Abandoning the scale - prefer to let the body show me
 

Something Ive realised doing atkins is that the scale puts a real downer on me to the point of making me feel like giving up if the number is stalling or even if I've gained a bit despite following the program. And a scale is unfair on women at certain times of the month.

But noticing the change in my body is so empowering and motivating - thats whats keeping me going for it - because Im liking the results in the mirror and how I feel in my clothes.

I've decided to abandon the scale completely. Maby a weigh in when I feel Ive lost a lot. I'm not losing weight to gain power over a scale - Im doing it to feel and look good - which the scale doesnt show me. Bye scale. Don't wanna play your game anymore :)

Sounds like a great plan.. I am not sure I'd have the willpower - I am turning into an obsessive weigher tbh, lol.

Im going to try and do this. up till now i have been weighing myself every morning and i do feel that it is a little depressing when the number dont move. i dont think i am able to give it up completley tho. maybe i will try once a week like friday mornings. I feel like i need to see those numbers or else i am going to go back to eating the way i was.

The scale is driving me insane. I wish I had the willpower to do this. But it always there, right by the bathtub, calling to me every morning!

Sighs......... I'm only really taking the number on Sun's as my true weight. It is very hard to not get discouraged though with it constantly going up and down all week. On a good note, my fiance has lost 20 lbs. Lucky dog. He avoids the thing like the plague.

Maybe you both have the right idea.

AWESOME!! LOVE IT!! And you are so right--those changes in the mirror and your clothing and in how we FEEL are soooo empowering and definitely the ones we need to focus on!! Congrats!!!!!!!




Ditto that! :) I so WISH I had the willpower to do that.

The thing with me and the scale is that on one hand it really does keep me on track, focused, and my head out of the sand. When I'm backsliding or there's a little carb creep it's the reality check that I so desperately need.

On the other hand it can sometimes get discouraging when it's slow or stalls or even goes up for no apparent reason. And I can get a little obsessive with it at times. My DH give me a hard time all the time for it...only because he doesn't like to see me disappointed & doesn't see the point of weighing myself multiple times a day or week. He on the other hand weighs maybe once a week or maybe he'll go two weeks.. and has lost 40+lbs the last couple months.

So as you see for me it's a fine balancing act that I'm still trying to figure out. I am learning to be better about my reaction to any stalls or slow movement on the scale & not let it set me off on a binge, etc.

And I try to remember that even tho my scale didn't budge that particular week..my clothing is fitting looser, I have more energy, I ran longer than I have ever before, I felt good in a new outfit, I received numerous compliments..etc. Those kinda things really matter & are with you all day and not just the 30seconds you're standing on that dumb scale. :)

I used to be a slave to the scale and now I don't even know where it is hidden in our house. This is why I will continue to go to Weight Watchers. I like weighing in once a week at the same time and I like the accountability of that weigh in. There is no daily up and down, usually the trend is downward.

how refreshing to read this...
one less thing to obsess over.
keep it simple, sweetie.:rheart:

My x-roomate, still best friend, was so addicted to the scale. One morning she got so mad, after weighing in, that she took the scale, went out on her balcony, and then threw it into the pool below. She actually got in trouble by the apartment complex owner, I guess someone saw her do it. So, yep the scale can really be a hated object worthy of the trash can. I weigh myself once a week and try and focus on how my clothes are fitting and I use the tape measure. The scale is just too sensitive to water retention and about 100 other things that make up why the scale deserves to be tossed into the pool.

That is so funny! Maybe I should do the same. Thankfully, no apartment. However, hope it don't mess up our pool filter system. :lol:

amen. no scales for me. I did really well on LC years ago and let scale frustration take me off track. I say control what you CAN control - your eating, exercise and attitude - you can't control the scale so I don't even go there.

I too, do much better not weighing myself all the time. I want how I feel to rule my life. Good health is a much better rule of thumb for me.

I totally understand your sentiments. However, I finally decided to weigh myself every single day if possible, and through doing that for several months I've desensitized myself to the fluctuations that used to send me over the bend. I now view the scale results as **one** form of feedback among many, and if you track weight daily, for example, and chart it, you will see the downward trend over time rather than fluctuations. You can't see weight loss OR gain from day to day. But you CAN see water gain/loss daily.

Case in point: I've been hovering around 148 for a few days. Yesterday I had a mega gym session, doing 40 min. of cardio and a 45 minute intensive weight workout. Today I woke up at 151.4 (up 3.4 lbs) even though yesterday was a perfect Atkins induction day in terms of eating. I know there is zero possibility I gained true fat weight, so I know this is water retention weight without a doubt...probably due to the weight workout more than anything....in a weight workout out you create tiny tears in your muscles, the repair process begins, and that involves the muscles puffing up and holding more water temporarily. I didn't gain 3 lbs. because I didn't eat 10,500 calories too many yesterday!!!

