I've been walking about 2 1/2 miles everyday, and I'm starting to get the "are you losing weight??" questions (which totally boost my ego lol ). Anyway, I don't know exactly how much I've lost and the reason being is because I refuse to look at a scale.

I know if I look at a scale I will be instantly embarassed/ sad and all the typical feelings. I have a really bad tendency to be way hard on myself. I started just a week ago walking a mile, and I'm already up to 2 1/2 - 3 miles a day and considering jogging a bit. So instead of being happy that I've made this much progress so quickly and already showing results, I think "Why aren't you walking more? What's your problem?"

So, this is why I'm refusing to look at a scale because I know I am my greatest critic and if the scale says 250 my brain will read 750 lol. Everyone tells me though I should keep track of the pounds I lose, but I figure I can get an idea just by the amount of sizes I drop in clothes.

Does anyone have the same issue or am I just being silly?

I think you're doing a great thing for yourself by skipping the scale if you know it will mess you up. If you wanted to, you could weigh and have someone else look, so you can have the number later. But it's not necessary. The important thing is eating well and being active.

You don't have to do anything you don't want to do! Honestly, it would be better for most of us if we could rely less on the scale and more on all the positive things we can do for ourselves. Eating healthy foods and moving in healthy ways should be "good enough" in and of themselves, not simply because they affect the number on the scale.

You're getting healthier and doing things that make you feel good and look good. The way you look and feel is more important than what the scale says, and if you are happy to never step on a scale again, that's great! I know a few people who even refuse to look at the number at the doctor's office - they turn around or close their eyes and ask the nurse not to tell them.

I'm hoping to wean myself off the scale, personally. I know quite well that I'm doing well and moving in the right direction, and it's all too easy to get wrapped up in simple ups and downs of normal body mechanisms. You can gauge your progress by the fit of your clothing, the mileage you cover, and the way your body feels and looks. The scale is just a tool, and a pretty poor one, at that!

Ignoring the scale bought me 50 lbs. Paying attention to it was very helpful for losing them. Behaviors of successful maintainers include regular monitoring of weight.

All that aside, if it doesn't work for you, then don't use it. There are other ways to monitor progress and maintenance. The scale is just a handy one. With some limitations.

I think that the wisdom of knowing yourself and what drives you is very important. It sounds like avoiding the scale is the right thing for you.

For me, if I'm not weighing myself its because I've checked out of the game, and if I've checked out of the game, then I am gaining weight. (ugh) So I weigh myself every morning, whether I want to or not.

Hi Girlpiggy,

I also am not looking at the scale. I've had the scale sabotage weight loss efforts in the past, so I figured not this time. I am very happy with this decision and just going by how I feel and how my clothes fit is working great. No scale...No stress. I do have my annual physical coming up on March 11, which will be 4 months exactly since I started with my weightloss, and I am thinking that I might actually step on the scale. (You have the right to refuse, which I usually do). I've gone down several sizes and am enjoying wearing those clothes that I haven't fit into in years. So I'm a little curious, but we'll see what I feel like when the time comes. Maybe 6 months would be a better time or maybe not. I just know it's so nice not having that obsession with the scale.

Keep up the good work and just enjoy those loose clothes and the losing weight comments!

Shirley

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What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself. ~ Hecato, Greek Philosopher

For quite a while I was trying to live a healthier life style and my scale only weighed up to 305. For weeks I was eating much better, moving more, and felt like I was progressing as my pants felt loser and my ankles looked much thinner. But week after week when I'd step on the scale, it still said, "error". FINALLY after about about 7 weeks I went to the store and bought a new scale that went up to 400 pounds. The next morning I weighed myself and it read 333. I honestly freaked out and that day I started seriously counting calories and keeping a detailed food journal. I'll never know how much I weighed when I started my "baby steps" Did I lose 10-15-20 pounds? I really wish I knew. I guess it's not really important, its gone now, but still I'd like to have the bragging rights!

Do what ever is best for you...just remember though that some day you *might* really wish you knew how far you've come!

i hate when the scale doesnt say what i think it should but i know its important to know how i am doing so i am trying to desensitize myself to its sadistic readings so i wont get off track again. sometimes when i get really mad at the number, i punch my closet door (cardio? haha), sigh, and move on with my day to make it a positive one that will save my fist a little hurt the following morning...

I am with you.I have not weight myself for months.I try the same pain of jeans on every week,size 8.They are my scale.I can finally get them above my hips.No buttoning yet though.Hopefully by summer.

My scale is my best friend and the companion of my weight loss journey because it gives me data I need to stay healthy, but we are all different.

You are to be commended for choosing this lifestyle change and that's a great job you are doing with the exercise so don't worry about what anyone does or doesn't think of your decision not to hop on the scale right now, this is all about what YOU want to do and what works for YOU.

Can I make a suggestion? (You can totally ignore it if you want!) Step on the scale and don't look, just take a picture. Download the pic, put it in a folder on your computer, don't look at it. On the day you reach goal, you are going to really want to know where you started. This is one way to save that info for posterity but not have to obsess on it. I refused to get on a scale for **5** years. Trust me, I know where you're coming from. But I am so glad I weighed myself the third day into this journey. I would have never believed I actually weighed 360 lbs had I not seen it with my own two eyes. I thought I weighed maybe, maybe 300-315. 360 was a complete shock. But I got over it and moved on, and in retrospect I'm glad I know.

I have the same problem with the scale. I solved it by doing the exact opposite thing. I weigh myself morning and night. Sometimes even in the middle of the day. I'm not looking for an absolute number anymore. Rather, I'm looking for 'trends'. I know that I'm about 2 lbs. heavier at night than in the morning. I now know my weight goes up before my period and I'll weigh weirdly the whole time it's visiting. I know that my weight tends to drop Wed.-Fri then hold steady through the next Tuesday. Not every week but most weeks.

Basically, I've learned to read my body like it's a machine. I desensitized myself to the numbers on the scale by viewing it more like data that tells me something scientific about my body. This approach may or may not work for you but I've used it as a way to keep the scale in my life without it becoming my life. Besides, I'm way to addicted to high fiving myself when I see a drop. I'd hate to give that up. I can lose without the scale but, for me, the scale makes me work harder.

hey do what makes you happy. the scale doesn't own you. and if you would rather base weight loss by being able to say "i went from ____ size to ___ size" then DO IT!

I do that too! lol.

Thanks for all of the input. I had worried about not knowing exactly how much I lost in the end. It's bit like a trophy to put on the wall to know an exact number. The jeans and the picture idea were really good though! I think I'm going to try those. One of the first things I'm going to buy when I lose my wieght is a little black dress, so maybe I should go ahead a pick one out and keep it in my closet as a measuring device

I just started this weightloss journey and the main reason I started was because I got on a scale and saw 241. This was a shock to me. I thought I weighed 210-220 but not 241. That made up my mind that I was goint to do this. Since then I have not looked at the scale yet. I am going to follow my plan strictly for 2 weeks and then look, if I have lost I will know that my plan is working it not then I know my plan needs some tweaking, but I refuse to look everyday for fear that I will be disappointed and give up. I know myself well enough to know that that would happen. Do what ever is best for you.

Tina