I've stopped weighing myself, anyone else?
kistockman
Posts: 80 Member
As I notice peri-menopausal symptoms, I've decide for my own sanity, to stop weighing myself. I've maintained my weight for over ten years and and with a recent 3-5pound weight gain (pounds that just won't budge), I've determined that my weight goal may have to shift too. What seems to make more sense to me though is to stop using this number as a goal. That maybe health during menopause (I'm not there yet) has less to do with the number on the scale and perhaps I should use another indicator. Like make sure I'm still eating well and keep exercising (I still enjoy aerobics like Jazzercise with weight training and I practice yoga)
Though if I don't weight myself, how to I stay motivated to keep tracking on mfp? I think it is a healthy environment and practice, but if I toss the scale, then what?
Anyone else here stop weighing themselves and just track for health?
Though if I don't weight myself, how to I stay motivated to keep tracking on mfp? I think it is a healthy environment and practice, but if I toss the scale, then what?
Anyone else here stop weighing themselves and just track for health?
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Replies
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You could always take your measurements once per month, you can add alternative measurements in MFP.5
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How about printing your workout reports weekly and making goals for increasing/improving them ... maybe try a new exercise once every two weeks and track those. I agree that MFP does definitely put the focus on what is quantitative AND that the number on the scale is not what's important. There are challenge groups out there which might be another option ... I'm a runner and I know there's a monthly mileage challenge (the goals for which you set yourself). Maybe there will be one that will make sense for you!
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I was close to goal years ago and stopped weighing myself. For me that causes calorie creep and I gained about 55lbs over 4 years. I know that I need to weigh in every day.12
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I abandoned the scale this spring. I was becoming too focused on that particular measurement and decided I needed to focus on other factors, like becoming stronger, running farther/faster. As long as my clothes fit and I'm making progress in other ways, I'm good. Not that I'm not curious about what the scale says, but I'm still avoiding it.5
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I have to say that I do weigh myself almost every day so that I am aware of my cycle-related weight fluctuations. I don't know whether that habit will do me any good as I move into peri-menopause (and my cycle goes wonky), but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there. It's nice to know that when I'm five pounds heavier than I was a week ago, there's a reason for it - and not just the afternoon chocolate (sanity) break.3
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tinkerbellang83 wrote: »You could always take your measurements once per month, you can add alternative measurements in MFP.
Seconding this! I started doing this back in January and it works to motivate me a lot more than the scale, especially with variations in bloating, diet, etc.2 -
You've been maintaining for a long time, and while its not a bad idea to just take measurements or go by how your clothes feel I don't think its over reliable. My thoughts would be, what if you don't weigh in and then a few months go by, you think are you are still same weight but you could find that you have gained another 3lbs or more? I know personally I just wouldn't be happy if that was the case so stepping on the scale is a must for me (4 yrs at maintenance).
You do what feels right/best for you.8 -
I lost weight during perimenopause and the scale can drive you crazy. Unfortunately, so can the measuring tape since water weight (a constant problem for me) makes you bigger just like fat does. I don't really have an answer for you just empathy. I just ate what I knew should be a deficit and trusted that fat would have to be lost. And here I am now on the maintenance thread.7
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I abandoned the scale this spring. I was becoming too focused on that particular measurement and decided I needed to focus on other factors, like becoming stronger, running farther/faster. As long as my clothes fit and I'm making progress in other ways, I'm good. Not that I'm not curious about what the scale says, but I'm still avoiding it.
Ditto. For me, a change in fitness goals has meant letting go of the fixation on scale weight # - hence, I have let go of the scale.
I am focused on recomposition, and over the last 6 months or so, I have seen great progress. Clothes fit really well, better composition... but 10 pounds over the original GW # I was at in April/May 2016.
Stepping on the scale still (sadly) triggers all kinds of negative thinking / impulses.6 -
I stopped weighing myself this month as I decided I was happy with my weight and no longer wanted to obsess over a number every day. It has been such a great freeing feeling! I do still take measurements sporadically and even though I am at goal weight I am not mentally ready to increase my calories yet. Which may be the reason why it's so easy to not step on the scale, knowing I'm at a deficit. I will probably start using the scale again when I increase my calories to maintenance level though.3
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I abandoned the scale this spring. I was becoming too focused on that particular measurement and decided I needed to focus on other factors, like becoming stronger, running farther/faster. As long as my clothes fit and I'm making progress in other ways, I'm good. Not that I'm not curious about what the scale says, but I'm still avoiding it.
Ditto. For me, a change in fitness goals has meant letting go of the fixation on scale weight # - hence, I have let go of the scale.
I am focused on recomposition, and over the last 6 months or so, I have seen great progress. Clothes fit really well, better composition... but 10 pounds over the original GW # I was at in April/May 2016.
