Starting to notice.....

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bb8915
bb8915 Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have been on this healthy lifestyle journey for about 20 days now (16 days on mfp) and I have to say this website and the support makes a big difference. I am loving it!! I am also starting to notice a difference with how my body feels and my clothes are fitting. But i am staying away from the scale until the end of the month. Do any of you have a specific day you weigh in, weigh in at all or just when you feel like it? Does seeing the number on the scale help or hender you? I feel it keepsme honest to myself being a part of MFP but the scale is something i am trying not to depend on.

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  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
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    I also weigh myself first thing in the morning every day. You can plug in the result at the "check in" tab here on MFP and it will construct a graph. I prefer using the Happy Scale app on my phone. Either way, the visual graph showing a downward trend was motivating for me.

    Take pictures of yourself every week, face shot and whole body shots front & side. You'll eventually see progress even when the scale might not show any. I use an app called PicsArt to then make a side-by-side collage of my "before" and "after" photos. I wasn't able to see any changes until I started doing this.
  • bb8915
    bb8915 Posts: 12 Member
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    Thanks yall!! Your comments are very insightful. I have roughly about 100 pounds i want to lose. the scale in the past has really drove me crazy.....so I am just trying to stay away from it right now. I also ordered a new one that sinks with my phone and gives the BMI as well as the weight. And i have been doing the photos and can tell a tiny difference. Its an awesome idea
  • Meghanebk
    Meghanebk Posts: 321 Member
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    Do what works for you!

    Personally, I weigh every day, first thing, also nekkid :) Otherwise I tend to let my eating habit slip for a day - or 5, since I don't have that daily reminder of where I am and where I need to go weight wise. But bounces in the scale numbers don't bother me. If hopping on the scale and seeing an increase of a pound or three from water weight/sodium/hormone levels would disturb you, you might want to pick a schedule to weigh much less often.

    Also, I'd recommend tracking other things too so you don't focus on the scale number - measurements of neck/waist/thighs, how long you can walk without being winded, number of pushups you can do at one time, just pick some things where you can see yourself making progress even if the scale doesn't show it.
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
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    First I am a very compulsive scale stepper, but as one other poster mentioned it is just a number. I do not let it effect me and what I am doing.

    The most important part is your mindset and you know what you need to do to get to your goals. Remember to be successful this has to be a lifestyle change that is permanent. Don't let your mind and emotions defeat you.

    You can do this. What other things do you do for exercise? For me I have gone back to the gym for resistance training on my own. you dont have to go there and kill yourself just try slowly and listen to your body. If it hurts stop. the other benefit to going to the gym, from time to time I will see someone using a walker to get around and I say to myself, if they can come here then you have no excuses.

  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
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    OP - do what works. But it may help you to realize that your scale is just pushing out data, and there’s no reason to get emotional about it. I weigh every morning, log it and go about my day.
  • luce_de_luce
    luce_de_luce Posts: 41 Member
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    I weigh every few days. I also track my cycle on another app so when I see my weight go up a few pounds I can look at where I am in my cycle. Seeing that I’m ovulating or that it’s the week before my period begins helps me to freak out less. Good luck!
  • ptrcmcc6
    ptrcmcc6 Posts: 103 Member
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    I weigh myself every morning, after going to the bathroom, but I only record my weight on Saturday mornings and, I own that number even though my weight will fluctuate during the week.......lol. For instance, this morning, the scale said 170 lbs. so that's the weight I wrote on my "check-in" this morning but, tomorrow, it may say 171 lbs. Hopefully by next Saturday it will be in the upper 160's so, as long as it's a downward trend, I'm fine with the scale.
  • ptrcmcc6
    ptrcmcc6 Posts: 103 Member
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    P.S., I just order a new scale, also, to set up with TrendWeight.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    i weigh once a week or twice a week first thing in the morning (not on my period, not the morning after exercising, and not the morning after eating out).

    i then average these with happyscale to track the trends.
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
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    As others have stated, do what works best for you!

    And, I guess that will all depend on what type of relationship you have with the scale! Similar to with food.

    For some people, the hop on the scale, the get a number, then they enter it into some 'tracking app' and move on with their day. They then look at the weekly average and then compare that week's average to that of past weeks. For them (and I am one of 'them') the number the scale gives you each morning is simply one data point along the path.

    For others, however, they freak out over each day's weight and can not understand how it went up or down or whatever. They obsess over anything and everything and over-analyze "what if?" and drive themselves - and those around them - batty.

    So, whatever works for you.....do that! And, that might change over time. So, better stated, whatever works for you at this point in time.

    I use each day's number as a data point for the week (I place importance on the week, not each day's number). But, I have been doing this for awhile and have a pretty good relationship with the scale and with food (food is nothing but fuel.....tasty and delicious fuel, but fuel nonetheless!)

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