Scale Obsession ...

DawnzCreationz
DawnzCreationz Posts: 21 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Need help! I am still fairly new at losing weight but I am facing what is quickly becoming a huge hurdle. I am obsessed with the scale! I cannot go through a day without checking at least once a day but sometimes more! I know this is bad because our weight fluctuates throughout the day and weigh-ins should be once a week but I just cannot stop myself! So my questions are, have you ever experienced this and if so, how did you deal with it?

Thanks for any advice and feel free to send friend requests as I can use all the support I can get!
Thanks,
Dawn

Replies

  • cjv428
    cjv428 Posts: 124
    I am the exact same way in that I obsess over the scale and it is not out of the ordinary for me to weigh myself multiple times a day. I suggest that you don't keep a scale in your house and resist the urge to constantly step on the scale at the gym or wherever you might weigh yourself. I actually resisted the urge for the first time tonight and I feel great. Try focusing on changes in how your clothing fit, how you look naked, and how you feel rather than a number on the scale. Those things are a much better indicator of your progress, especially the fit on your clothing!
  • diana776
    diana776 Posts: 54
    Hello! I understand how youre feeling I have the same problem I used to weight myself everyday but now im doing it every 8 days or every 10 days.. Advice tell someone to hide you scale so u cant find it and give it to you 5 or 8 days later so you keep your mind away from it.

    Hope it works for you :) x
  • sindnee
    sindnee Posts: 7 Member
    I guess you need to keep your scale out of sight. Keep it somewhere where you'll have a hard time taking it out. Instead of obsessing over the scale, you should check your measurements instead. :)
  • linochka1969
    linochka1969 Posts: 136 Member
    I do it once a day in the morning, because to me it is the best time to check your weight, your stomach is empty.
    And it is a consistent condition from a day to day.
    During the day , you drink and you eat, and use a bathroom , hence it is not consistent at all.
    Checking it every morning allows me to feel that things are changing for better, even if it is only 0.2 lbs drop.
    I do have to figure how to not weight in myself that often too.
  • ines25
    ines25 Posts: 107 Member
    oh thats the wrong way to go my friend i will recomend u what my trainer told me not to weight ur self the first 6-8 weeks because if u are working out u gonna gain muscle before u lose weight instead measure ur self and let ur clothes tell u.


    STOP THAT AND GOOD LUCK
  • mikek333
    mikek333 Posts: 78 Member
    I check a lot too, but I don't see it as a problem. My "official" weigh-in is first thing in the morning. I usually have lost some weight, so it is motivating. Other weigh ins during the day are more for curiosity.
  • Silverberry1331
    Silverberry1331 Posts: 13 Member
    I know it is difficult, but don't do this. I use to, and it drove me crazy. You eat, drink, use the bathroom, etc, and you WILL fluctuate. You will be heavier in the evening, so why torture yourself. Just try it once or twice a week. The only one can break yourself of the habit is you! :)

    Good luck.
  • hbehrle
    hbehrle Posts: 13
    I do not feel like I am obsessed with the scale, but I do weigh myself once a day right after I wake up, and before I hit the shower. The number motivates me to do better through the day. If I see it go up, I make sure to exercise harder or watch my calories/fat closer for the day. It also works the opposite way too. When I see the number go down, even by 1/10 lb it helps keep my motivation going. But I also make sure not to weigh myself any other time during the day, as I know the number will be higher later in the day and with more clothes on. I agree, if you are too scale obsessed, just get rid of it. Give it to a friend and go over there once a month or week to weigh, and at the same time of the day each month/week. Also, take your body measurements once every 4 weeks. That is a great way to see what a difference you are making!
  • cattraxs
    cattraxs Posts: 47 Member
    Dawn,
    I weigh myself each morning and evening and have recorded weigh-in's each Monday night (I belong to a weight loss program). I actually record my morning weight each day but use my recorded weight on MFP. I think this is a common practice especially for those of us new to weight loss. I wouldn't be concerned unless the scales overtake your life (can't wait to weight yourself especially after eating) or you berate yourself if you gain or plateau. You are here for a reason and it's a good start; find and maintain a healthier you and I think you'll find those scales are nothing more than a small tool in your journey. Good Luck, be well and stay happy.
    Debbie
  • JustPeachy044
    JustPeachy044 Posts: 770 Member
    I too weigh each morning after waking. There is conflicting advise out there on how often to weigh, but I agree once a day is plenty. I record it on my calendar. i think we definitely need to make sure we don't get obsessed with it though AND measure success by more than the numbers on the scale. For example, I have a favorite belt that I used to hardly be able to buckle and now I'm on notch #4. My goal is to "shrink" out of it. Another idea is to measure your waist once per week with a ribbon and cut it to fit. Hang those up where you will see them every day (maybe tape them to a hanger and put it on a hook in your bedroom). Watch that ribbon shrink over the weeks...
  • DawnzCreationz
    DawnzCreationz Posts: 21 Member
    Thank you to everyone for your input! You have helped me a LOT! I do not feel so bad now as most of you do what I do which is weigh in the morning. I agree it is a motivator and a good indicator of if I am moving in the righr direction etc. Any other weigh-ins are just curiosity but I think if I can curve those I will be OK with weighing in the morning!