Stepping on the scale still (sadly) triggers all kinds of negative thinking / impulses.
Tell me more about recomposition. I'm not sure I heard that term before.0 -
You don't have to continue food logging/measuring but I would continue to weigh yourself regularly. It doesn't have to be daily by any means, weekly or two times a month would suffice. You're not worried about the actual number, you're more worried about the longer-term trend of the number.
As you've seen over the past 10 years, people who continue to track their weight after they stop losing stand a much better chance of keeping the weight off. Staying aware of your weight trends ensures that you continue to focus on a reasonable calorie intake and helps you to identify and act upon any issues early.6 -
I don't weigh myself that much. Today I weighed myself for the first time in several months. (I was pleasantly suprised.) For me the scale becomes an obsession. I'd rather see how many inches I've lost or how much looser my clothes are.4
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I have not weighed myself in months. I am in perimenopause and there are just certain areas of my body that are not budging, no matter what - namely a tiny amount of flab on my inner thighs (only I seem to notice), some belly fat and just a few other minor areas. I decided that I would track my exercise and food and keep an eye on how my clothes feel. So far, I am still the same size. I will say that at times my pants feel a bit tight but after hormones stabilize a bit, they loosen up. There is absolutely nothing I can do about when/how my body wants to retain fluids these days.2
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quote="rhtexasgal;c-40437622"]I have not weighed myself in months. I am in perimenopause and there are just certain areas of my body that are not budging, no matter what - namely a tiny amount of flab on my inner thighs (only I seem to notice), some belly fat and just a few other minor areas. I decided that I would track my exercise and food and keep an eye on how my clothes feel. So far, I am still the same size. I will say that at times my pants feel a bit tight but after hormones stabilize a bit, they loosen up. There is absolutely nothing I can do about when/how my body wants to retain fluids these days. [/quote]
This is exactly where I am. I think I've accepted the fact that some of this weight gain of 3-5 lbs is not going to move. It's as if I have to create a new goal weight.
But my worry really is two-fold. 1. I am truly bummed out when I see the weight gain....when I see the actual number and it affects my whole day. And really depressed throughout the day or two after. So not weighing myself is sort of an emotional self-care. Then there's 2. I'm almost certain if I don't weigh myself even once a month, I will creep up.
If I could approach the scale as a simple record that keeps me in check rather than giving me a reason to hate myself, I'd be good. Because really, when I look at myself in the mirror, I think I look pretty good! But when I look at the scale number I literally feel fat and I slump around. I just have to rewrap that number around my head so my heart doesn't hurt so much.
I guess I'm wondering, should the number on the scale no longer be the way to measure...especially as my body changes? I do like the idea of measuring myself and watching those numbers instead. Though I've not tossed the scale out yet.
Thank you for your suggestions and allowing me to spill a bit of emotional garbage.
xoxoxo[
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I think you have it backwards. You shouldn't stop weighing yourself, but it is okay to quit counting calories. You need to weigh yourself to make sure you are staying near where you should be. Counting calories is just a way to correct the problem if you gain weight.14
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TimothyFish wrote: »I think you have it backwards. You shouldn't stop weighing yourself, but it is okay to quit counting calories. You need to weigh yourself to make sure you are staying near where you should be. Counting calories is just a way to correct the problem if you gain weight.
This is usually good advice, but doesn't always work in perimenopause when your hormones are going crazy. I once gained 7 lbs overnight. 7 pounds! And it didn't go away for weeks! It was water weight, obviously. But the scale can't always tell you if you are losing or gaining fat when it's jumping all over the place from water.5 -
I don't weigh myself often, but I do need to check to make sure I am still in my maintenance range.
Monitoring my measurements is a better fit for me and my goals.
When I was losing I was focused on getting fit and losing fat & inches. Now that I am happy with my body I want to stay where I am.
I have been maintaining for a few years with no regain and I have my eating under control so this works great for me, but it's not for everyone.
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TimothyFish wrote: »I think you have it backwards. You shouldn't stop weighing yourself, but it is okay to quit counting calories. You need to weigh yourself to make sure you are staying near where you should be. Counting calories is just a way to correct the problem if you gain weight.
This is exactly what I have been doing for the past 10 years. I would count and track just one week of the month to keep myself on track, but would weight myself weekly to be sure I wasn't gaining. Tracking the one week would keep me at or even below my GW (I loved having that 2-3 lb buffer)!
And this is exactly how I discovered that I went up about 5lbs and the lbs never came off. Tracking my calories doesn't seem to work. I tracked HONESTLY for a whole month, the lbs fluctuated, but the range was a solid 3-5lbs more than last year. They wouldn't budge.
