Scale: friend or foe?

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  • shanahan_09
    shanahan_09 Posts: 238 Member
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    For myself, the scale is foe. I've kicked it out of the house till March 19--have no clue what I weigh. Reason I did this was because I would weigh myself all the time and it pretty much dictated my mood (lose a couple of lbs ♫ Joy to the world ♫ Or gain a lb back and all hell would break loose! :explode: )
    So, I'm hoping for a good surprise next Monday (have lost 8 inches so far). I'm finding myself less stressed with having the scale somewhere other than my home--actually quite enjoying this weight loss journey so far!
  • coraliethomas
    coraliethomas Posts: 336 Member
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    Friend! I went off the deep and and was weighing an hour after every meal, but that was driving my crazy! Now I only weigh once a day.. after potty before breakfast, and then my hubby takes it and hides it :) It does help keep me on track though, I dont panic if its slightly up, and I only log my weight once a week on Sunday mornings.
  • blueyedwolfe
    blueyedwolfe Posts: 6 Member
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    It can be your friend; BUT depending on the type of work out and diet you are on, it can be EXTREMELY discouraging! Take me for an instance: I was on the hCG drops for several months and had to weigh myself each day. The great thing was each day I saw anywhere from .5 to 3 lbs drop off. Now that I am done with the drops, I am on the p90x work out and getting ready to start a Insanity Challenge. I have learned though that with these work outs the scale can appear very EVIL. When you start an exercise program, you can easily put on 2 -10lbs with in the first week. Your body sees the start of the work out as a danger to the body and it is sending immense amounts of hormones and chemicals to try to protect the muscles from damage, which leads to excess lactic acid and LOTS of water retention. I have pretty much stopped looking at the scale, for at least the next two months. As long as I am feeling better, getting compliments DAILY and I am fitting into clothes I haven't been able to wear for 7 years, I am happy! Plus I am seeing inches coming off, because my muscle is replacing the fat; and muscle takes up less room than fat does (no muscle does not weigh more than fat..a pound of one thing is the same as a pound of another...the only difference is the amount of space that pound takes up...Ex: pound of feathers vs. pound of lead). I have went from 255lbs last February, to 183lbs in January....I have, since just the 17th of this February, lost 3 inches in my waist, 2.5 in my hips and 2 in my thighs...and even though my scale has fluctuated from 183 to 186 and back down, I am not worrying about it.
  • unmitigatedbadassery
    unmitigatedbadassery Posts: 653 Member
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    the scale is a spiteful lying *****. That is all. :D
  • shayjgordon
    shayjgordon Posts: 90 Member
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    I step on the scale a couple times a day, but I only record it on Monday's. I just find it interesting.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    I find im stepping on ths scale several times through the day. A friend thinks its unhealthy, I use it as a motivator. If its up a bit I work harder. What are your thoughts?

    The ONLY way that this behavior is okay is if you are fully prepared to handle the ups which can be significant. Women can retain a LOT of extra weight throughout the day depending on where in your cycle you are and how much salty food you've had (fluid retention). My weight fluctuates a good 8 lbs throughout the day. If you can't handle that, weigh once per week (same time on same scale on a hard surface) and be done with it.

    You should be recording your weight in some consistent way either daily or at least weekly.

    Remember though that while the scale may go one way or another, that is no reflection of whether you are getting healthier or not. I highly suggest you set some fitness goals for yourself and work toward them while maintaining your calorie defiict. The weight will come off as a side effect, and you'll be so much healthier and happier.
  • tarabear826
    tarabear826 Posts: 36
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    I barely weigh myself normally. I would like to avoid the fluctuation. I go by how I feel and how my clothes fit. =) I normally try to weigh once a month if not every 2 weeks.
  • Partyofpugs
    Partyofpugs Posts: 105
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    I weigh in the mornings when I first get up and before I take my shower. I record my weight every Tuesday. I find it interesting to see how the number on the scale fluctuates according to what I've eaten. I don't obsess over it. It is what it is. If I go up on my Tuesday weigh in then I know I need to eat better and move more the following week so it' will go down again. I figure this is for life and I don't want to ever let pounds creep back on again.
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
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    Foe - I get a greater feeling of self-satisfaction from the way my clothes fit, the longer I can go on the treadmill or the bike, etc. Some stinking number on an electronic scale only discourages me, so I personally choose to weigh in as infrequently as possible.

