Scale frustrations
LauraSrock18
Posts: 125 Member
I’ve gotten into this habit of weighing myself everyday, I used to swear it was just to understand my body more but now I realize how much impact it has on my day & mood. I will see the scale go down one day then shoot back up on “my official weigh in day” and so on & so fourth and I feel so frustrated! Every week I eat less than my weekly calorie goal, my workouts have been more intense and I’ve been burning 300-400 calories per workout 4-5 times a week (Apple Watch calculations for calories) on Fridays & saturdays I’ll eat at maintainance or slightly more but I save calories throughout the week and still go below my net calorie goal at the end of the week! I can’t stop bouncing between 168-169! Part of me wonders if I should go back to only weighing myself occasionally. I’m seeing progress in my clothes and in my progress pictures and I hate that the scale can completely take away the pride I feel! Any advice is welcome! Thank you!
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Do you track your weight on a trending app? It evens out your fluctuations so you can see trends2
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Believe what you see in your photos. You could also use a soft cloth tape measure every month to record your bust, waist and hip progress. The scale can be a fickle fiend, and it's not helpful if a mere number is going to ruin your day. I weigh every day, too. My weight plateau lasted a couple weeks, and I was happy to see at least I wasn't gaining ('cuz I'm a look on the bright side kind of gal). For all kinds of reasons you are retaining water, if you're not using a kitchen scale to weigh food you're logging is inaccurate, etc. Hang in there!! Weight loss is a slow process, and pretty soon you'll break through this stall.0
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I could’ve written your post. I am in exactly the same situation as you. The scale is not moving I am staying within my calories exercising 5x a week.
I do feel my clothes fit better but the frigging scale is showing less than 2kg loss in about 10 weeks.
I’m so frustrated and disheartened.0 -
Do you use an app like Libra? I like to weigh myself daily too. Today I weighed a whole pound more than yesterday, but my "trend weight" according to my app is only up 0.1 pound, and it predicts that I'm still trending down.
Remember that if you are in a small calorie deficit, fluctuations just show up more on the scale.1 -
Weighing every day isn’t for everyone. Some people like to do it for the data, but that doesn’t have to be you. It’s not for me. If I could stop myself I’d probably do it once a month, but it’s probably more like once a week.0
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Unfortunately, I am also addicted to the scale but I don't let it get me down. And, let's not forget, you are exercising and working out, which builds muscles, so although you might not see it on the scale (a lb. of muscle and a lb. of fat weigh exactly the same), muscles are more dense and compact so you would see it in how your clothes fit.2
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Chances are “going over in the weekend” = maintenance. I’m in the same situation. When you only have 20 or so lbs to lose, that’s all it takes. You may also be overestimating calories burns, so reduce those a bit and see. Do use a trending app if you aren’t already - they really do help you stay on track. I’ve been bouncing around from 169-172 because of going over on occasion, but Trendweight says I’m still losing so that keeps me motivated. You’ve got this!3
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I weigh daily, and record here on MFP, that way I see the little ups and downs and the overall pattern. I am sure trend apps are great too for this. I have gotten used to the idea that I plateau for 5-6 days then drop, then plateau again. I see the pattern, I don't fret.
It's not woo, it's math: CICO. So "a bit over" in the weekends, if not meticulously and honestly logged, can easily defeat every bit of hard work you are doing. Just a heads up, been there done that.1 -
nic_27_grassisgreener wrote: »Remember that if you are in a small calorie deficit, fluctuations just show up more on the scale.
This was super helpful information for me because I am in that situation - thank you
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Using a trending app really helped me see how my weight fluctuates and a single day's weight just feels like a data point now. Look for a general downward trend. Your weight can occasionally stay the same or even go up a bit even if you are consistently in a deficit. Trust in the process and concentrate on things you can control (following your plan) rather than things that are out of your control (today's scale reading).
