Can anybody get me to step on my scale?
 

Hey y'all- I need help facing up to reality. Its been over a year since I step on a scale and I'm afraid to do it.

3 years ago i was in good shape, Fit and ~150lbs which looks good on me. But my personal life was miserable. Then I got on Zoloft and the pounds start to creep up slowly. Low and behold I met a great guy, fell in love, got on birth control and exploded 160 to 170 to 180...

I kept trying to stave off the weight loss but nothing worked. I stop the birth control, stop the zoloft. Its like my body has changed. I mean I've been heavy before maybe 20-30 lbs overwieght. But nothing like this rapid gain and fat that doesnt seem to care how few calories I eat.

So I stopped weighing my self because it was too discouraging although I've never stopped exercising or watching what I eat. Now I'm to scared to get back on the scale.

I was hoping you guys on 3FC could help me over this hurtle...:?:

I could have written your thread :( i know exactly how you feel. I was down to 170 and over the years it's crept up and i'm at 200 again :( I was down 18 lbs. by May but had surgery and gained it back and no matter what i do, nothing budges.

I don't have any real words of wisdom just that your not alone, i think about the scale and my weight 95% of the day, it's ruined me! I got on anti-depressants that didn't cause weight gain as that's part of my depression.

Stepping on the scale won't suddenly make you heavier. But if you do get on it, then you know what you're working with. Living in denial isn't going to help. Fortunately, posting here does! You can do it and we'll be here to help. :)

exactly what I was going to say. You've taken the first step by joining here, now take the next step towards taking back your body and your life.

It sounds to me like you feel out of control, and it's time to take some of that control back. For me, stepping on the scale at my heaviest was painful, but once it was over I realized it wasn't as bad as spending all that time wondering.

As you spend more time on this site, you'll see a lot of people doing a lot of different things to take back control of their lives. But there is a pattern of those who are successful- they put in an effort to know what's going on with their bodies and what they're doing to them. For me, that means stepping on the scale and measuring myself, as well as counting calories. At first, I just counted the calories while eating normally, and it helped me to understand what I was doing to myself and why I was gaining weight. Some days I would eat as many as 4,000 calories!

It seems like you're afraid right now, but the best thing on earth for dispelling fear is knowledge. Just like you can't be afraid of the monster under the bed if you actually take a look under the bed, you can't be afraid of your weight if you take the time to learn about your body, your calories, how weight loss works, etc. So my advice to you is to stick around- learn everything you can, including everything you can about yourself. Maybe, for you, part of that means stepping on the scale.

I'm sure most of us have been there at one point or another. I didn't even own a functioning scale for several years! I had no idea how much I weighed...just that my clothes didn't fit anymore!!

The first thing I did when I decided to get serious about my health and losing weight was buy a really nice digital scale. I was scared to weigh myself too! But once I saw the numbers on the display...that was all the motivation I needed to get started.

Good luck!! You can do it!!

The number on the scale isn't going to change what you see in the mirror everyday. It's good to not be obsessed by the scale, but I think it's worth facing the fear and fully accepting what you weigh.

Ultimately, it can prove to be beneficial for you as you track your progress. You're clearly committed to this loss if you have joined 3FC, so at least know that the number you see won't be there much longer.

I have a friend who won't step on a scale. She avoids check-ups at the doctor's because she doesn't want to be weighed and scolded for her weight gain. I told her pretty much what I am telling you - once you get on it once, the first time is over. You can come to terms with the quantification of your weight loss, and then move on to make positive change. We all know we've gained weight... we see it as clothes get tighter and our faces change in photos. Somehow we build up our weight in lbs as somehow more important than changes in dress size, but it's no different.

Who knows, you might find it a bit liberating to know you can muster up the confidence to conquer the scale.

I totally agree with kelly315...

Knowledge is POWER!! Embrace it!!!

When I've been afraid to step on the scale (and end the living in denial about why my clothes were "shrinking"), I tell myself it's only a number and a starting place - not an indictment on my character or my worth as a person (altho that's how I've perceived it many times).

As long as I avoided stepping on the scale, I felt freer to continue living in denial and not feeling responsible for my eating, my weight, my health as I ate and ate some more.

Even if the number isn't what you want to see, it IS EMPOWERING to face up to it and make peace with yourself about it rather than beat yourself up for it.

Say to yourself, To measure my progress, I need to know what my weight is now. This number on the scale today simply indicates my starting point, what do I need to do from this moment on to get to my goal weight?

Once you've quantified a problem, you can start formulating a solution. This applies to lots of things, including weight loss. In order to know how far you need to go, you need to know where you're starting from. Of course, I say this as someone who avoided scales for the first six weeks of her weight loss, so I might be a bit of a hypocrite.

I regret not doing it at first, because I can't now say, "oh, I've lost precisely 63.2 pounds!" I have to say, "oh, around fifty-sixtyish." This is much less impressive when you're bragging about your success ;).

Seriously, though; an unknown is always scarier than the known--'cause once you know it, you can kick its butt. So know your weight, own it, and then kick it to the curb.

Number on the scale going down=serious motivation. Get a starting point and get in there! :):hug:

You do need a starting point--watching the #s go down is exciting!

I agree... its only a number and not worth wondering what it will say.... you have to start some place! You can do it!