Scale Addiction...Good or Bad?

JoanPB
JoanPB Posts: 8
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
I started living my new healthy lifestyle only a week ago and I am finding that I am already addicted to the scale. Everyday I tell myself I am going to wait several days before I weigh again but to no avail. The pull of the scale is too powerful....I eventually find myself standing on it, gazing into its dial, and hoping it will bring a smile to my face. I am a scale addict! Do I need a 12 step program or is my obsession a good thing?

How often does everyone weigh in? What is recommended?
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Replies

  • deluda
    deluda Posts: 146 Member
    I've never been addicted to the scale as the daily fluctuations would make me not eat anything! I weigh once a week, Thursday morning before getting dressed. That's about all I can handle.
  • Laylee_Mc
    Laylee_Mc Posts: 1
    I had a previous addiction to this and it made me feel guilty daily about what I put in my mouth. Try and set a day per week and see if you can stick to it. :)
  • anulle2009
    anulle2009 Posts: 580 Member
    I was never addicted to the scale until the past month because I have been at a stand still. I had to hide it. Before that i would weight myself only once a month
  • Emilia6909
    Emilia6909 Posts: 309 Member
    It would kill me to weigh in every day as I know how much my weight can fluctuate. Once a week, same time, same scale, same clothes. Best is to hide the scales for good and weigh in at the pharmacy. You'll get a print out which you can stick on your fridge! :happy:
  • tbrown0087
    tbrown0087 Posts: 2
    I am addicted to the scale myself. For me, it helps me hold myself accountable. If I eat bad one night and weigh the next morning to find that I put on a pound or so, it motivates me to NOT eat bad and workout extra hard. Most people say you shouldn't weigh everyday but it does help me :)
  • kittyofborg
    kittyofborg Posts: 5 Member
    I weigh almost every day. I know it will fluctuate a bit so a pound or two here and there doesn't bother me as long as there is still a downward trend overall. ^_^
  • cathiaflock
    cathiaflock Posts: 112 Member
    I find myself at night before I go to bed weighing myself to see if the next day I will weigh less. I hide the scale but I do pull it out. It is best to weigh in once a week before you eat breakfast. Just keep exercising and calorie counting and the weight will fall off :happy:
  • Chagama
    Chagama Posts: 543 Member
    I am addicted to the scale myself. For me, it helps me hold myself accountable. If I eat bad one night and weigh the next morning to find that I put on a pound or so, it motivates me to NOT eat bad and workout extra hard. Most people say you shouldn't weigh everyday but it does help me :)
    Same here.
  • teardrop4one
    teardrop4one Posts: 5
    I weigh myself every single morning before dressing and after using the bathroom. I only "count" the weight on MFP once a week on the same day. I think that its good to weigh every day at the same time because you can keep an eye on things better that way. You can see what days you fluctuate up the most and what days you go down. It also helps to see how a day making "bad choices" really can effect things. As long as you are being realistic and know that some days you might be up a pound and the only thing that really counts is the end of the week you should be ok.
  • Sierra_419
    Sierra_419 Posts: 201 Member
    i use to weigh myself every morning.
    i could never wait until my weigh in on friday .
    BUTTT .. ive recently found... if i put my fold away laundry thingy over my scale .. it hides it when i walk by & i dont get tempted lol.
  • dmoses
    dmoses Posts: 786 Member
    I am addicted to the scale myself. For me, it helps me hold myself accountable. If I eat bad one night and weigh the next morning to find that I put on a pound or so, it motivates me to NOT eat bad and workout extra hard. Most people say you shouldn't weigh everyday but it does help me :)
    Same here.

    This is what I do also.
  • LuckyAng
    LuckyAng Posts: 1,173 Member
    Hi, my name is Angela and I am addicted to the scale. It's been 24 hours since my last weigh in

    (Went from AA to confessional booth) :laugh:
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123
    I am currently trying to break my dependence on my scale. I hate how it can ruin my day first thing in the morning if it doesn't say exactly what I think it ought to. :( I haven't weighed for two days now (going from a 3x a day MINIMUM), and I don't plan to until my next measurement day at the gym (between the 6th and 8th).
  • bayertablets
    bayertablets Posts: 213 Member
    I am addicted to the scale myself. For me, it helps me hold myself accountable. If I eat bad one night and weigh the next morning to find that I put on a pound or so, it motivates me to NOT eat bad and workout extra hard. Most people say you shouldn't weigh everyday but it does help me :)

    I do this too. I do it to keep my indugence (cheat) meals in check as well to make sure I'm not eating way out of control on those days.

    I weigh every morning, but only weigh in on MFP once a week.
  • OnWisconsin84
    OnWisconsin84 Posts: 409 Member
    I've been obsessed for 4 years since I started losing weight. Obsessed as in, weighing several times a day...never missing a day on the scale...EVER. Definitely do NOT recommend it. I would get upset at every little fluctuation, which would cause setbacks from time to time (i.e. 'oh, I'm up 5 pounds?! I might as well go eat Chipotle AND chips & salsa...') I am happy to say that I have been scale-free for 48+ hours. I'm trying to re-frame my thinking & develop more healthy lasting habits. It's scary to put the scale away (my bf told me to throw it away, but I haven't been able to do *that* quite yet!) If you're able to weigh once a week, or once a month, that's awesome.

