Okay all. So the most I've ever seen on the scale is 213. I know I'm less than that now - I think I'm somewhere in betweem 210 and 200 - but I feel more hopeful and inspired off the scale right now. I don't really want to see that number for a month or two; I just feel like it would be disheartening. So long as I am staying accountable with my calorie counting, I think I would be more comfortable getting on the scale once I see my belly go down a bit.
What do you all think? Seeing my weight at over 200 breaks my heart, and I know I'll be below it in a month or so, so is it okay to stay off the scale? I'm also taking my measurements instead.
I started in June, and I have yet to weigh myself. I find that I allow the scale too much power over my mood, which, in turn, affects my behavior. I think it has been a good decision for me as I have avoided the angst of seeing a gain when I know I'm doing everything right (it's impossible to control the fluctuations that sometimes occur). Also, it made me focus on healthy behaviors rather than the numbers, and establishing healthy behaviors is the most important thing IMHO.
The only downside I have found is that it makes it difficult to determine what my maintenance calorie level should be. I am toying with the idea of going on maintenance calories for my goal weight, but without the scale, I really won't know whether I'm slowly losing or gaining on my chosen calorie level (It takes a while for pants sizes to be noticeable). Nevertheless, my attitude has been so positive this time around, I don't want to mess with the magic by fretting over the scale.
So, I say don't worry about the scale for now, especially if the mere idea of it brings you down. Listen to your gut on this one.
I did something similar when I started a few weeks ago. It was a good week or two after I started eating healthy that I finally mustered up the courage to step on the scale. I was just too scared to see what was surely going to be my highest ever weight pop up. If you think seeing a big number would be that disheartening, I see no problem with using measurements and/or the fit of your clothing as a guide for awhile.
I personally forced myself to muster the courage to weigh myself, b/c in the past, daily weigh-ins have been my biggest motivator. So I bit the bullet and weighed myself. That first weigh in was awful, but I just love tracking the downward trend over time! I track my measurements as well, but for some reason that's not as satisfying for me.
I waited a month, until I could be sure from the fit of my clothes that I was definitely losing weight, before I bought a scale. I've weighed myself faithfully every day since.
If you're comfortable sharing your weight with someone close to you, you can ask them to look at the scale for you and not tell you how much you weigh but tell you how much you've lost from day to day. Getting on the scale every day is a big motivator for me too. Every single time I eat something I'm not supposed to the scale either goes stays stuck or goes up... and when I eat right and exercise the scale goes down every single day like clock work even if it is just a fraction of a pound.
I've felt the way you're feeling before about the scale, but just because you don't look at the scale doesn't change how much you weigh. When you lose weight (which I know you will you are going to wish that you knew exactly how much you weighed when you started so you can celebrate every single pound you lost.
Yeah, I usually weigh myself every day, but I just got back from a fancy wedding in Vermont, AND I have my period, so I'm gonna wait maybe a week. There's no need to make the scale the boss if you know it's just going to hurt your belief in yourself.
I don't get on the scale very often. Maybe once every 2-3 weeks, at most. I've done weekly weigh-ins, I've done daily weigh-ins, I've gone months without a scale and they all served different purposes at different times.
I look at it like this: the scale is giving me one type of information about my progress. If that info is meaningful to you, great, use it. If it's not, don't. Right now, getting on the scale every day isn't giving me much meaningful info about my progress, so I don't worry about it. I do have other ways of knowing I'm on track and doing what I need to be doing. I can look at my food log or look back through my workouts, I can take measurements, I can feel how clothes fit differently, etc.
Whatever you choose to do, don't make your decision out of fear. A big part of this journey is being honest with yourself. Know that the number on the scale doesn't have power of you. You are completely in control of changing it!
When I got back on track in March I committed to staying off the scale for a month. I'm one of those that tend to let the scale rule my mood and actions too much. I was rewarded with a great lose of 14.4lbs when I did get on the scale again so it was definitely worth it.
If you're on plan and feel confident in what you're doing then you should definitely stay off the scale if it makes you happy.
Lin43 said the following above: "I started in June, and I have yet to weigh myself. I find that I allow the scale too much power over my mood, which, in turn, affects my behavior. I think it has been a good decision for me as I have avoided the angst of seeing a gain when I know I'm doing everything right (it's impossible to control the fluctuations that sometimes occur). Also, it made me focus on healthy behaviors rather than the numbers, and establishing healthy behaviors is the most important thing IMHO."
This is exactly how I am feeling - I couldn't have said it better myself. I think I'll wait a couple weeks or so before getting on the scale. Anything under 213 I think I can swallow, and from there, I will be motivated to get on for weekly weigh ins. I just need to chip away at the ol' "me" a little before it can be anything but disheartening. Thank you so much for the posts, all!
I found the method of waiting until my clothes fit differently to be frustrating. I'd feel like I was going nowhere and I'd drown my sorrows in more calories, while the pounds piled on. I think I needed the motivation of seeing the scale move, since movement can be slow and it can take awhile to feel and see a difference.
I finally had to find the courage to step on the scale. I was shocked, but lived through it. Now I find that weighing myself daily is the most effective way to keep myself accountable and stay on track. It's interesting the differences in our needs and attitudes. I find that if I don't weigh myself, I become a hostage to my own anxiety, especially if I have a "bad day" and I'm worried about the subsequent gain.
I think it's absolutely fine to stay off the scale. Sometimes it's too easy to get focused on the numbers and get too discouraged if they don't move in the right direction as quickly as we'd like.
Personally I don't have the ability to resist checking the number but that's what works for me. I know plenty of folks who just don't find knowing that number everyday to be helpful at all.
Getting on the scale?
you are going to wish that you knew exactly how much you weighed when you started so you can celebrate every single pound you lost.
