afraid to weigh myself...

Hey there,

I have scale phobia myself. I weighed myself right before I started my weight loss so I just know where I was and can track achievements. After that, I recommend hiding the scale for yourself and don't weigh yourself for months while you work out/eat right. I have tried weighing myself weekly and found that it hurt me more than helped, especially when I hit a plateau. I would end up giving up because the numbers weren't moving. Not weighing myself is what seems to be best for me.

i used to weigh 122 lbs. i now weigh about 133 lbs. clothes fit the same. i gained a lot of muscle. im not saying you gained muscle, but i'm saying that number on the scale can be very daunting.

i don't weigh myself. maybe once a month out of curiosity. I can be bloated and gain 5 lbs of water, but in my mind its 5 lbs of fat. this stresses me out and leads to binging.

i would rather eat healthy, exercise, live life NOT fixating on a number that means nothing. I go by how i feel and how i look in MY opinion.

others will tell you this is the only way they keep track and hold themselves accountable. its personal preferance really.

in my opinion, scales are evil.

Absolutely! I had this same fear. I knew I had gained weight. I had always been 130 and weighed myself EVERYday, without fail, but after Thanksgiving and Christmas last year, I binged like a crazy person and continued to ignore the scale...for SIX and a half whole months! I had to just take the plunge so I would know where to set my goals and how long it would take me to reasonably reach them, given my starting point. And in the end, you know what? It wasn't as high as I thought it would be. Go ahead and do it now!

yes, infact i have.... i hate stepping on the scale so what i do is.. i only weigh myself once a week to see if i have lost any weight other than that i just go by how my cloths fit... If you have an old pair of jeans and try to put them on dont be discoraged if they don't fit how you would want them... Make it a goal to fit in those jeans in the back of the closet...oh and also dont let your weight control you you control it.... don't be scared you have to stand up and face your fears show the scale who is boss...lol(:

Just think of it this way: the higher the number at the start, the more awesome you will feel for getting to your goal weight. Mine served as motivation. I never wanted to see that number again!

I used to weigh 130 lbs.. which i was happy with.. but ive gained alot of weight... up past 150 lbs.. im extremely terrified of weighing myself because I know it will be a terrifying number on the scale.. but i think that i need to weigh myself in order to concentrate and focus on the weight i need to lose... what is everyones opinions? anyone else fought this battle?

I hear ya, I too was about 133, then I got to 163 and I am only 5'3 and I am past 150lbs. I hate scales, don't even own one. Think I must get one to do this, funny I just wrote this on my status. You got this, it's just a number! As you get in shape that weight will end up being muscle weight! I just started P90X I am doing night 4 tonight! Which exercise programs are you using? I am having the harder time with nutrition, I hate to eat

I'm pretty sure that EVERYONE feels that way. Or if not, most people. It's not a fun thing to do, to look at that number.

It's even harder when you feel like you've been working hard and that number doesn't change.

I'd agree that you should weigh yourself just to see where you're at. But if you're like me and you beat yourself up ALL day if the number doesn't change or if it (heaven forbid) goes up, then you might be better off only weighing yourself every month or so. That way you can focus on how you feel and how your clothes fit.

Face your fear and get on the scale, just don't make the scale the be all and end all of your successes. The scale does lie and doesn't always accurately portray you! So also get out that tape measure. And as you go along this journey take mental notes of how your clothes are feeling. Praise yourself with a mental high five every time you choose a healthy food choice over a poor food choice. You can do this, get real with yourself but do not make your focus the number on that scale!

i used to weigh 122 lbs. i now weigh about 133 lbs. clothes fit the same. i gained a lot of muscle. im not saying you gained muscle, but i'm saying that number on the scale can be very daunting.

i don't weigh myself. maybe once a month out of curiosity. I can be bloated and gain 5 lbs of water, but in my mind its 5 lbs of fat. this stresses me out and leads to binging.

i would rather eat healthy, exercise, live life NOT fixating on a number that means nothing. I go by how i feel and how i look in MY opinion.

others will tell you this is the only way they keep track and hold themselves accountable. its personal preferance really.

in my opinion, scales are evil.

