What are your thoughts on this article?

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/rock...-off-the-scale

it is an interesting concept, although it wouldnt work for me. When I stay off the scale, I GAIN!!! A LOT!!!! I have to weigh in to keep my mind/mouth in check, I give a lot of credit to those who can go without weighing in.

I second StillTryin's opinion.

I need to step on the scale and see my results. Every ounce that I lose is motivation to keep going. I weigh multiple times a day... I know it isn't the best thing to do, but I do it anyway... the weight that "counts" for me is my weight in the middle of the day, as I can fluctuate as much as 6 pounds throughout one day, so I do keep my set times...

Although people do tend to weigh too often, I think the article is faulty. The author says this:

"She dives into work, stops exercising and watching her diet, and watching the scale."

Somehow we're supposed to believe that then she loses weight? I don't think so. I think she "lost weight" in the week BEFORE she stopped exercising and watching her diet--it just took awhile to catch up. But if she keeps on eating and not exercising, she'll gain it all back again.

And what's with that "affirmations" idea? I'm all for positive thinking, but what has to change is how one eats and how active one is. I don't think affirmations alone do a darn thing without that external change. "I am thin and healthy." (eats cream puff) "I am thin and healthy." (goes for the Doritos) "I am thin and healthy..."

I'm someone who was happy to ignore the scale, and it did me no good whatsoever. I watch my weight on the scale now--just not obsessively.

Jay

The key part is believing in the process and understanding water weight. Recognizing that the scale is a tool, not a scorecard. and not the enemy

I mean I have been terribly sick all week and my scale tells me I have lost weight..DUH, but its not like I am going to say "oh to lose weight I need to stay in bed all day and not eat anything" I'm also not going to get torqued when next week those pounds come sailing back

Quite frankly I think having an idea of my normal range and fluctuations is very important for losing, maintaining, or determining just when I may need IV hydration

LOL Jay... actually, for some peculiar reason, when I followed the guidelines for the Fat Smash Diet detox, I lost NO weight. I ate nothing but fruits, veggies, beans, oatmeal, fat free yogurt, and tofu, but I didn't lose a single pound after those ten days, until...

...I said SCREW THIS! I went crazy with all the carbs I wasn't allowed to eat... pretzels, ice cream, donuts, you name it, I ate it! I did this for two days, and then weighed myself, and whoa! I lost 6 pounds! After that, of course, I decided to just limit my caloric intake and significantly increase my exercise level Crazy diet plans are not for me.

I agree with Jay, there seem to be some major holes in the argument. Oh, if only we could recite daily affirmations taped to the bathroom mirror and watch the pounds melt off!

I weight every morning and take a weekly average, and a monthly average. I compare those averages to see how much progress I’m making week to week, month to month. It’s hard to see progress sometimes when the scale fluxuates every day, I feel like this method gives me more “big picture” perspective.

It’s good to not obsess over the scale, and it’s a mistake to expect immediate results on the scale when you change something in your diet or exercise, however I find the scale a useful tool for tracking.

"She dives into work, stops exercising and watching her diet, and watching the scale. After a week or so people started commenting on how good she looks, and they ask her what she’s doing to lose weight.

When she does get on the scale again, now a week off of her ‘fitness program’ (and her obsession with the scale), and four weeks after we started training together, she sees that she has in fact lost a chunk of weight."

Nope....I've never stopped exercising and watching my diet then lost weight! As a matter of fact, thats why I've gained this weight in the first place....and, staying off the scales didn't help matters. What probably happened here was her body gaining muscles from working out...which made the scales not move. Losing weight and inches afterwards was probably a fluke....she probably was eating a little better as an aftermath of her previous diet/exercise regime.
I am a strong believer in the power of positive thinking. As a long time sufferer of depression, I've had to learn new ways of talking to myself and looking at my life. But, no matter how positive minded I might be, those scales won't move down without a lot of hard work from me.

I think the scales help keep me accountable. I tried taking the scale away for awhile, and it didn't really help me keep trying. If I slip up, the numbers on the scale SHOW me what the consequences of a slip up is, unequivocally. If I'm doing really well, the numbers encourage me.

The scale may not be everything, but I know it helps keep me in line

I think everyone finds a way that works for them, in dieting and in how they measure progress. Just as WW/calorie counting/Fat Smash/whatever works for some and not others, daily weighing/monthly measurements/whatever will be the best measure for some and not others.

I think this article is BS with the "all work, no fitness, poor diet", though. Healthy nutrition and exercise are key, no matter how you achieve them or measure them.

I was thinking the sammmmeee thing.

The article is complete and utter bs.

One of her students was obsessed with numbers on a scale, and was disappointed that the only quick change was her clothes fit her looser. My gods, that's terrible! Her body was developing more lean mass AND shedding fat…it's a good thing she quit that diet/exercise quackery!

Either the student or article writer is insane, or the article is very poorly written. Additionally, it sounds like the author is some kind of motivational speaker and that turning turning peoples' weight-loss efforts towards affirmations would help her bottom line.

I'll stick with science for my advice, particularly the NWCR's continuing research, rather than articles with one student as a story/reference pulled out of someone's behind.

Thanks all. I read that and was wondering if I was that tired or just totally misunderstood the whole mess. When the scale is going up I try to remember MORE WATER and when it goes down, give thanks!

Okay while I agree the scale can be frustrating especially if your gaining muscle as you lose, you really need to just be aware of also checking measurements in order to get less discouraged and look at the whole picture.

When I don't have my scale out is when I tend to gain the MOST weight if i'm off program. Period. I would have maybe never gotten to 300 in the first place if I knew I was that close to it.

While it can be frustrating when your close to goal and the weight just creeps off I find that weighing myself weekly (okay I admit I DO do it daily) is a huge motivator to keep going and get feedback on how well what I've been doing is working.

I don't have a working pair of scales anymore, I've been that person demotivated by working hard and seeing no results and reaching for the chocolate for comfort. I now weigh in monthly at my doctors.

So I am just sticking to plan and trusting that if I keep at it the weight will come off. To me its less important now that it comes off regularly.

Kitty