Scale Anxiety
Simplyjesslauren
Posts: 11 Member
I restarted my diet 3 months ago and I havent gotten on the scale once. Mentally, somehow not weighing myself has always kept me on track more than weighing myself. I have a 1000 calorie deficit daily and run 6 days a week. But I have to get on the scale on Sunday! However the mere thought causes full blown anxiety attacks. Does anyone else have this issue? Or maybe I'm just crazy...
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Replies
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Just get on it. That is silly.15
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Why are you anxious to that degree?
You been measuring your progress somehow even if it is just thinking "my pants are looser" I am sure. The scale number is not your worth as a person. You weigh what you weigh whether you know it or not.
The worst that will happen is you have not lost. If that happens you can take the information and adjust your plan.18 -
A number is a number is a number. You can't let yourself feel like you're a failure if you hit some random number. Maybe you should take pictures of yourself in your underwear, and next month do the same thing to compare "before" and "after" progress photos. Take your measurements with a tape measure at bust, waist, and hip. Next month, take those measurements again. There are lots of ways to measure progress. I don't think you're crazy, I think you've lost perspective. This whole weight loss thing isn't win/lose, black/white, succeed/fail. It's a process. The weight will go up and down depending on how much salt you ate last night, whether you're drinking enough water, etc. etc. I'd recommend downloading the "Happy Scale" app on your phone. Input your weight, do it again the next day or two, it will show you the downward trend in your weight loss. I weigh myself daily and am now used to seeing the scale show a different number most mornings. My sister has a complete breakdown if she doesn't hit her "ideal number" every day. I hope that you practice some way of thinking that is gentler on your psyche because, honestly, I'm having a better morning than my sister is. And we're both close to our ideal weights. Your choice.7
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Sometimes Im nervous to get on the scale because I’m worried my weight would go up, and I’ve wasted my time and hard work. I’ve got an app that can track my weight daily so that I can be sure my weight is going down overall even though my weight might be a couple pounds higher that day because of TOM or salty food etc.5
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I totally get you OP. I have been there myself in the past. Just know that whatever it reads is going to be less than you started, just get on Sunday and don't be disappointed.4
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In my opinion I stay away from the scale. I feel like it can be discouraging for sure. I stick to measurements because those change even if the weight doesn't. Get you a yellow sewing measuring tape and measure arm,legs and all, and next week do it on the same day so you can have better results. Maybe wait two week then check. Good luck love!5
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Use The scale on a weekly basis. I make sure I log everything into my fitness pal that I'm eating throughout the day which makes me mentally keep track of how it's going. I also make sure to log all my exercises throughout the day which helps to motivate me. While this is been hard, getting on the scale is not an anxiety for me anymore because I know what I'm doing is right even if I have a bad week. I hope this helps you and good luck.2
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Remember weight fluctuates. I have a WeightGURUS scale and weigh daily. No joke, I fluctuate about 8lbs in a month (I am in maintenance/trying to reduce bodyfat% not weight).3
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Not weighing myself is how I gained 60 lbs. Weighing myself weekly while tracking on mfp is how I've lost 41 and will continue to lose. I will never go back to not weighing myself at least weekly (or right away after a longer vacation). I need that info to stay on track.5
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If the scale scares you don't step on it only you know how you feel. If you think you are moving in the right direction and your close are looser all the better. The scale is just a small tool to measure but your mental health is by far more important than a silly number.2
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The scale is honest and a good picture of your consumption. I weigh myself every morning after using the restroom. When I wasn't weighing myself I found myself having gained 48 pounds and shocked. If I weighed myself before I would've noticed the weigh coming on me. If you've been on your diet for 3 months weighing yourself will be a good thing so you can see the results from your diet. The scale will be honest good luck.
My starting weight was 188 pounds, and I'm 140 pounds.5 -
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You don't ever have to get on a scale if you don't want to except I guess at the doctor's office. If that's where you're doing it have them weigh you but tell them you don't want to know the number.
Just like you never have to track a single calorie to lose weight. The reality is that your body is tracking for you. There's really no particular reason why you need to know if it causes you so much distress.
You might want to consider trying to figure out why you're so stressed by a simple piece of data, but that's another topic.0 -
Havent weighed in yet.:) Im too nervous. I used another app for about 4 weeks before this and have no idea how much I am down.2
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Simplyjesslauren wrote: »I restarted my diet 3 months ago and I havent gotten on the scale once. Mentally, somehow not weighing myself has always kept me on track more than weighing myself. I have a 1000 calorie deficit daily and run 6 days a week. But I have to get on the scale on Sunday! However the mere thought causes full blown anxiety attacks. Does anyone else have this issue? Or maybe I'm just crazy...