This is been a bit demoralizing and frightening to me really. Am I going to keep creeping up as I get older? Is this a reason to continue stepping on the scale or the argument for tossing it and looking for other ways to measure my fitness?0 -
TimothyFish wrote: »I think you have it backwards. You shouldn't stop weighing yourself, but it is okay to quit counting calories. You need to weigh yourself to make sure you are staying near where you should be. Counting calories is just a way to correct the problem if you gain weight.
lol really?
I log and count but very rarely weigh because I do log and count I don't have to....
those random spikes and drops are a mental game and I don't need that in my life.
Besides it's one measure that in the long run means squat if you are logging and know you are good.
ETA: basically it's 6 of one and half dozen of another.
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kistockman wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »I think you have it backwards. You shouldn't stop weighing yourself, but it is okay to quit counting calories. You need to weigh yourself to make sure you are staying near where you should be. Counting calories is just a way to correct the problem if you gain weight.
This is exactly what I have been doing for the past 10 years. I would count and track just one week of the month to keep myself on track, but would weight myself weekly to be sure I wasn't gaining. Tracking the one week would keep me at or even below my GW (I loved having that 2-3 lb buffer)!
And this is exactly how I discovered that I went up about 5lbs and the lbs never came off. Tracking my calories doesn't seem to work. I tracked HONESTLY for a whole month, the lbs fluctuated, but the range was a solid 3-5lbs more than last year. They wouldn't budge.
This is been a bit demoralizing and frightening to me really. Am I going to keep creeping up as I get older? Is this a reason to continue stepping on the scale or the argument for tossing it and looking for other ways to measure my fitness?
The scale isn't a good measure of fitness, just of weight. Whether you weight yourself or your food I'd suggest letting your doctor know if you gain any more weight (even if only going by clothing tightness). The risk of thyroid problems increases with menopause so if you have unexplained weight gain it would be wise to get that checked as it's easily treatable with medication.3 -
I log my calories and I'm pretty meticulous about it, its become second nature so the calorie counting assures me I have nothing to worry about scale wise. I am in the last stages of Peri-menopause at the age of 49. Been working through the best methods and this seems to work for me and my comfort level.
When my goals change like now, I'm bulking as mentioned up thread, it necessary to weigh, not daily but weekly or so. I don't find any tool I use for maintaining/cutting/bulking a mental game, its just a tool.2 -
TimothyFish wrote: »I think you have it backwards. You shouldn't stop weighing yourself, but it is okay to quit counting calories. You need to weigh yourself to make sure you are staying near where you should be. Counting calories is just a way to correct the problem if you gain weight.
lol really?
I log and count but very rarely weigh because I do log and count I don't have to....
those random spikes and drops are a mental game and I don't need that in my life.
Besides it's one measure that in the long run means squat if you are logging and know you are good.
ETA: basically it's 6 of one and half dozen of another.
That's not exactly true. Weighing only requires about five seconds to step on the scales. Logging calories requires some action each time you eat and may require you to weigh your food and do other things to achieve accuracy. For long term maintenance it makes sense to keep things simple.7 -
kistockman wrote: »
Tell me more about recomposition. I'm not sure I heard that term before.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat#latest
Everything you want to know about recomp.
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Go by the way your clothes fit and your energy level1
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everyone is unique of course so you should do what works for you. As a post menapausal confirmed yo yo person I can tell you that the stopping logging and the stopping weighing are for me the first step on the slippery slope of an upward yo, I liken myself to an addict of sorts. I can pretend that I am normal for a while and succeed but after a while I slip back into the old ways. So, for me personally, I think I will always need to weigh daily (and monitor trends) and count calories. So much hard work has gone into the losses over the years that it seems a shame for me to be lazy and think I don't have this issue. For me first I stop logging. boo. Then I stop weighing. boo boo. Then I start wearing stretchy clothes. YIKES! Before I know it, it's a year or 2 down the road and I am exactly where I started but fatter (because yo yo weight is usually not muscle) 20 pounds more.8
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Don't toss the scale. It's data, pure and simple. No emotion attached to the net to the number, just information you can use to maintain your healthy weight.11
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SummerSkier wrote: »everyone is unique of course so you should do what works for you. As a post menapausal confirmed yo yo person I can tell you that the stopping logging and the stopping weighing are for me the first step on the slippery slope of an upward yo, I liken myself to an addict of sorts. I can pretend that I am normal for a while and succeed but after a while I slip back into the old ways. So, for me personally, I think I will always need to weigh daily (and monitor trends) and count calories. So much hard work has gone into the losses over the years that it seems a shame for me to be lazy and think I don't have this issue. For me first I stop logging. boo. Then I stop weighing. boo boo. Then I start wearing stretchy clothes. YIKES! Before I know it, it's a year or 2 down the road and I am exactly where I started but fatter (because yo yo weight is usually not muscle) 20 pounds more.
I think you are me.
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I don't look at the scale, it is all about how you look in the mirror3
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