As an example, here's a 3 month trend where I was at or below my calorie goal every day. Ups and downs all over the place but the general trend was downward:
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I only weigh myself once a week, otherwise I would be depressed seeing the weight fluctuations. Every Sunday morning before I shower works best for me.2
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Using a trending app really helped me see how my weight fluctuates and a single day's weight just feels like a data point now. Look for a general downward trend. Your weight can occasionally stay the same or even go up a bit even if you are consistently in a deficit. Trust in the process and concentrate on things you can control (following your plan) rather than things that are out of your control (today's scale reading).
As an example, here's a 3 month trend where I was at or below my calorie goal every day. Ups and downs all over the place but the general trend was downward:
What app do you use to track your weight?
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Get rid of the scale. If you are seeing progress the scale should not be a factor. Weighing daily would drive me crazy.0
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That's the website TrendWeight.com. You can create a Fitbit account and record your weight there (you don't need a Fitbit device) and then link it to TrendWeight.laura_johnson15 wrote: »
What app do you use to track your weight?Using a trending app really helped me see how my weight fluctuates and a single day's weight just feels like a data point now. Look for a general downward trend. Your weight can occasionally stay the same or even go up a bit even if you are consistently in a deficit. Trust in the process and concentrate on things you can control (following your plan) rather than things that are out of your control (today's scale reading).
As an example, here's a 3 month trend where I was at or below my calorie goal every day. Ups and downs all over the place but the general trend was downward:
Other options are the apps Libra (for Android) and Happy Scale (for Apple).
I use both TrendWeight and Libra. I have different settings on each so that I get slightly different trends. I like playing with the numbers.1 -
laura_johnson15 wrote: »I will see the scale go down one day then shoot back up on “my official weigh in day” and so on & so fourth and I feel so frustrated! ... I’m seeing progress in my clothes and in my progress pictures and I hate that the scale can completely take away the pride I feel! Any advice is welcome! Thank you!
Then quit making yourself depressed and frustrated. Letting a piece of metal "completely take away the pride" you feel is a good way to set yourself up for failure. Look at the graph posted by seska422 and think about how you would feel at different points along the graph.
You have at least four choices:
1. Stop weighing yourself so often
2. Change the way you think about your weigh-ins
3. Stop seeing what you're doing as a "diet" and reframe it as a permanent lifestyle change
4. Keep going the way you are and be depressed and frustrated
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I just ordered me a Nokia Scale so I can start using TrendWeight.......lol0
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I don't have a fitbit. Christmas is coming though. Maybe I can talk my boys into getting me one for Christmas....
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OP, seconding (thirding?) the recommendation for a trending app. Don't look at single data points, look at the trend.
Also, you need to meet your weekly calorie goal, including eating at least some of your exercise calories back (50-75% until you have enough data to know if you need to eat them all).
And have a read of this: https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html/1 -
I am exactly in the same position. Daily weighing and mood dependent on the numbers. I have been managing a calorie deficit and so far only 4-5lb down and I have a lot to lose. I am not exercising. I don't drink enough water. My clothes do feel a tiny bit looser. I am going to put away the scales for a while and see if I can manage that! (ALL 3 of them in fact!)0
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Nony_Mouse wrote: »
I created an account but it said I needed a Nokia scale or a fitbit before I could continue.0 -
It does say that but you don't need a Fitbit device, just a free account that you can create at the Fitbit website so that you can manually enter your weight.Nony_Mouse wrote: »
I created an account but it said I needed a Nokia scale or a fitbit before I could continue.
From TrendWeight's Help page:Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to have a FitBit or Nokia scale to use this site? Can I manually enter my weight data instead?
You'll have the best experience if you have to have either a FitBit or a Nokia scale. If you don't have one and would like to buy one, the easiest way to get one is on Amazon: FitBit Aria or Nokia Body Scale. They are both easy to setup. They measures both weight and body fat. And they can be used by everyone in your household.
If you don't have a scale, you can do things manually by creating a FitBit account and hand entering your weight there every day. Go ahead and connect your TrendWeight account to your FitBit account as if you had a scale. TrendWeight won't know that your weight readings were entered manually.1
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