I was away at college when I began to lose weight (late February) and I did not have a scale with me. Instead, I would just look at my body in the mirror and I would slowly see changes. I topped out at about 230 (I never weighed myself because I didn't want to know but this was at the doctor).
My first day home, I was intensely curious about my weight. I was hoping it would be 210. The scale (which is accurate) read 187. I was ECSTATIC. (This means that I had been losing weight at about lbs/week). However, I have now been home for three weeks and the scale has been jumping around (it probably was before but I didn't notice). The lowest its read has been 182 and it averages about 185. However, I have been exercising at least 2-3 hours a day (not muscle building but lighter cardio). I know I can count calories well (I measure) and I average around 900-1200. I have not "cheated" or gone over 1400 calories. It is so frustrating to see unchanged (or even increasing) numbers on the scale. It is my TOM but how much can that be.
I'm weighing obsessively because I desperately want to be in the 170s soon--but it's just not happening!
This is quite long but I just feel so discouraged. I had the freezer open for about 15 minutes today just staring at all of the food that I haven't been tempted to eat in 3 months--never wanting it more. My body may look slightly smaller but a number is easier to gauge by and it's not changing. Please help!
You could be exercising too much and eating too little. Just for an experiment why not shake things up a bit and try just 1 hour of exercise a day and 1300-1400 calories? Perhaps that will trick things in to moving again.
I'm the same way with the scale, it increases my anxiety and anxiety has a negative impact on my health/weithloss/body image. So put away the scale. Throw it away, give it away or ask someone to hide it for a while. You've proven to yourself that you can do this without the scale, why add all this angst?
The fluctuations are common by the way. And yes, your period can totally mess up numbers on a scale!
You've already received some good advice here. I would just like to put something in perspective for you. My TOM I regularly gain 4-5 lbs. I bloat like crazy....it really is awful. But for a week I am at least 4 lbs heavier. Once everything is over with that weight falls off PLUS some. You haven't been tracking your weight regularly enough to know how TOM affects your body. Give it time. Learn your body.
Don't let the numbers drive you insane. I know that is easier said than done. If you can see the change, hang on to that thought. Remember, you may be gaining muscle while shredding fat.
I just want to say this to you, me and anyone else reading this and thinking of giving up or giving in to food temptation that is unplanned - It may be a slow process, but giving up won't make it any faster! I read that on many weight loss inspiration pages I follow on instagram, tumblr, etc. but it is so freakin' true! We get unhappy when the scale isn't moving as quickly as we'd like, or when we're "killin'" ourselves in the gym and eating healthy and the scale goes up or doesn't move at all, but realistically if you give up, it is only going to go up eventually if not immediately. Lately I've been pigging out, eating like 2,500 calories a day (sometimes nearing or surpassing 3,000), not all healthy food, and somehow I lost a tiny bit of weight. Well I found a pound today, and this was after exercising & eating fairly on point yesterday. It is a cumulative effect, the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly eventually shows up, and while you probably will have bad days (heck I am almost guaranteeing I will) make your good days far outnumber your bad days, keep working hard, and you'll get there! I wish you & the rest of us the absolute best on our journeys we will get there as long as we keep going, even if it's at a turtle's pace. <3
I lost all of the weight I wanted to without looking at the scale once during the process. Like some of the other posters, the scale brings me anxiety (I know that others find it a useful tool, but it gives me too much anxiety). Sometimes, I think that ignorance really is bliss. This can happen with calorie counting, too. Sometimes, I might be just fine with what I've eaten for the day, but then I'll do a mental calculation of my calories, realize they're really low, and those "extra" calories will haunt me until I eat them and more before the night is over. Numbers and I just don't get along.
If the scale is causing you anxiety, don't use it. Do what works for you.
Scales jump around like that and do sometimes go up before/during a period.
For some of us, scales are very motivating. For me, I have scale goals and I enjoy seeing it when I get closer. Like you, I do NOT enjoy seeing it when I get further away. I have a frustrating love-hate marriage going on with the scale, but we aren't divorcing.
