To jump on the scale or not?

[ChasingthePerfectMe]

Hey all! So im wondering if at the end of my 1st week I should jump on the scales or just go by my clothes getting looser? I would like to know how much I've lost obviously but the whole point in me doing this is NOT JUST to lose weight - it is to embrace a healthier eating lifestyle which I feel I cant really do if im obsessing about a number on a set of scales. Its definitely a tricky one!

The problem with me (and im sure some of you can probably relate) is that the minute I go on the scales, it stops becoming about a healthier me and more about the weight loss. I feel more often than not that the scales can dictate my effort...for instance if I lose a good amount, my effort tends to waver slightly because I think to myself well you've being doing good, or it can go the other way, where if I don't lose anything or even put on weight it makes me feel completely deflated and crap

I don't really know what to do for the best. Like I say I do want to know how well Ive done but I fear if I do weigh myself it will dampen my motivation in some warped way This morning when I got up, the scales where looking at me when I got out the shower and I actually said to them "not today friend"...I mean is this a normal response?

Any advice would be helpful - do I chuck them out or stick with it?

Thanks

[LilliasB]

Hi

I do so relate to your dilemma. I am on the 4th week of my 'diet' (5:2) but am trying to look at it as a new lifestyle change to healthy eating which is mostly about improving my health and fitness. Any weight loss will be a positive plus and help with my arthritis. I have chosen to weigh myself only once a month therefore avoiding the daily fluctuations which appear normal but can be upsetting.

My clothes do appear to be looser but that could be my brain playing tricks. I will know for sure on Fridaymorning.

Good luck.

[ChasingthePerfectMe in reply to LilliasB]

Hi LilliasB!

See, that is my point right there! - even though you don't know your weight just now, you still FEEL as though your clothes are looser, therefore I bet you feel much better and healthier about yourself and more confident - which is the overall goal right? Going on the scales, for me anyways, plays with my mind because like I say it becomes more about losing that 4 stone and less about the act of eating healthy and feeling better about myself, it becomes an obsession almost...especially if I've had a naughty week - where I feel that I need to play catch up to stay on track.

When I'm waiting for that week to roll over and not knowing my weight, every day up to that point I always feel good because I know I don't need to worry about any numbers - there's no pressure. As long as I know im doing my best I feel good! I might do what you do and weigh myself once a month. I hope one day I can come away from all this weighing crap and be comfortable enough to just go by my clothes. Here's hoping

Thanks and good luck with your journey!

[Judywood]

I weigh myself every morning - I just need to know if things are going in the right direction (and can tweak meals if not!). Use scales at home - not sure the people in Boots would be too thrilled if I stripped naked to weigh myself!

[ChasingthePerfectMe in reply to Judywood]

Hi Judy!

Ha-ha I wouldn't inflict such cruelty on the poor people at Boots...only my husband gets to witness such atrocities lol

Yeah im like you at the moment, but I've recently been thinking...is it actually doing me any good? because im certainly no lighter or healthier for it, if anything it totally messes with my mind and makes me become some sort of compulsive weigher! My husband weighs himself every day as well but he is super healthy and goes to the gym a lot...in other words he doesn't have any warped issues when it comes to weight or food.

I'm going to try the "going without" method and only weigh myself once a month (I'll keep you posted with my no doubt withdrawal posts) Believe me when I say I will actually need to get my husband to hide them from me

Thanks

[FatbellyGutbucket in reply to Judywood]

Oh, I don't know - it'll bring more people into Boots, but be prepared to find yourself on YouTube as there'll almost certainly be someone with a smartphone.

For ChasingthePerfectMe: I'm also looking for health improvements rather than 'simply' losing weight. Weight loss, however, is an important part of that as I am obese. I have, recently, noticed a slight loosening of clothing with no loss of weight. I have concluded that I was exercising just a little too much and, therefore, increasing muscle mass instead of maintaining it. I've cut back on the exercise a little and hope to start to lose weight again (or, more accurately, lose fat again).

If I build too much muscle I could end up 'buff', but still - technically - obese or grossly overweight.

Without the weight checks I wouldn't have noticed what - I now think - was really happening.