    Glad I am not alone! Thanks
  • tealilly
    tealilly Posts: 3 Member
    Yeah so guilty of this. But let me tell you.... depending on the scale, this can really drive you insane. My leaps around all day, keeps changing a little every time I step on and off it, by a margin of 2 lbs... Driving me so nuts, I'm actually buying another scale this week, just waiting for it to arrive. ...Although that might be a problem too, because its a tiny portable on and I'll likely keep it in my bedroom and travel with it. ...yeah ok, I am obsessed.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I weigh everyday and keep a spreadsheet of my daily weights, with certain details about my diet, like net calories and sodium and whether I weightlift and if it's TOM. There's nothing wrong with it. It helps me look for trends longer term. However, if you're going to weigh everyday, you have to be OK with the scale going up and down! I mean really mentally prepared for it, because it happens All.The.Time.

    I would recommend stopping multiple weigh-ins per day. That will just make you crazy!. I mean, if you drink 16 oz of water, you will be 1 lb heavier on the scale! IMHO it is best to weigh yourself once, first thing in the morning, after you pee, in as little clothing as possible. That will be the most consistent "true weight" every day. Anything after that will be highly variable depending on your clothing, level of hydration, what you've eaten, and probably a million other factors.

    If you can't make yourself ok with weight fluctuations, you should back down to once a week. Keep your sanity! :explode:
  • cannonsky
    cannonsky Posts: 850 Member
    I decided to put my scale away.. pull it out once a month from now on
  • carleyfunk
    carleyfunk Posts: 59 Member
    I am obsessed with my scale too. How I deal with it is, I know that my weight changes through out the day. For me it's just knowing when is the best time for me to weigh in. I have to know that what I did the day before was right. If it's up then I know something wasnt right. I just try not to stress about it. I know that if I have starches one day the next i'll be up a little. If you splurge on a meal you will most likely be up. You have to figure out how not to stress to much. If you feel you need to check try not to do it more than once a day. It may make you crazy other wise.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Personally my body fluctuates up to 5lbs daily.

    Another thing to think about is you should be weighing only on the days opposite your TOM.
    So if it falls on the 20th or around the 20th every month you should be weighing the first or second week.
    Hormones and water weight and gas.....OH MY!
    =D

    Try calipers or measuring tape.
    Keeps the sanity!
  • DawnzCreationz
    DawnzCreationz Posts: 21 Member
    Thanks again everyone! You have all been so very helpful!

    Dawn
  • danaemarie24
    danaemarie24 Posts: 2 Member
    Welcome to my world. First thing in the morning after a potty break. I hop on the scale. Then usually when I get home from work... then a couple hours later and then before bed... Although the past few days I've just been doing once or twice a day. I wish I could have someone hide it but my Finace is just as bad. I just keep telling myself that it changes with what and when I eat.
  • LoViNlIFe0225
    LoViNlIFe0225 Posts: 121
    I decided to put my scale away.. pull it out once a month from now on

    ^ this is what I have started doing! I could weigh myself every hour on the hour if there were a scale available! so I put the scale in my outside closet that way its not easy to get to and then every Tuesday when I weigh in...I pull it out! Good Luck!

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