^^^ All of this.

Especially this:

i would rather eat healthy, exercise, live life NOT fixating on a number that means nothing. I go by how i feel and how i look in MY opinion.

And this:

in my opinion, scales are evil.

It is what it is. Kinda' like not opening that piece of mail that you don't want to see, even though you know it's there, Take a big breath and rip the band-aid off. It usually doesn't hurt as much as trying to s-l-o-w-l-y pull it off. You're stressing now, but once it's done, it's done and you can move forward. You can do it!

gawd, rereading this I realize it looks like a cliche bomb just exploded. But really - it means well.

You should definitely weigh yourself! You are already walking around and living your life the way you are. Putting a number on it isn't going to make it any worse. It might make it more real to you, but it's great to have that starting number. If you do lose weight, and never weigh yourself at the beginning, you won't even know what you lost! Weight yourself, and know it will go down from there

You need to weigh your self.... I know it sucks but I was in denial for so long my avg weight is 135-160 and I was happy with that. For the past to years I have gained so much I got into size 15-16. I kept saying its not that bad I probably gained like 15 pounds. Finally after someone said something about how I used to be " so little and what happened?" and going to the doc being told I had a thyroid issue and was considered "obese" .. turns out I weigh almost 230 ... It hurts really badly to sit down and know I did this to myself. But any how yes it is good to weigh so you have an idea of how much you would like to loose.

You have to start somewhere....Jump on the scale...take you measurements and pictures. Then get to it! You can do it and trust me you will want to have the photos to prove how far you have come! Best of luck

I understand. At my heaviest I weighed 248 lbs. and having to get on a scale seemed very daunting but it is a starting point and not something to be avoided. It might also boost your desire to eat better to lose the weight.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

I agree with _stephanie0 in that tracking fitness/weight-loss using a scale is a personal preference. However, you need to track your progress somehow.

Personally, I weigh myself two or three times a day(!) during periods where I am actively pursuing a change, like now during summer while I am of work (I am an elementary school teacher). During the school year, I weigh myself daily, first thing in the morning.

For me, it's almost like a game. My numbers fluctuate wildly from day to day. I have seen myself "gain" 6 pounds in a day, but three days later, I am below by 7 pounds. I see what exercise and diet do to my body on a daily basis (mostly in water weight), but over the long run, I do see changes. Sometimes the changes show up more in how I feel than what the scale reads.

Even if you don't want to use a scale to track your changes, you need to track them somehow! You could, for example, do one or more of these:

* You could measure body fat using skin folds and calipers. If you are weight training, you could potentially lose fat but gain enough muscle that there is little to no scale change.

* Use a tape measure. Measure yourself in key locations like your kitchen and your bedroom. JK, of course I mean BODY locations like biceps, hips, waist, and thighs. After a couple weeks, measure again to see the change.

* Do a series of fitness tests. For example, do as many jumping jacks as possible in 1 minute. Do the same for push-ups, crunches, squats, etc. Record these numbers then repeat the test in two or three weeks. If you have been exercising regularly, you WILL see a difference.

* If you walk regularly, time yourself as you walk 1 mile. There are some really cool smartphone apps that make this really easy, but you can do it with a stopwatch and a treadmill or a local track at a park. Record the time and your perceived exertion from 1 (easy) to 10 (impossible). Then, after a couple weeks, repeat the test at the same location to compare results.

Keeping track of your progress is imperative in my opinion. If you don't keep track somehow, you will not be able to appreciate the fruits of your labor. Also, keeping track helps you figure out what works best for you.

That being said, realize that the body adapts to change in different ways, sometimes more quickly, sometimes more slowly. Don't be discouraged by slow change. The Grand Canyon is a really big hole, but it took a really, REALLY long time to get that way. Maybe your weight-loss journey will take a long time, but with diligence and determination, you could end up as impressive as the Grand Canyon!

Good luck!