[ChasingthePerfectMe in reply to FatbellyGutbucket]

Hi FBGB! (Thats some username you've got going on lol)

Ha ha true! Well if you ever see on YouTube some complete lunatic running about Boots in the scud you know who it is

I see your point but finding that balance between checking (to keep myself right) and obsessing (meaning that I weigh myself after every meal) is killing me. I cant be that way anymore because what im doing, at least mentally isn't healthy at all and it's not helping me on the road to a normal healthy eating lifestyle! I need to find the balance - one that will keep me in check with anything im doing wrong and the other to keep my daft on,off,on,off urges at bay.

Cheers for the perspective...I might try doing two weigh ins a month as opposed to one

[Salaisa]

I'd say don't (if you were like me). On my last weigh-in day, I was disappointed, even though overall I can see clothes looser around my bum, so should be happy. And since then I jump on the scales every day, which I KNOW is wrong and just distracts me from what I really want to do (also develop a healthy lifestyle).

Plus it can give such a wrong impression (read somewhere that the margin of error is +/-2kg, just depending on what you have eaten and when on any given day). Sometimes you see here someone saying something like "had a bad weekend, put on the 4 pounds I lost" - which I think is actually impossible, as that would mean overeating by some 14,000 calories and processing them into fat, and not even I could oveareat 14,000 cals in two days (that's 3 full-fat family sized chocolate cakes, or 20 servings of full-fat cheese sauce lasagne - I'm sure the said bad weekend was not that bad). So now I'm gutted about giving in to the scales game and will try to focus on drinking enough water (my habit for the week), and when I will have drunk all I needed to, I will (try to) skip scales completely. Surely, drinking enough water is good, no matter what the scales say?

[ChasingthePerfectMe in reply to Salaisa]

Hi Salaisa,

Yes I am the same! It's difficult for me as well to stay away from weighing myself but so far I have managed to do it, which is an accomplishment in itself lol I think weighing myself is relatively important (for now anyways) at least twice a month as a method to keep me on track, but not every day (and night sometimes as well). I really want to get away from this whole obsessing thing where my weight loss journey is entirely about the number on the scales. I want it to become more about the healthy eating and exercising lifestyle, because if I can these things right I have more chance of getting to my goal and maintaining it.

So...what I done last night after listening to several bits of good feedback on this topic is told my other half to take the scales and put them in the shed and hide the key (that's how bad I am) I will take them out and weigh myself in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping this will take the pressure of in terms of concentrating solely on weight loss and free up some time to think focus on eating healthier and exercising more.

Also water is a good start, not only does it help with flushing out your system but it does wonders for your skin Let me know how you get on

Thanks

[tootsiepops]

I weighed myself once a week. I found seeing the numbers going down motivating and kept me in control. Have reached below my target weight, now on maintenance and still weigh myself once a week. I like to stay in control. I'm not going back to obesity if I can help it.

[ChasingthePerfectMe in reply to tootsiepops]

Hi Tootsiepops!

I envy your mindset so much I used to be like that many moons ago but now, rather than the scales being a motivator, they seem to drag me down and keep me down because that number is what EVERYTHING becomes about. I couldn't tell you when my mind decided to skip a gear this way, all I know is for me, weighing myself does more damage than good (and yet I know I need them to keep track of my progress). I know there are some people on this that weigh themselves every day and it seems to work well for them, but for me its just a total disaster!!

Huge well done in getting to your target weight!! I think it's great that your on this forum to make sure you don't go back, and help confused people like me try and sort themselves out

Thanks

[tootsiepops in reply to ChasingthePerfectMe]

Thankyou for your kind words. I own up to slipping up a few times, but I don't fret over it. I draw a line under any lapses and start over the next day.😊

To the scales, well whatever works best for you, to each their own. Goodluck and we are here to support each other. Here's to success. You will get there....👼

[miopus]

Stick with it !!!

[Sue-S Visitor]

You have to work out what works for you. I am maintaining my weight and weigh myself virtually every day. This is a matter of course and keeps me on the straight and narrow as it is easy to put on 4 or 5 pounds without seeing any noticeable difference; then before you know it is half a stone etc. etc. I have a weight which I like to be and try to not go above it. Whilst losing however do what works for you. If your clothes feel loser, then why not just enjoy that and know you must have lost some weight (this will give you encouragement to continue). When you are nearer your goal, maybe then jump on these scales.