To weigh or not to weigh . . .
 

. . . that is the question!

Ok, I couldn't resist a silly quote, but seriously . . .

I've been thinking about buying a scale to track my weight on. Probably seems like a no-brainer to have one, but it's something I discussed with my boyfriend a while back. He was against the idea for fear that I might become a little . . . obsessed? That I might let the mood of my entire day be swayed by that simple little number.

And I'm wondering if he's right.

To be fair, it was a conversation we held before I was ready to make a commitment to myself again, but I'm almost afraid to bring up the subject again.

I'm thinking that maybe I should give the whole diet and exercise thing a go for a few weeks before considering a scale, or maybe it would be a great way to reward myself after I start to see results in other ways.

So I was wondering, would you all feel "blind" if you didn't have a scale to check on every day (or every week or whatever, depending on when you choose to weigh). Do you feel more comfortable keeping close track or is it freeing to not worry about the numbers so much, especially in the beginning of a new plan?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. :)

My husband and I had the exact same conversation... And I thought, "no, I realize weight fluctuates throughout the day. I'll be fine." And like your boyfriend, he was worried I would get obsessed and upset over a "little" number. Got one anyway. And yep, I'm thoroughly obsessed with it. Every time I go into the bathroom I step on it.

I was happier without it. But at the same time, it helps motivate me to keep going.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

For me, it takes so long for me to notice any physical changes, that without the scales I would have given up long since.
For me, if I weigh daily it affects my whole mood, usually negatively! so I try to weigh weekly.

That's just for me though, everyone's different.

I would say, find a store that has a scale and use that instead. Or, if you belong to a gym, use the one at the gym. It doesn't matter which, as long as you weigh at the same time of day wearing about the same thing. Weekly or twice weekly should be enough. You're looking for differences, not absolute values.

I am not badly scale obsessed, but I used to not have a scale, and so I would do what I suggested above. And I was happier, I think, not seeing the daily fluctuations. It's hard not to get on the scale every morning just because it is there, even if I've decided not to weigh!

Jay

I need my scale! I weigh every morning so it helps me regulate my eating every day. Example, last night I met some friends for dinner and afterward they wanted to get ice cream, I was able to say no to the ice cream because I knew I was weighing the next morning and did not want to see bad news!

When I started WW, initially I didnt have a scale. However since the program is so completely focused on weekly losses(and gains, unfortunately) it is very difficult to be "on program" without one of the major tools...a scale.

The first couple of weeks, yes I was obsessed and stepped on it everytime I entered the room where it was. I moved it to my office so that I am not in there everyday and now that I have been in the program for about 10 weeks I dont think of it nearly as much. I think it is a good idea to keep you on target...sometimes I think I am doing a great job and the scale tells the real tale!

To me, it was freeing KNOWING what the numbers were. If I didn't have a scale THAT would make me anxious, uptight and worrisome. At my starting weight, it took a loooong time to "see" results without the use of a scale. If I'm working hard, I want to know if it's working, so that I can make adjustments accordingly.

The scale is nothing to fear. NOTHING. It's a tool. A quick, convenient DEVICE. We've got to keep in mind and LEARN that it (our bodies that is) will fluctuate depending on a host of factors. But hey, I'm a (fairly) intelligent woman. I can deal with it. No more ducking. It helps to keep me in line knowing that I have to face the scale every morning. Knowledge is power. We're talking about our health here. Our weight, that is. It's available to us - why not use it? You hop on in the morning. Take a glance. Get off and go about your business.

Personally, I can't stick to plan if I use a scale regularly. Tend to slack off if number is better than expected or give up if worse than expected. I track my energy balance to make sure I stay on track and plan on weighing in every few months to check actual progress. So I weighed in the first time 11 weeks after I started and plan on checking again in 8 weeks.

I weigh every morning, and if I have lost, I feel great and feel more motivated to stay OP. However, last week I gained three days. It bummed me out, but part of that may be PMS, so I am thinking about a weekly weigh in. I would at least get a starting weight before you start. If you don't weigh often, you will be able to tell if you are losing fat by the way your clothes fit. Good luck! :)

I weigh daily with the understanding that on any given day I can swing up to 3 lbs in either day. I have a weekly weighin day, which is the day I record my weight. I take the day before, the day of, and the day after that date and record the average as my weekly weight.

Just like nineoceansaway, it helps me considerably the night before, knowing that I am going to step on the scales and I don't want to blow it by eatting some late night snack.

I also own one of the omron body composition scales. It has memory to store several readings. It checks weight, bmi, body fat, muscle percentage, visceral fat, RM Cals, and body age. I check this information only on my designated day and usually only everyother week. This also lets me see changes that the weight might not show. Again I understand it is more to see changes rather than exact numbers. The weight on this guy does seem to be pretty accurate with my doctor's office - so that makes me happy.

if you've gotten down from 360 to 285 without a scale, I'd say keep doing it that way. Why? because yes, I'm obsessed with the scale! ha!

I'd actually would love to be able to be doing this without weighing myself so often and identifying myself so much with the number on the scale, and letting it affect my mood. bf knows when he fluctuates within 5 lbs without weighing himself (he is not overweight). that to me seems like a more balanced and calm way to approach things. Just my take on it.

It takes a long time for me to notice physical differences, too, which is why I like my scale. In the beginning, I needed to see every tiny little reduction on the scale in order to keep going. I do weigh daily, but it's like Robin said--I hop on, note the weight, record it, and move on. If it's up, it's up--I didn't gain 3 pounds of fat; I must have eaten something with sodium.

I don't weigh throughout the day; just the once in the morning and then I don't step on it again. I understand why some people do the weekly weigh-in, but since my weigh fluctuates so much it's entirely possible that my weekly weigh-in would make it look like I had lost NOTHING when I am in reality just having a momentary scale blip.

I think if I didn't have a scale at least at the beginning I could have easily slipped into being comfortable. It makes me more aware than just taking measurements. The only time I freaked out over the number was when I stepped on the scale before I started but it was more of a freak out because I had let myself go.....I haven't freaked out over the numbers since! Dip down? Awesome :) Dip up? Keep at it because in the big picture it will go down.

I used to have an out-of-control scale obsession. I didn't own a scale for a long time, but then I realized that was just helping my complete denial over my continued weight gain. I bit the bullet, got a scale, and vowed to use it ONLY once a week. It's been about seven months. So far, so good.

I've learned that obsessions only have power if I give it to them.

When I am on track I weigh myself a lot- I'll jump on after meals and see the difference it makes. I'll get on in the morning, at night, after I go to the pool or ahem, the bathroom...
It doesn't bother me to see the number. I only record it once a week (when I'm recording it) The thing with the scale is that it is only a tool for progress and to keep me on track. I don't live by or die by a number on it. I know I have a much bigger problem on my hands when I can't remember the last time I used it!
If you feel comfortable with your process but aren't seeing the results as obviously and want an up or down reference point- get one. If you will be upset with the numbers you see- don't get one!
It is definitely all about what makes YOU feel good.