    Well said! :)
  • starsnyc21
    starsnyc21 Posts: 436 Member
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    Friend - I weight myself 1x a day (early morning only) and helps keep me in check. This especially works after a binge/ cheat day. It's scares be straight. I have absolutely no problem with weighing myself 1x a day for the rest of my life.
  • jamk1446
    jamk1446 Posts: 5,577 Member
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    Foe. I am no longer defining my worth by a number on the scale.

    I call the scale my gateway drug. I used to weigh myself upwards of 10 times a day when I was younger. In the morning, dressed, undressed, before eating, after eating, before drinking, after peeing, on and on. It was obsessive and it lead to destructive eating behaviors to see the right number on the scale.

    I decided last fall to give up the scale completely. I have no clue what I weigh but I know what I see in the mirror and how my clothes fit. It was hard to do but it's in the list of Top 5 Best Things I have done for my mental health.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I haven't read any of the other responses, but honestly I don't see how it is a motivator to do it more than once a day (and even once a day is technically too many). Just for the heck of it I have weighed myself in the morning and then weighed myself later in the day to see like an 8 pound gain. I fail to see how that would motivate me! You may be different though. Ultimately the numbers fluctuate throughout the day so there is really no accuracy to it. Plus, let's say you weigh in in the morning and then later take a big #2 and then your weight is down...would you log that weight on MFP just to see it go back up again in a few hours?
  • WickedGarden
    WickedGarden Posts: 944 Member
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    frenemy

    I have been on P90x for 8 weeks...the scale only told me I lost 5 lbs in the first week, and then nothing since. BUT I've dropped 2 sizes in jeans.
    I know the weight is supposed to come off easier in the coming weeks...but geez! it's so frustrating to not see the number dip just a tad to keep me motivated.

    I'm gonna get all Office Space on it if the numbers don't budge in the next 5 weeks...
  • jennifer52484
    jennifer52484 Posts: 888 Member
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    You are best if you weigh yourself at the same time every day. Morning is best. You will get the most consistent weight. Your body weight varies throughout the day. I weigh in every morning when I wake up.
  • smplycomplicated
    smplycomplicated Posts: 484 Member
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    My scale is evil. It likes to play with my emotions. I keep it locked in the closet, and bring it out once a month.
  • Michelle_Nicole
    Michelle_Nicole Posts: 95 Member
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    I think its useful if you dont go overboard with it. I weigh myself every morning just so I can see if I am staying on track. If i see a gain I just now that I wont take that day off from working out and will probably do a little extra of a workout. For me its motivational, even if it stays the same at least I know that I am not putting weight back on. I think that was how I packed on the weight after losing it the first time, I knew I gained a few but refused to get on the scale to see.
  • rubysphoto
    rubysphoto Posts: 254 Member
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    I love my scale, LOL. It measures bmi,bmr etc and measures to the ounce. I am on there through out the day. My lowest is always in the middle of the day. :happy:
  • d_89
    d_89 Posts: 30 Member
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    Overuse= foe
    When used properly= friend :)

    I found my self stepping on the scale every time I walked pass it. I found myself being very disappointed. So I had my little sis hide it from me. So now I have no idea where it is :D She's supposed to give me every Sunday for weigh-ins now
  • dme1977
    dme1977 Posts: 537 Member
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    I get on in the morning buck naked after Ive had a couple of glugs of cofffee .... :drinker:glug :drinker: glug :drinker:
    ahhhhhhhhh, caffeine ok now thats better :love:
    then I get on and see if there is any change from the day before... :huh:
    I dont have a digital scale though so i dont see the milli pound or ounces that have come off , just the old fashioned kind of scale that shows the pounds on a disc that moves... I like it that way ( for now anyway) so i dont become too obsessed. :happy:
  • Amy_Lee_2012
    Amy_Lee_2012 Posts: 156 Member
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    Friend.

    It's a great supporter and motivator- it helps me to keep track of my weight and helps to keep me focused.
    I weigh myself in the morning- naked and after using the bathroom. This is the number I concentrate on. However, I do weigh myself a couple of times more during the day/night, just out of curiosity.
    I record my weight once a week- every Saturday, even if I know I've lost/gained weight before then.

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