    *Edited to add:

    I started out weighing once weekly with Weight Watchers. Then I invested in my own scale & weighed every couple days. Then every day. Then multiple times a day... For me, I honestly believe the fact that I've been so obsessed with the scale has hindered progress from time to time. The way I see it, regardless of what the # says on the scale, if you're eating right & working out the results will follow. Period. (Easier said than done!)
  • savlyon
    savlyon Posts: 474 Member
    I weigh in daily, but I also know that my weight fluctuates. I've been at this for a year now so I don't get too excited about things. It has helped me see patterns in the fluctuations so I know when I am going down or up. Also, I can typically guess my weight within a pound before I step on the scale. I count my lowest weight as my recordable weight, but in actuality, it goes up about 3lbs and then comes back down.
    I don't feel guilty about what I eat because I'm pretty in touch with what my body says. Sure I splurge here and there, but if I need fuel, I eat...if I don't need it, I don't eat!
  • Gina033
    Gina033 Posts: 11 Member
    I do it everyday! I try not to but I do! I dont think it's the best idea but o well!
  • lvictory23
    lvictory23 Posts: 21
    Scale addictions are not good for you over all. Scales measure everything in your body (water, fat, poop, muscle, ect.)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AAeHadJ5xaQ
  • amerrill1
    amerrill1 Posts: 38
    I weigh almost every day. I know it will fluctuate a bit so a pound or two here and there doesn't bother me as long as there is still a downward trend overall. ^_^

    I do this as well. I weigh everyday and look for the decreasing trend. I only record on Saturday mornings.
  • JackieLM
    JackieLM Posts: 127 Member
    I am addicted to the scale myself. For me, it helps me hold myself accountable. If I eat bad one night and weigh the next morning to find that I put on a pound or so, it motivates me to NOT eat bad and workout extra hard. Most people say you shouldn't weigh everyday but it does help me :)


    same here... It holds me more accountable for everything I do... or not do... I like to weigh in daily.
  • rebawagner
    rebawagner Posts: 199 Member
    I weigh every morning... for me its not even about the number as much as I am telling myself that I am still committed to a healthier lifestyle... I know I am in trouble when I don't want to get on the scale.
  • AmberLee2012
    AmberLee2012 Posts: 540
    I also weigh everyday. My husband tells me to stop, but it lets me know where I’m at. I usually look at the number and say okay, this is where I am at today. Even if it is higher, I don’t beat myself up. I just note it in my brain and go on with my day and try to do a little bit better.
  • KatrineJohansen
    KatrineJohansen Posts: 24 Member
    I weigh myself everyday. Not because I'm addicted to the scale, but because I like to see how my body reacts to different foods + it's a good way to keep track of my cycle. Also, for weight loss, I'd much rather weigh myself every day and then do a weekly average, than just take a shot weighing in ONE day, and risking it being the day after a huge sodium splurge or something, and then being wrongly high.
    I think it's important that you do whatever works for you. If you can't handle fluctuations, then don't weigh yourself every morning. If you think it's interesting to see how your every day choices affect your weight, then go ahead and do it! I NEVER experience fluctuation that can't be explained with bad food choices / too little water / too much sodium / menstrual cycle, so I NEVER find them discouraging.
  • LindsayHein
    LindsayHein Posts: 73 Member
    In the begginging I was really good about weighing in only once a week. Then it became every morning. Then when I hit my plateau it became an addiction. To the point that I would weigh myself multiple times a day, knowing that the number was not going to be the same. I got so fed up with myself that I had a friend hide my scale so that I wouldn't look at it. It became a hindurance instead of a help. I am going to weigh myself a month from now and see what happens. As long as getting on the scale does not mess with you mentally, I think it's fine to weigh every day. However, when you hit a bump in the road beware. It can become your worst enemy.

    Proudly 72 hours scale usage free.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    I am addicted to the scale myself. For me, it helps me hold myself accountable. If I eat bad one night and weigh the next morning to find that I put on a pound or so, it motivates me to NOT eat bad and workout extra hard. Most people say you shouldn't weigh everyday but it does help me :)

    ^this^
  • kawinter
    kawinter Posts: 4
    I started living my new healthy lifestyle only a week ago and I am finding that I am already addicted to the scale. Everyday I tell myself I am going to wait several days before I weigh again but to no avail. The pull of the scale is too powerful....I eventually find myself standing on it, gazing into its dial, and hoping it will bring a smile to my face. I am a scale addict! Do I need a 12 step program or is my obsession a good thing?

    How often does everyone weigh in? What is recommended?

    Daily for me. Ditto the remarks on making myself accountable. But if you can train yourself to expect fluctuations up and down and that sometimes your weight depends on things that happen on cycles that last longer than a day, it's easier to not get too down on yourself when those inevitable upward bumps happen. Stay focused on your goals for exercise, count calories as honestly as you can (even a little conservatively) and if you can meet those goals it'll happen for you.
  • reese66
    reese66 Posts: 2,920 Member
    I am addicted to the scale myself. For me, it helps me hold myself accountable. If I eat bad one night and weigh the next morning to find that I put on a pound or so, it motivates me to NOT eat bad and workout extra hard. Most people say you shouldn't weigh everyday but it does help me :)
    Same here.

    This

    And this...
    I weigh myself every single morning before dressing and after using the bathroom. I only "count" the weight on MFP once a week on the same day. I think that its good to weigh every day at the same time because you can keep an eye on things better that way. You can see what days you fluctuate up the most and what days you go down. It also helps to see how a day making "bad choices" really can effect things. As long as you are being realistic and know that some days you might be up a pound and the only thing that really counts is the end of the week you should be ok.
  • LilacDreamer
    LilacDreamer Posts: 1,364 Member
    scales make me want to take a bunch of laxatives.
  • Behavior_Modification
    Behavior_Modification Posts: 24,482 Member
    IMO, it depends on how you let it affect your state of mind.
  • ashleynicol3
    ashleynicol3 Posts: 187 Member
    My mom and I are trying to lose weight together, so we weigh ourselves every Sunday. I don’t have a scale, so we use hers. Sometimes I’ll use Wii Fit to weigh myself throughout the week, but if I gain a pound or two, I end up feeling discouraged, so I try to avoid it.
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