Hi there,

I'm very new to the exercise forum. I don't even lurk. You see I've been avoiding exercise for a long time. And last week Wednesday I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet. 5 times a week I will go to the gym, while the other two I will do Pilates. Well so far I've kept my promise of going faithfully.

However, I can't weigh in because pound gain will discourage me too much and a pound loss will bother me because I ONLY lost one pound. So, I'm wondering if anyone else has tossed away the scale and works out for the sake of working out and being healthy rather than for the reflection of the numbers on the scale.

How successful have you been with your exercise? Has it worked steadily or have you hit bumps along the way?

~Sahvara

It took me a month of exercising before I weighed myself. I knew I was at my high weight. Like you I would get discuraged if I saw know change. By waiting that month, my pants were loose instead of tight and I knew I had made a change no matter what the scale read. In fact had lost 5 lbs.

cc

good luck!

Sahvara~ Hey girl!! Well, you know I weigh in, and I know what you mean about feeling like it's "just one pound" when you lose. But hey, think of it in terms of how much butter that is! It's pretty good.
Since it isn't benficial to you to weigh in, don't. I'm with cac, maybe try doing it once a month or so.

You can do this!!

Hello Sahvara,

I wanted to let you know that I tossed the scale away wow, I can't even remember how long it has been, I absolutely have no idea what I weigh except for when I go to the doctor and even then I tell him sometimes I don't want to know.. I prefer to go by how my clothes feel.....

So you are doing Pilates??? I am looking for some information on them, as I want to start doing them, but am not sure about it? Is there anything that you can recommend?? or any tips????
How much space do you need and are you moving around alot...

Anything that you could provide would be so greatful...

hank you in advance

Heath

Saw this thread and just had to jump in...

I stopped weighing myself earlier this year and have never looked back. Doing bodybuilding (started with 3 Body for Life Challenges and now doing a program called "Camp Pam B" - actually I'm currently taking a week off whilst in London) I might have lost, oh, maybe 10-12 pounds as far as the scale goes, but went down from a size 10 in April to my current size 4.

I posted two quotes at the Body for Life/Bodybuilding Forum (here at 3FC under "Diet Plans") that I thought were worth repeating for your benefit - I find them PRICELESS:

I don't have to tell you that there are many, many folks out there who religiously weigh themselves once a week - shoot, once a DAY - and guess what - they are still fat..still depressed...letting that little number rule their lives. That's why earlier this year, I decided to BAG the scale, TOSS the calipers and go strictly by 'look and feel' i.e. the Pants-o-meter. Ann at www.leanandstrong.com had a great post on this the other day...
The following is from the book "Diary of a Fat Housewife" by Rosemary Green...showing once again that the scale can really derail your motivation and progress...

Ah yes... pilates,

You don't need that much room at all. I purchased an exercise mat. Very standard... and I can do the tape on that. Even though... the mats that the people have on the tape are HUGE. It's not necessary. I do Winsor Pilates - simply because I broke down and bought them during the infomercial. So they are really the only exposure that I've had with pilates. I think I'm gonna pop in a tape and do one.... Good Luck!!

~Sahvara

Another good quote I found at Lean & Strong today - having to do with the numbers on the scale:

To weigh or not to weigh...
I wish that I could throw away my scale completely, but I can't. I just can't. But instead of weighing myself everyday as I'm inclined to do, or even once I week, I put my scale up on the highest shelf in the closet and only get it down maybe once a month. That way, if I want to weigh, I have to put some effort into it. Turst me--this is a lot better than keeping it beside the sink in my bathroom. When it's so available, you feel inclined to jump on it any old time. By keeping a scale, but keeping it out of your reach, you can weigh, but if you keep eating properly and exercising, you will see a real difference every month, instead of day by day. You get a more accurate reading by doing it once a month instead of everyday; you're not as affected by day to day gains and losses that don't mean anything. Once a month is the way to go!
Check out this page to learn why the scale lies: http://www.***************.net/articles/scale_lies.htm

I rarely weigh myself for the same reasons you mentioned. I just go by how my clothes fit.

I do weigh in once a week because I belong to TOPS (take off pounds sensibly) BUT I am really trying to not let that mean anything to me. Instead what I am really doing is measuring myself with a tape measure once a month and that is what makes me really happy or aggrivated. Since I am starting to lift weights I know that my weight is not going to be my TRUE identifyer of health beause muscle weighs more. SO, I am much more happier when my pants are loose than I am that the scale went down a couple of pounds. ALSO, I have lots of water weight that can fluctuate 5 pounds in a day sometimes. So, anyway, I believe more in the measuring tape than I do the scales!!!

Great job on getting to the gym, it sounds like you are really doing GREAT! I would like to get into Pilates soon too, I hear people get some GREAT results from it!!

Even though I have a scale I rarely use it--I just go by how well my clothes fit, especially my work clothes.

It's been very interesting reading everyone's perspective on this issue! I myself have been a daily weigher since I started on my journey just over two months ago. For me, weighing every day keeps me accountable and makes me much less likely to overdo it at any given time. I do try, however, to keep in mind all the things that people have talked about and referenced as far as the evils of the scale go. I guess what I do is keep track every day, but keep in the back of my mind that progress over a longer length of time (every month, for example), is what is most important.

I think I may have a different feeling about how to use the scale as time goes on. I have been very gradually including exercise into my routine, and starting this coming week that will mean strengthening exercise as well -- muscle building.

Thanks for all the tip about assessing your overall fitness and weightloss *without* using a scale. I will keep it in mind!

I rarely weigh myself either. Manly because it depresses me! I go by how my clothes fit (tight right now!), Maybe I will start weighing myself, I joined the YMCA 2 days ago! But I won't weigh for at least a month when I start working out. I NEED to see progress!

I too hate to weigh myself. For the same reasons many of you do as well. I get on,and it goes up..I get so discouraged. It goes down a pound, and although I am glad it went down...I think.."Only A pound!" Humpff.!!"
I generally go by how my clothes are fitting me. When they seem to be much looser, then I weigh. I only weigh about once or twice a month, but since coming to the sight it has been more frequent. Although, I think that has been my downfall this past week, and made me more sad than anything. I am going to go back to my old method of weighing myself.
Good luck and happy thoughts for you all!!!