slave to the scale- should i ditch it?

SpanishRapunzel
SpanishRapunzel Posts: 53 Member
edited December 22 in Health and Weight Loss
I know it's bad to weigh myself all the time, but I really struggle with it. I feel like with all the hard work I'm putting into losing weight that I should be able to see differences more quickly.... Even though that's not the case. My clothes are looser. i have more energy. I'm more toned.... Should I put the scale away in favor or non-scale success? Idk what to do right now.

Replies

  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Buy a tape measure. Throw the scale away. Figure out your BF % and concentrate on that.

    Edited to add: Congrats to you on losing over 70 lbs!
  • sherronh
    sherronh Posts: 119 Member
    I say everyone is different. If weighing yourself all the time is becoming less positive. Ditch it and weigh yourself less. If it truly pushes you and motivates you then keep with what works for you!
  • if you mean it, have someone else hide it on you...you can't go get it that way since you have no clue where it went...

    but dont throw it away for when you need your "scale fix" :D
  • JBHawaii
    JBHawaii Posts: 94
    I too am a slave to the scale! I deffinitely get depressed whent here is no movement or even slips. I don't think ditching it is the right course... just use it as a tool to make sure you are headed in the right direction. If you feel and look better then what you are doing is deffinitely working =)
  • Ditch it. I was obsessed over a year ago with it...worst thing to ever bring into the house. If you're dropping pants sizes, don't even worry about it.
  • fatgirlslove
    fatgirlslove Posts: 614 Member
    Only weigh in 2x a month...have some1 hide your scale for you
  • blonde71
    blonde71 Posts: 955 Member
    Forget the scale, seriously. Concentrate on body fat percentage.
  • LadyIntrepid
    LadyIntrepid Posts: 399 Member
    While I do like to weigh myself every now and again, what I'm MUCH happier with is inches lost and BF%. Those figures really speak the truth.
  • AmyParker979
    AmyParker979 Posts: 84 Member
    I'm feeling that one today myself. Hide it or make it harder to get to. I moved my scale downstairs so I'm not consistently tempted to jump on it.
  • Msnatalieann
    Msnatalieann Posts: 56 Member
    Im no expert... I've been trying to lose weight UNSUCCESSFULLY for 8 years............. BUT in my opinion, the scale keeps you in check. I look at it like this: I know how good or bad i did the day before based on what the scale says. Of course there are always factors to consider... that time of the month, whether you have gone #2 lately or enough, did you get enough sleep (burns soooo many calories!!!)... so i use it to keep myself in check... do whatever feels right to you. If you feel like its bringing you down in a bad way, ditch it. if you feel like its keeping you in check with what you ate/did the days before then WEIGH ON! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!:flowerforyou:
  • EveyRose
    EveyRose Posts: 74 Member
    I haev the same problem, I constantly weigh myself adn slowly drive myself insane when I am not seeing any differnce. the best way i knwo of is to use measurements instead of the number on the scale. you mentione dthat your clothes are feeling looser, so why not use that as a way to identify the progress you are making. I knwo my weight can flucuate up to five pounds in a day, just die to water retention. I almost paniced this weekend when i thougth I was gaining weight back that i had fought so hard to take off. let me know what you think. :flowerforyou:
  • I weigh myself daily and all it does it keep me on track. If I overeat & lie around on the couch, it shows. If I stay under my calories and workout, its shows.

    I do not take my measurements.
  • ShyGirl89
    ShyGirl89 Posts: 60 Member
    I used to weigh myself EVERYDAY sometimes twice a day. Now I do it once a week, but I think I might push it back to twice a month like I did when I first joined MFP.
  • NeverGivesUp
    NeverGivesUp Posts: 960 Member
    I have not weighed myself this month except for the 1st. I feel out of control because I injured myself and am unable to exercise till my ankles are not so painful anymore. Soooo, I am going through major anxiety not being able to see what I weigh. I keep telling myself that the number on the scale shouldn't define me. As long as my clothes continue to fit, I should be ok. I was sick of letting the scale run my moods and feelings. I switched over from pounds to kilos a while ago because kilos are not so emotional for me as pounds. In a way it is liberating to be without it. Weighing in once a month keeps me on track but it also helps me not define myself by the number that I was seeing every day. You are not a number after all. Now I just need to get back to being active because it is really getting me down. On vacation for an entire month in the US, soooo July 1st will be my last weigh in for a couple of months. It is all good practice anyway.
  • Gay11nell
    Gay11nell Posts: 166 Member
    Im in favor of NSVs! To me NSVs are far more accurate than the scale, I judge based on how my clothes look on me and how I look in the full length mirror more than the scale, BUT I'm a scale junkie!
  • the_green_midget
    the_green_midget Posts: 80 Member
    I weigh myself every day, but I try not to let small fluctuations get to me. I try to look at the overall trend, rather than the day-to-day measurements. I actually have a spreadsheet that calculates the rolling average (the average of the last five days) for me, so that a huge loss or gain doesn't matter as much. This is what my weight-loss graph looks like (ETA: The red line is the average and the blue line are the actual measurements. Also, I add comments, which might be TMI, but at least they let me know why I might be seeing fluctuations):

    ScreenShot2012-06-13at30411PM.png

    If you can't look at your weight objectively, it's probably best not to weigh yourself so often, perhaps once a week at most. Also, I'm still measuring my waist, thighs, hips, neck and biceps, and I'm seeing loss there too, which is probably more important.
  • SpanishRapunzel
    SpanishRapunzel Posts: 53 Member
    Wow, thanks for all the support! I think i'll have my hubby hide it :) I've been working out a whole lot more than I used to, so maybe muscle mass vs fat accounts for my clothes being looser and the scale not moving a bit?o.0 Gonna Google how to figure my bf% now ;)
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