If it's making you crazy, though, why put yourself through it? You've already seen that you don't need that to lose weight, so just chuck it. Or maybe weigh yourself once a month.
Don't let this make you crazy!
Last edited by Stripes 237; 06-04-2015 at 01:10 PM.
I'm one that has a good relationship with my scale, but if its not working for you don't do it!!! Since I weigh almost every day now I can tell you that at my TOM, I just straight up "plateau". No up, no down, (at least no more than a few kg) and it won't go back to normal until it's done. Its just life, and as frustrating as it is, no one can see those few extra pounds of strict water bloatedness.
If you think the scale is going to be a tool for you, and only if, I can suggest a few different ways of going about it that I did. You can try only weighing once a week for awhile as you are more likely to see a downward trend! If you're tempted, put the scale away somewhere out of reach so you don't look at it often. I had a work scale at first and could only check periodically. Getting my own scale at home was actually a reward for one of my mini goals for me
Another thing you cand try to do is adopt the "three pound rule". The three pound rule is treating three pounds like one... So 187 is also 188 and 186. Its kind of weird when you think about it, but I find it helps me stay positive. If I go on and it says 186 one day then 187 the next... No big. That's not a gain. Its the same pound. No, its not cheating or lying to yourself either! You could be holding a little extra water one day. You could be holding in a little extra waste then you did yesterday and just need a toilet break. Its not "denial" of gaining weight when you take each pound like three, "denial" is when you creep up twenty-forty pounds and keep calling yourself 150 (woops, am I talking to me??? XD). Its about developing a different mentality about your weight, especially when you remember you're only gonna weigh what the scale says for about five minutes before you gain a pound from eating breakfast or loose it after peeing or what have you. Your weight changes all day... 183,184,185... They are virtually the same weight.
And, just a note of encouragment, as someone who weighs daily what you just described is normal and actually shows weight loss!!! You said you've been home 3 weeks, starting at 187 and you are now fluctuating but have seen 182. I'd guess (with the three pound rule) you probably weigh about 183. Every thing else is just normal flux... That's a drop of over 1.5 pounds a week. Completely amazing and normal progress!!! Its going to look like that if you weigh daily, so don't sweat it. If it causes stress don't weigh again and simply enjoy the journey. But believe me when I say my scale looks and acts just like yours, and I'm always loosing weight small bits at a time. I've seen 142 kgs two times this week. I've also seen 145 and 144 several times as well. No rhyme, or reason... The week before was a low of 143 with 146 creeping up all over the place. Next week, since aunt flo is here, I'll probably still see anything from 142-145. But, it is going down, cause three weeks ago it was a lot more 149 with a low of 145.
Last edited by SenseAndSensibility; 06-04-2015 at 01:44 AM.
I like to weigh in daily but there have been plenty of times when I've had to put the scale away for a month just because it was driving me crazy. As you go through this weight loss process, you'll need to adjust your actions in many ways to continually do more of what works and less of what doesn't, which might be changing frequently. Be flexible and keep up the great work. Just make sure you're feeling good and not weak...which could lead to muscle loss.
Well, first of all, congratulations on your weight loss! I, too, started at 230 and I can remember being in your shoes!
That said, you have to be patient. Seriously. You have to EMBRACE it. The people who lose so quickly are the ones who will gain it back. There, I said it. Every single person I have known who ever lost weight super fast ALWAYS gained it back.
STOP WEIGHING YOURSELF and enjoy all the weight you've already lost! Buy a few pieces of really nice clothing, even though you know you'll need to buy new pieces soon because of more weight loss. I know it's hard to do when you've lost a significant amount but still have more to go, but I truly, sincerely believe that taking time to be proud of yourself along the way is so much more important that hitting that final goal.
It was really helpful for me to make other goals other than the scale - journaling my food each day, exercising 5x per week, getting all my fluids, etc. That made it more about my health rather than just about the weight loss.
The Scale Is Ruining My Motivation.
But for a week I am at least 4 lbs heavier. Once everything is over with that weight falls off PLUS some. You haven't been tracking your weight regularly enough to know how TOM affects your body. Give it time. Learn your body.
