I'm terrified to weigh myself

justthatperson · January 2018

Hi all! I'm so terrified to weigh myself but I want to know if I'm making any progress, I suffered from eating disorders as a child and since getting better I know that I'm overweight now, the last time I weighed myself was 10 months ago it made me so embaresed I did not leave the house which resulted me into gaining more weight, anyways in starting to leave the house again and I've joined my local gym however I don't know of my success because I don't want to weigh myself, I don't know what to do, has anyone else gone through this?

LowCarbRockstar · January 2018

I like weighing myself (in a love hate kind of way). It gave me a kick in the butt to start low-carbin again and keeps me motivated to stay on track. If weighing yourself makes you feel bad you shouldnt do it. Just start eating healthily and logging meals in mfp and go off how well clothes fit. Maybe choose an item of clothing thats a bit tight and use that as a yard stick to measure progress.

aemsley05 · January 2018

The scale isn't the only measure of success - how about taking measurements instead? Many people track waist and hip measurements as well as or instead of tracking weight. This could be one way to check progress without risking being derailed by the scale. Alternatively, if measurements may have the same affect on you as the scale would, you could focus on tracking your fitness instead. Depending on what you're doing at your gym, you could track how fast or how far you run, how many reps or what weights you lift.

Other things to consider - how do your clothes fit? Are they looser? If yes, that's progress. Do you feel better/healthier/fitter/stronger/happier? "Success" doesn't have to be defined as a number on the scale. Perhaps thinking about and focussing on other goals (e.g. running a certain distance or time, lifting a certain weight, being able/comfortable to do an activity you couldn't before) would be beneficial for you?

TavistockToad · January 2018

justthatperson wrote: »

Hi all! I'm so terrified to weigh myself but I want to know if I'm making any progress, I suffered from eating disorders as a child and since getting better I know that I'm overweight now, the last time I weighed myself was 10 months ago it made me so embaresed I did not leave the house which resulted me into gaining more weight, anyways in starting to leave the house again and I've joined my local gym however I don't know of my success because I don't want to weigh myself, I don't know what to do, has anyone else gone through this?

sounds like you might want to check in with your doctor?

there are plenty of other ways of measuring success without weighing yourself.

mtbusse73 · January 2018

@justthatperson - Don't take this the wrong way but i'd love to look as good as you (but as a man - if that makes sense). You can do this! Hop up on those scales. If you don't like the results - don't sweat it. I know people will say "you can do it" "keep at it"....but YOU can do it. From reading this stuff on MFP - I've seen lots of failure stories (seems like I'm in the process of writing my own at times) and tons of success stories. From what I hear it only gets better. Kinda like wine.... Have a GREAT Day!

healerbee · January 2018

I was really avoiding the scale for the last two days, because I wasn't as strict with my calorie counting and thought a not so pleasant surprise would be waiting for me once I stepped on the scale. I got the courage to do it this morning, and start fresh again and guess what, had lost another 1.5 lbs so, don't be scared. Only two good things can come from stepping on, first you will know if you need to do something different which is valuable info and second, you will feel better to get back on track and leave your worries behind.

wizzybeth · January 2018

If you don't want to weigh yourself then don't weigh yourself... If it's going to cause you an undue amount of stress.

As others have said keep track of your measurements and how your clothes fit. If you see no change particularly with how your clothes fit then adjust your calorie intake accordingly

aubintex · January 2018

I hate weighing myself. I also had eating disorder issues when I was younger. Now I know that weighing myself is the only way to stay on track with my weight. Periodically I will stop weighing myself for months, and I always gain when this happens. I think there's a part of me that attaches my self worth to my weight although I'm trying to grow past this.

DebLaBounty · January 2018

You could take a picture of yourself every week. Then once a month compare your "before" picture to your "after" picture. You should be able to see a difference eventually. I agree with the idea of taking measurements. I took mine at the bust, waist and hips. The tape measure doesn't lie. I weigh myself every day, but input that result into an iPhone app called "Happy Scale". I always use the same scale, am naked, and in the morning after I've peed and before I've had breakfast. The Happy Scale app is free. Rather than recording a bunch of up and down spikes, it shows a chart of gentle trends downward. Much less stressful. You're going to have low readings and high readings. That's just how it is. Some days you'll have some water weight (near your period, if you eat more salt than usual, etc. etc.) No biggie. Anyway, good luck. I hope you are able to develop some perspective and learn that registering a heavier weight is not a personal failure. It happens, and you have to move on.

DananaNanas · January 2018

I used to be that way so I went from never weighing myself to doing it every day. Instead of getting worked up over it it's just part of my daily routine now and is much less stressful!

KeepRunningFatboy · January 2018

I’ve struggled off and on with eating disorders since 1983 and I too am terrified of scales. If you think the scales could upset your recovery stay off them. If you see a therapist or doctor, they can weigh you digitally and secretly record your weight to verify your continued recovery.

Inspirationalwaterjug · January 2018

justthatperson wrote: »

Hi all! I'm so terrified to weigh myself but I want to know if I'm making any progress, I suffered from eating disorders as a child and since getting better I know that I'm overweight now, the last time I weighed myself was 10 months ago it made me so embaresed I did not leave the house which resulted me into gaining more weight, anyways in starting to leave the house again and I've joined my local gym however I don't know of my success because I don't want to weigh myself, I don't know what to do, has anyone else gone through this?

That's a big reason why we advocate weekly weigh ins vs daily. For our clients it keeps people off that roller coaster of ups and downs throughout the week.

ladyhusker39 · January 2018

I didn't read the other responses so this has likely already been said, but you don't ever have to weigh yourself if that's such a source of stress for you.

Use photos or measurements instead to track your progress.

ladyhusker39 · January 2018

I just remembered, my sister hasn't stepped on a scale outside the doctor's office in decades. She has a dress she wore on her honeymoon and when she wants to assess her weight, she tries on that dress. Based on how or if it fits she adjusts her diet from there.

I'm terrified to weigh myself

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