What if...

bookyeti
bookyeti Posts: 544 Member
edited September 30 in Motivation and Support
What if... you *never* saw the number on the scale budge? Regardless of all the hard work you put into tracking your meals, watching what you eat, and regularly busting your butt exercising daily.

Would you keep doing what you are doing (eating healthy and working-out) if you DID NOT see that number on the scale going down?

I've been thinking about this for the past few days. My answer was a whole-hearted "Yes." And because of this, it's helped me make a decision that at first I found difficult to even consider. NEVER weighing myself on a scale -- or at least, not regularly -- and going solely on measurements and body fat readings.

So I'm taking the plunge and getting rid of my scale... for good. Seriously. I'm getting hubby to take it to work with him, and that's that. My only weigh-ins will happen when I visit the doctor's office - which is once in a blue moon. Or at hubby's office, but I'm not inclined to weigh myself publicly...so that won't be happening either. ;-)

I am not doing this rashly. I have given it a lot of thought.

Why am I doing this? It's not that I feel weighing ones self is wrong. But I do believe that too many of us - myself included - can easily start to focus on that number as being the tell-all of our health and fitness. And the scary thing is, is that we actually look to it for motivation. For instance, when we are doing all we can to eat healthy and workout, and then the 'results' don't show on the scale, we can easily become discouraged. I really hate how that makes me feel, and I hate how it makes my dear friends feel, who are working so hard toward their goals, and at times not seeing any 'joy' on the scale.

Also, it's not that I'm not losing pounds and am resentful at the scale because of it. I am, actually, losing pounds. But I've taken something away from this -- it's taught me that as long as I am consistent in doing what is good for my body (such as eating well and working out), my body will improve, whether that be in inches lost or weight. It will take time, but it WILL happen. That is guaranteed.

So why step on the scale? The number on the scale doesn't tell me anything I really need to know. Of course, I do believe that it is helpful to know ones’ starting weight and goal weight. But I feel that it's the 'in-between' weigh-ins that are counter-productive...for me, anyhow. That number on the scale doesn't tell me how much I busted my butt in the past 20 work-outs; it doesn't tell me how healthy I've been eating. It doesn't tell me that entire dress-size that I've lost, in inches. It doesn't tell me ANY of that. So why oh why do I 'punish' myself by stepping on that scale and letting such an untrustworthy measurement "let me" feel good or bad. Why do I look to it as the main gauge for my success or "failure"? NO MORE!

Some find that weighing themselves daily or weekly, and seeing results from their hard work on the scale is what keeps them motivated. That is wonderful if it works for you. But for me? I guess my fear is, I don't WANT the scale to be my motivator. It's almost like trusting a friend to motivate you and having that friend turn around and betray you the very next day. It's just too unreliable for me to be a motivator. Again, I'm not saying this is the way it is for everyone. But what I'm saying is that it was a Eureka moment for me, and I'm acting on it. It's got to happen when you feel *right* about it and ready to do it. I did a lot of thinking about it these past few days. And even my hubby, who is a health care professional asked me: "WHY are you weighing yourself? What is it telling you that you really need to know?" It got me thinking. For me, this is the right time.

I have committed myself to exercising and eating better...*daily*. So why step on a scale to try to 'measure' that? My aim to become healthier and slim down will not be changing regardless of what the scale says, and by cutting out the scale completely, it will allow me focus on how my body looks and feels. It will aid me in putting my healthy goals in clear focus and not become distracted or discouraged by a meaningless number. It will remind me WHY I'm doing this. Because exercise makes me feel GOOD…I feel stronger, more energetic, and I know it is good for my insides and outsides. Am I eating healthy and working out to see results on the scale. NO! So why track my weight like my success depends on it.

I love what a recent poster here on the message boards said when he disparagingly labeled the scale as "the greasy car salesman of the weight loss world". Because it is! It lies through its teeth. It's deceiving. The measuring tape has become my new friend, and I am also thinking of investing in a scale that can be set to measure body fat (instead of weight) in the near future.

After pondering all of this, I can let go of the scale most willingly! Good riddance, I say. I find it can too easily become a hindrance and not a help in reaching my goals. I know I personally will be better off without it. So it’s goodbye, scale…

Goodbye. :-)

Replies

  • evilbanks
    evilbanks Posts: 166
    Good post...........it's never good to be a slave to the scale.
  • WolffEarl
    WolffEarl Posts: 379 Member
    Well said. So easy to become a slave to the number on the scale whereas indeed it tells us nothing about our increasing fitness or how well our organs function, if we receive the proper nutrition or become stronger. This is why it is so important to have "healthy eating" goals and "fitness" goals. rather than solely weight goals. Let the scale be a tyrant no more.
  • That is really a smart thought! :-)

    I myself haven't owned a scale in DECADES, I just bought one a couple of weeks ago to make things I'm trying to accomplish visible -- in digits not in forms of which jeans I can and cannot wear.

