Can't keep myself off the scale!

skeeewur
skeeewur Posts: 11 Member
in Motivation and Support
Anyone else having to fight the urge to weigh themselves every day? I can't help it, and then when my weight fluctuates I get really upset and discouraged... I've thought about throwing away my scale but then I will feel unmovitivated because I won't know if I'm making any progress or not

Replies

  • romenaholbert
    romenaholbert Posts: 4 Member
    I tend to weigh daily now that I'm back on the wagon with paying attention to my health. I'm trying to take fluctuations in stride though. I was similar with losing motivation when seeing small increases.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,956 Member
    skylareaston1134 wrote: »
    Anyone else having to fight the urge to weigh themselves every day? I can't help it, and then when my weight fluctuates I get really upset and discouraged... I've thought about throwing away my scale but then I will feel unmovitivated because I won't know if I'm making any progress or not
    Living and dying by the scale is NOT the way to SUCCESSFUL weight loss.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/350212/why-scales-lie/p1

    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
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
    Try only weighing once a week if you're getting obsessive. Your clothes will feel different if you are losing.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,557 Member
    Yeah, if it is really bothering you, put the scale somewhere difficult to get to and just weigh yourself once a week.
  • Kelly016mfp
    Kelly016mfp Posts: 9 Member
    I have a weekly weigh in day (every Saturday Morning) which I record as my actual weight but I also weigh myself every morning and record it on a trend app called Libra. I find that this really helps as it stops me from being demotivated by fluctuations. This app gives you a trend analysis over a week, 15 days, month etc etc.
  • packersfan0103
    packersfan0103 Posts: 251 Member
    skylareaston1134 wrote: »
    Anyone else having to fight the urge to weigh themselves every day? I can't help it, and then when my weight fluctuates I get really upset and discouraged... I've thought about throwing away my scale but then I will feel unmovitivated because I won't know if I'm making any progress or not

    I read something somewhere about weighing yourself daily and finding the weekly average. That might help.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,392 Member
    Daily weigh-ins when trying to lose are a good idea, IMO. It's just another data point that can help achieve a goal. I don't think it's obsessive or out of the ordinary.

    With that said, I forget to weigh in now that I've been at maintenance for years. I can definitely tell by the mirror and my clothing.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,529 Member
    Pick an "official" WI day. Same time, same conditions every week. This WI is going to be recorded and will go on your chart. It's the WI you're working for.

    Any other WI is just sneaking a peek.

    Hope this will cut down on the emotional roller coaster. But then there's still WI day. Try to look at your scale as a sort of biofeedback machine. It's giving you data. But data on what?

    It's data on your weight loss experiment. Weight loss, the process as opposed to the wish, is a skill set. Your skills, calculating, tracking, problem solving, need constant adjusting and testing. The ultimate tester is the scale. The results aren't about you, not your character anyway, it's about your WL skills. How else are you supposed to learn? Good luck.
  • bluestocking06
    bluestocking06 Posts: 66 Member
    I can't weigh myself everyday. As much as I know it's not supposed to bother me, the scale goes up and down blah blah blah, I just can't help but hate myself if it is up. I've watched my weight fluctuate by upwards of 6 pounds over the course of a day, so I know logically that it's part of the deal, but I still just feel it in my gut when the numbers don't look like I want them to. I actually got rid of my scale and weigh myself on a scale at work. I only weigh in once every few weeks. I look at my calorie count and I try to notice differences in my body. Do what works for you, just don't let those numbers control your day everyday.
  • JDMac82
    JDMac82 Posts: 3,192 Member
    Remember that changes take 6-8 wk and you probably wont notice them yourself since you are your toughest critic. The scale is simply a dial and numbers. DONT LET IT RUN YOUR LIFE! Focus on small goals towards your end goal on your fitness journey. Embrace the Down hill breeze when everything is going easy. Dig in and grind it out when those dang uphills come and lifes trying to bury you.
  • AgileK9
    AgileK9 Posts: 255 Member
    I started weighing every day a couple months ago and use Happy Scale. I tried once a week but then I'd get really upset if I was up a couple of pounds due to TOM. Using the app has made me less stressed about the scale even though I'm still weighing every day if that makes any sense. I can see the trends and can monitor my cycles since I don't actually have a period any more but I do cycle.

    Try different things and see what makes you feel the best. I understand not living and dying by the scale but if you're going to weigh every day, then at least you can understand why it's going up and down.
  • brdnw
    brdnw Posts: 565 Member
    I don't see what's wrong with weighing yourself daily. I weigh myself multiple times a day and did so while going from 285-190. I understood how my weight fluctuates throughout the day, how food / drinks affect my weight, etc... I think more information is better than just weighing yourself once a week and having such little data.
  • kyubeans
    kyubeans Posts: 135 Member
    I weigh myself everyday and usually I'm pretty good about taking the ups and downs in stride. I've been losing and gaining back the same four pounds over and over the past 6 weeks though, so when I saw the latest UP to the same number I definitely got frustrated.

    But then I had to remember, I did dine-out the other day and definitely had way more sodium than usual. Weight loss is not linear, etc. etc. I repeated that mantra to myself a few times and calmed myself down.

    I think recognizing your irrational reaction to a pound up here and there is half the battle. If you let it actually discourage you to the point where you turn to food or abandon your work, then it's time to put the scale away.
  • chelllsea124
    chelllsea124 Posts: 336 Member
    I weigh myself every morning and track it on the Libra app. Once I see an actual weight loss, I log it here.
  • aebrunner1
    aebrunner1 Posts: 1 Member
    Yes! I've been finding myself having to weigh in every day. I also cannot keep myself off the scale, even multiple times a day. It's become an obsession of mine! Don't know how to stop being so obsessed about it!
  • chelllsea124
    chelllsea124 Posts: 336 Member
    aebrunner1 wrote: »
    Yes! I've been finding myself having to weigh in every day. I also cannot keep myself off the scale, even multiple times a day. It's become an obsession of mine! Don't know how to stop being so obsessed about it!

    I used to do the same. You'll eventually get tired of it, I think. I know I did. I would weigh myself at night and then it finally got to the point where I was like "well obviously I weigh more after eating and drinking all day" so I just walk away.
  • caitky1013
    caitky1013 Posts: 31 Member
    I was the same way, I started weighing once a week, then it went to two, then everyday. I got upset anytime the scale showed a gain. Instead of going back to once a week, I decided to start a spreadsheet and start seriously tracking my weight each day. It totally changed my way of thinking as far as the scale is concerned. You aren't going to consistently lose weight every single day, and I've noticed I've had days where I go up over a pound in 24 hours. But keeping track of it each day allows me to see what I did that day that caused the gain. And even if I do gain some days, it's the weekly number that really matters. As long as that number is a negative I know I'm doing alright.
  • eyer0ll
    eyer0ll Posts: 313 Member
    I was far more obsessive about the scale when I weighed weekly. I started weighing daily and am much less invested in the number as I see exactly how much it varies day to day due to no discernable reason.

    If you can't keep yourself off the scale anyway, try Libra (Android) or Happy Scale (iOS) to log every day and get a nice, smooth, downward trend graph.
  • Don64V2
    Don64V2 Posts: 26 Member
    JDMac82JDMac82 Member
    July 28, 2017 10:56AM
    Remember that changes take 6-8 wk and you probably wont notice them yourself since you are your toughest critic. The scale is simply a dial and numbers. DONT LET IT RUN YOUR LIFE! Focus on small goals towards your end goal on your fitness journey. Embrace the Down hill breeze when everything is going easy. Dig in and grind it out when those dang uphills come and lifes trying to bury you.

    Well said, JDMac82.

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