I watch the scales to evaluate the effects of what I eat and what I do and above all I look at the trends. I never look at a single big movement upwards as weight gain because that just doesn't happen. And realize that your body CANNOT stay at a single weight endlessly, all sorts of things affect your daily weight. I've found it interesting to observe the normal fluctuations that occur from day to day. These fluctuations have always been happening....when we aren't on a weight loss plan and don't step on the scales for months at a time, these types of fluctuations are occuring all the time and we just don't realize it. Your weight can even vary by a couple of pounds across the space of one day! The human body has a huge % of water (something like 60-70%) and all sorts of things affect that balance and percent: weather, amount we drink, amount of water in our foods, salt intake, exercise effects, etc. ;)

Don't let the scales get to you! It's just useful feedback, but it's not the main one, actually.

i totally agree, the control those great or stupid scales have over some of us, is just crazy!! i haven't weighed myself in a long time! i decided i'm only going to weigh myself once a month so i don't drive myself crazy! because going up and down whatever pounds daily, will set my mood for the day and i don't want that!

so i figured a few days AFTER the oh so fun TOM is over, i'll weigh myself and then see what happens!

For me, the scale is a source of accountability. Knowing I step on it every day is one thing that keeps me on track. Like others, I've conditioned myself to understand weight fluctuations. I calculate my "weight lost" once a week and for the most part, it is continuously down. Day to day shows me what makes me retain water (for me, it's typically not drinking enough the day before) or what makes me feel bloated.

While it is most certainly NOT the only tool....for me, it is a useful one.

..and i'm the opposite. I read somewhere on this forum that long time maintainers often weigh themselves daily. So I started doing that to get in the habit now and pretty soon, I'm just used to it. I can record it and walk away and totally forgettaboutit. Whether a person weighs daily or weekly or even monthly, we just can not let that number get under out skin. it's just a tool

I am a slave to the scale too..I think I'm going to try to take a break from it for awhile. I'm tired of crying every morning when i know I'm exercising, not cheating or anything and the scale just wont move. I pay so much attention to the scale that I havent taken time to measure at all.

I get it completely! As of monday, I had lost 3 lbs. :) I noticed my clothes are looser ( I wear a uniform for work). This morning I got on the scale excited to see how much I'm down. According to the scale I'm up 4 lbs! Talk about being Pissy! I didn't realize it, TOM! Scales suck and so does tom!

I have a post in regards to not trusting your scale, you should read it.. LOOKING AT SCALES BECOMES ADDICTING AND DEPRESSING

Amen to that! I am there too... I have to step away from the scale and start living my life again.

put it out of sight! out of sight out of mind right? I am thinking of hiding mine in the top of my closet.

I posted somewhere that I thought that Scales were WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction.) I am in the weigh the infrequently category.

Anytime the scale pisses you off think of this thread:
Why the Scale Can Lie

Hear Hear, we should have a bonfire of all scales!!

I am with you on this one. I, being a true scaleaholic have come to use the number I see every morning to help evaluate my daily choices and to help me make better decisions. I prefer using clothes and the mirror to gauge my progress instead of the scale. It is amazing the transformation that takes place in the mirror. :) At this point I have made it into clothes that didn't fit at one time to them now being to big! It's been great! :)

You See, Scales Suck The Big One!!

I'm so glad I read this. This is my second week on Atkins. The first week I lost 7 pounds and for me this was a major achievement. So because I was so happy I thought well I should lose some this week. Well it's only my second day into the 2 week and I gained 3 pounds. I know, I was discouraged. This is always what happens to me on any diet I've ever been on. So I told myself, JUST DON'T GET ON THE SCALES. My husband said, "Oh no, here we go. I suppose you're going to get off of this diet too." I told him no, I like the diet so I'm not going to pay any attention to the scales. Here's hoping I continue to lose no matter what the scale says. Thank you all on the forum for having a place to come to.

Good for you. I think that's what ppl need to learn, you weigh, you record and forgettaboutit! don't make it an emotional experience. Like using a tape measure ...just use it as one more tool!

I can't say I've abandoned the scales but I don't intend to weigh more than once a month or two. I plan to weigh on my birthday (later this month) and also on the anniversary of me returning to LC (January 2011). Other than that, no real plans to do it at all. Right now, I need to focus on gaining back control over my eating. The scale doesn't really help that effort I've found. If anything, my obsession with the scale in many respects mirrors my obsession with unhealthy foods.

I refuse to own a scale because I totally obsess and weigh entirely too often. So, instead I only weigh when I have a doctors appointment. Haven't had one for a couple months and I don't feel like I have lost a lot of weight because I am still wearing the same sized clothes.

LOL, let the scale retain THAT water!!! :D