Scale Addiction...Good or Bad?

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  • rebawagner
    rebawagner Posts: 199 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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: 1,365 Member
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    scales make me want to take a bunch of laxatives.
  • Behavior_Modification
    Behavior_Modification Posts: 24,482 Member
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    IMO, it depends on how you let it affect your state of mind.
  • ashleynicol3
    ashleynicol3 Posts: 187 Member
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    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.
  • ashleynicol3
    ashleynicol3 Posts: 187 Member
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    IMO, it depends on how you let it affect your state of mind.

    Agreed!
  • Myrtlemama4
    Myrtlemama4 Posts: 92 Member
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    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 :)

    yep..me too...
  • sandy729
    sandy729 Posts: 232 Member
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    I made my husband put it in the trunk of his car. He's only allowed to give it to me on Saturday mornings. :happy:
  • wapan
    wapan Posts: 219 Member
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    I weigh myself every day or ever second day at the same time (right after I wake up) and I like it. Sure, it sucks when the scale doesn't budge but it's a lot better than letting myself eat irresponsibly and then claim that my "fast metabolism" will needs it. Without frequent weigh ins, my weight will head north pretty fast. It's really helped me track my sensitivity to sodium as well. I also find that the number has less of an effect on me than it used to. It's nice when it goes down but I'm not ecstatic and I'm not scared when it drifts upwards.
  • bexxgirl
    bexxgirl Posts: 260 Member
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    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.

    Same here re plateau causing the scale addiction! One of my friends on here and I have made a pact to lay off the scales for 3 weeks. My last weigh-in was on Saturday and my next one is not until mid-late Feb.
  • muffintop_nomo
    muffintop_nomo Posts: 7
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    I find myself wanting to step on that scale every day. The thing is, if you take measurements of your body (arm, waist, hips, leg, etc) over time, every week or two... AND find a pair of jeans that you are aiming to fit into... those are potentially better measures of what you 'look' like than the number on the scale.
    Believe me... I get on the scale and have an emotional reaction based on what it tells me. Seeing that I'm .5 lb 'heavier' can ruin my day. BUT, now that I'm measuring my body, and seeing how those jeans fit... I know in my heart and mind that things are really changing, and my body is not only defined by that little number.
    It's hard to reprogram our minds, but we must try!
  • CannibalisticVegetarian
    CannibalisticVegetarian Posts: 1,255 Member
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    I cannot tell a lie, I have been addicted in the past. Luckily for me the scale's batteries went dead and I just never bothered getting them replaced since I desperately wanted to break the addiction. These days, I still find the means of weighing in, but I try to remember how it felt in the back of my mind to constantly see my weight fluctuating, and have that discouraging feeling follow you throughout the day. These days, I try weighing in maybe.. once.. sometimes twice a week. You could mayhaps pick a day as stated from a previous poster.
  • gnrshelton
    gnrshelton Posts: 358 Member
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    I am addicted to my scale But to me it keeps me in check. I don't change things if it hasn't moved but if I gain to much I
    check myself. I also go by how my cloths fit. But I do step on it every day good or bad who knows.
  • rileymama
    rileymama Posts: 196 Member
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    I weigh every morning.I don't see the harm in it unless you are going to beat youself up over it. I just like to keep track of how my weight is doing, and it keeps me in check with what I eat and doing my exercise. Yes, it weighs everything, but if you don't let it affect your day, you'll be fine.:smile:
  • Danielle8706
    Danielle8706 Posts: 33 Member
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    I would weigh myself like 5 times a day for no reasson it really got me discouraged and depressed. So after my weekly weigh ins I take the battery out and my hubby hides it until my next weigh in. If your like me and it gets you down then I would say that's bad.

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