Why do you have to?4 -
Oddly enough, I got over my scale anxiety by weighing every day. It makes me feel in control and I don't freak out with fluctuations. I track everything in the Libra app. For me, it took the anxiety out of the scenario. The app is calculating my losses or gains. I just have to enter the data, and adjust as needed. It might be too much to start with for you, but take that first step. Hop on the scale and set a goal of how often you want to weigh in. It might be hard at first, but make yourself do it. Find a reward that works!
But also remember, the number on the scale is only one factor and is certainly not everything!!2 -
I'm less worried about the scale when I weigh frequently. That way I'm never shocked6
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Fitnessmom82 wrote: »Oddly enough, I got over my scale anxiety by weighing every day. It makes me feel in control and I don't freak out with fluctuations. I track everything in the Libra app. For me, it took the anxiety out of the scenario. The app is calculating my losses or gains. I just have to enter the data, and adjust as needed. It might be too much to start with for you, but take that first step. Hop on the scale and set a goal of how often you want to weigh in. It might be hard at first, but make yourself do it. Find a reward that works!
But also remember, the number on the scale is only one factor and is certainly not everything!!
True for me too. When I weighed once a week, I got all anxious about whether I lost weight or not. Weighing every day, it's just a number, a data point on a graph. I use HappyScale, but both it and Libra do the job nicely.
If you stay here long enough, you'll come to understand that weight loss isn't necessarily predictable, and definitely doesn't go in a straight line. At some point your weight is going to jog up temporarily or hit a stall -- for no reason other than "it just happens that way". It happens to all of us. If you let that panic or derail you, you're not going to have the success you're working for.3 -
I understand the anxiety about weighing. I waited 6 weeks before I weighed when I started tracking calories with MFP. My starting weight was from a doctor’s appointment a month earlier.
Now that I’m 3.5 lbs from my goal weight the slow lose or small gains during the week don’t bother me anymore. I know I’m headed in the right direction. Also as others have said I gained 50 lbs from not weighing.
OP, I think like anything else that causes anxiety, the more you do it the easier it gets. Start with once a week, the same day every week, in the morning before you eat or drink anything and see how it goes. You will get used to it and it won’t scare you so much.1 -
Thank you to those who offered encouragement, I really appreciate it! To those who chose otherwise, I have anxiety in general, its not just weighing myself. I'm entering the military so I have a weight requirement to meet. Not meeting that, is an automatic DQ. Telling me "thats silly and just get on the scale" is rude. You don't know me. I kept that promise to myself and got on the scale this morning and I'm down 27.2 lbs. 13 lbs away from goal!!!!4
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Simplyjesslauren wrote: »Thank you to those who offered encouragement, I really appreciate it! To those who chose otherwise, I have anxiety in general, its not just weighing myself. I'm entering the military so I have a weight requirement to meet. Not meeting that, is an automatic DQ. Telling me "thats silly and just get on the scale" is rude. You don't know me. I kept that promise to myself and got on the scale this morning and I'm down 27.2 lbs. 13 lbs away from goal!!!!
It was silly because you were giving inanimate object so much power, it was controlling you. It is like a bandage covering a wound that has healed, yet you don't want to take it off because of the fear it will hurt. So yep, silly.
Well, I'm glad you are so close to your goal! Way to go!
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Simplyjesslauren wrote: »Thank you to those who offered encouragement, I really appreciate it! To those who chose otherwise, I have anxiety in general, its not just weighing myself. I'm entering the military so I have a weight requirement to meet. Not meeting that, is an automatic DQ. Telling me "thats silly and just get on the scale" is rude. You don't know me. I kept that promise to myself and got on the scale this morning and I'm down 27.2 lbs. 13 lbs away from goal!!!!
Great!
Moving forward, the scale may have less power over you if you weigh yourself every day and thus get used to the data and normal fluctuations.
Weighing daily is how I learned I gain temporary water weight when I ovulate, as well as premenstrually, and that the best day of the month for me to weigh (in terms of getting the lowest number) is a week after my period starts.3 -
A more accurate statement is that your weight trend over time is honest and a good picture of whether you're in a deficit or not.Lesscookies12 wrote: »The scale is honest and a good picture of your consumption...
Daily scale readings are subject to fluctuations for a variety of reasons - sodium intake, workouts, hormones (in particular, TOM for women), etc. You can eat well under your calorie goal and show an increase of several pounds the following day if the meals were particularly high in sodium....or if you did a particularly hard workout and your body is retaining water for muscle repair.
This is why many people recommend using some kind of a weight trending app such as Happy Scale (iOS), Libra (Android) or Trendweight (web) to analyze and track your trend over time. It's a more reliable (and less stressful for some) way to sort through the up and down bounces to see what the big picture really is.3
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