiple times during the day because it will reflect your bodily functions. When you understand and accept these FACTS, you don't have to tie your self-worth and success to that number. It becomes another data point on your journey.

    I think it's better for people to learn this information that just ignore the scale out of fear. To PROVE this to yourself, weigh yourself every morning and log in a trending app like Happy Scale or Trend Weight. These apps give you a trending average of your recorded weight and display graphs of your ups and downs so you can LEARN what your personal patterns are.

    Finally, focus on the idea that the main goal for most of us is to lose FAT, not just "weight". Weight includes fat, muscle, body organs, water, food, excrement, etc. That's why you can't stress out about minor changes in overall "weight." (And the body fat scales are inaccurate and not a reliable way to determine this breakdown.)

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