    I like the numbers decreasing almost by the day, and since I have been a healthy eater almost all of my life (and I'm not even overweight now, just ... a little "more" than I used to be) I am able to do well over long periods of time. I will step on that scale far less often once I've reached the number I'd like to see, that's for sure.

    Won't throw it away though. Just maybe ... ignore it ;-))))
  • mlemonroe2
    mlemonroe2 Posts: 603
    Good for you for having the guts to do this. I think i count on the scale way too much, and I weigh every day. I told myself that once I reach my goal (14 more pounds) I won't weigh every day anymore. I can't go cold turkey like you, but I'm going to start weighing once a week and then get down to once a month. It's not about the number on the scale, it's about focusing on the big picuture of being healthy an happy. Good luck to you, I hope you don't start going through withdrawls!!!!!!!
  • Ajessie
    Ajessie Posts: 54
    You make a very valid point here - I was at my doctor's office just yesterday, upset because the scale was saying that I had "only" lost 5 lbs. She made a point to say that I shouldn't focus on the number so much, and the both of you are totally right. I think I'll join you in saying goodbye to the scale. It only hurts me because when I dont see the number that I want to see I get really upset and want to give up. This is GENIUS! :D
  • SmartFunGorgeous
    SmartFunGorgeous Posts: 699 Member
    I really love this, though I'm not sure that I'm at that point yet. Still, it is so accurate. Those numbers were going down and I was happy, but now they've stalled for almost two weeks, I'm miserable. And I'm doing so many things RIGHT! But I'm still addicted, and not ready to break my addiction... However, maybe your words of wisdom will help me to only weigh ONCE a week rather than every day. That's my goal: no more scales until Sunday. Thank you for posting! :-)
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
    I am very motivated and inpsired by your post.

    I am one who puts too much stock into the number on the scale! Because of that, I've recently decided to switch to monthly weigh-ins instead of weekly ones.

    But I am not ready to say "good-bye" completely yet. I hope to be where you are some day. Thanks for posting!!! :flowerforyou:
  • spaingirl2011
    spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
    I'm glad that you found something that works for you! I personally need the scale to keep track of where I am in terms of progress and where I might need to make some changes (not weighing myself is how I got into this mess in the first place!),

    Kudos to you for finding something that works! Best of luck!
  • I can dig it :)
  • Very well said but right now, I am a slave to the scale. I like to see that number drop. I guess I am fortunate in that if I eat right and exercise, I *normally* see that number go down every week.

    My problem is I get bored with eating 'right'. I crave Japanese food or worse still.. Chinese. I want that large order of french fries and I suppose I can only deny myself so long. Where I am fortunate in seeing the number fall often.. I am unfortunate in that I can't 'have a cheat day' as some people do. If I cheat one day, it is like watching the whole diet crash down around me. I will cheat the next day..and the next and within a shockingly short period of time, I have gained 20 lbs.

    So..right now, I will keep the scale, I think should I..no, when I get to my goal weight, I wont rely on it so much.
  • basschick
    basschick Posts: 3,502 Member
    I'm a daily weigher and, for now, that works for me. I have a tendency to retain water and gain water weight if I go over my sodium even a little, so weighing myself daily reminds me how important it is to keep drinking lots of water and keep my sodium in check. Those are two areas where I tend to falter sometimes. I think where the scale trips up many people is they see the number staying the same or they see the number go up one day and think "Why am I bothering!" and give up. Or they have a number in their head (i.e. "I want to weigh 110 lbs. by my wedding!") and will do anything to get to that number even if it means starving themselves. Now that I'm on maintenance, I plan to cut back to weighing myself once a week (old habits are hard to break). I plan to continue to exercise everyday like I've been doing and tracking my calories and trying to stay at or just under most days, (having an occasional "cheat meal" here and there), regardless of the number on the scale. I'm already doing about all I can do on those two fronts. If I ever get to the point where the scale makes me feel like I should be eating less than 1200-1330 calories net, exercising more than an hour a day like I'm already doing, or makes me feel like giving up then out the door it goes! I think everyone needs to find what works for them. Kudos to you for finding what works for you!
  • bookyeti
    bookyeti Posts: 544 Member
    Thanks everyone! It was a difficult decision to get rid of the scale, because like some have mentioned, it can become part of a daily routine. But for me, it was a counter-productive routine. So out it goes! I want my focus and motivation to come from more 'reliable' sources. So you could say I'm outsourcing. Heh. ;-)

    I took my last and final weigh-in this morning, for a long while. Just one last time before the scale is sent away (hubby took it to work this A.M.). I'm at 217. But...I feel so much better than that! :-) I've actually gone down almost 1/2 a dress size after that 4.5 lb. loss in a little over 3 weeks. Take that, Scale!!! Muahaha!
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