Ditching the scale.

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JustDoIt987
JustDoIt987 Posts: 120 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Im thinking whether or not I should stop weighing myself. I am tired of the scale determining my mood for the day. Plus , birth control makes me retain a lot of water so I gain about 3 lbs while on the pill. Anyone here that does not use the scale? If so, how do you check whether you lost/gained weight?
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Replies

  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
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    I don't use a scale. I measure with a measurement tape once a month
  • jdevergillo7
    jdevergillo7 Posts: 315 Member
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    I threw it out for same reasons you said.... .5 pounds would make me angry for the day and I couldn't live like that. I go by the mirror, my pants fitting, and just overall knowing I'm putting in hard work
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    JustDoIt987 wrote: »
    Im thinking whether or not I should stop weighing myself. I am tired of the scale determining my mood for the day.

    You always have complete choice over your mood. :)
    What many do.. including myself.. is to look at the overall weight trend from week to week, to not take day-to-day variances so seriously. You can use a trend-tracking app or website (TrendWeight, Libra, etc). Here's an example of a trend graph:

    5S2xqU9.jpg
  • Ocean_Breezy
    Ocean_Breezy Posts: 55 Member
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    The scale is annoying, but think of it as fractions of a pound lost = many pounds lost over time. Don't give up.
  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    No way. It's the most simplest way to gauge weight loss/gain. I can pack on quite a few lbs before my jeans start getting too tight.

    As mentioned, using a weight trending app smooths out those highs and lows, and helps very much in avoiding the number on the scale freak outs!

    Agreed. Every time I ditch the scale, I pack on far too many pounds before I catch it. In fact, that's why I'm back to reducing my calories currently.

    Just try to weigh yourself less often. I weigh about every week or so now. It's easy to get caught up in the numbers day to day. Some people can weigh daily and not be bothered. Others, not so much.
  • Windrunner666
    Windrunner666 Posts: 91 Member
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    I have simmilar issues. It's better to measure yourself, the progress is more visible like that. I do that every week..ish.
  • ferd_ttp5
    ferd_ttp5 Posts: 246 Member
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    I never anoyed the scale, i think because i never experienced some weight flactuations.
  • LucasWilland
    LucasWilland Posts: 68 Member
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    The scale is one data point, but is not the be all end all. As I explained before, scale weight can fluctuate based on bowel content, water retention, intake of salty foods, menstrual cycle, etc.. A person can easily go up in scale weight 4 pounds a day without any change in fat-free mass or fat mass. It is also possible that females in their menstrual cycle will hold up to 7 pounds of water a day. This can add a lot of extra mass without any change in fat mass or lean tissue.

    If you are going to weigh yourself, don't do it on a daily basis. Take a weekly average first thing in the morning after using the toilet, and compare it to the previous weekly average. If weight is not going anywhere, then I would consider taking body measurements of the waist, hips, neck, etc.. this will determine if you are losing fat during times of extreme water retention.
  • LucasWilland
    LucasWilland Posts: 68 Member
    edited April 2017
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    Also, I would like to point out that it is entirely possible for two people to look different at the same weight because one may have more muscle mass than the other, which is why weight alone is a useless indicator.
  • MaddMaestro
    MaddMaestro Posts: 405 Member
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    I WOULD suggest weighing yourself at the end of the day, but then I guess going to bed mad isn't any better ^_^;;
  • LucasWilland
    LucasWilland Posts: 68 Member
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    MaddMaestro wrote: »
    I WOULD suggest weighing yourself at the end of the day, but then I guess going to bed mad isn't any better ^_^;;

    Why is that a good idea? After all that glycogen from the food and carbs eaten during the day, the scale could easily go up 2 pounds or more. You want to reduce as many outliers as possible to ensure that you are progressing.
  • 1234newman
    1234newman Posts: 31 Member
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    I just installed AKTI BMI. Read the dial, ouch!

    I understand the problems of varying weight. Personally I Think it will bolster my resolve. I need all of the help I can get. No
  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,449 Member
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    Post scale regardless of lbs put on some mood cheering music
  • 1234newman
    1234newman Posts: 31 Member
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    amtyrell wrote: »
    Post scale regardless of lbs put on some mood cheering music

    I know what you are saying. Appreciate your nice dry sense of humour too :) But a bit desperate to get the weight down.

  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    Everyone has to do what works best for their individual personality. I weigh everyday, but I have been at this for four years and completely understand the daily fluctuations, how much I have to overeat to gain, how much fluid I retain from a night of pizza or Mexican and so on. I also use Happy Scale app, it gives you trend weight so even if my morning measurement is .5 higher, my trend weight will usually be lower. That's good data. I believe one of the biggest hurdles to making these changes permanent is getting over the daily emotional roller coaster, once that is done things get a lot easier. At least it did for me.

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