Who does without the scale?

[homestretch]

I posted in the main lobby but thought I might get some good input here.

I know I have read multiple threads over the last year about who gets on the scale and who does not but I want to hear some personal experience with it.

Here is my story, I have been at goal for 16 months. However, my weight seems to go up and down about 6 pounds (below and above goal). The scale causes me a great deal of stress because like many of you when I am down I feel like a million and when I am up I feel low. I was on the up side of those 6 pounds after Xmas and I was having nasty thoughts about myself every time I got on the scale and it was not going back down. Life got in the way and I just did not have time to worry about the scale in the last couple of weeks. I have continued to eat low carb (with the addition of adding more fat) and working out as usual. In the last couple of days I have noticed my pants getting loose so I know that the weight is back down. I even tried on my skinniest jeans and they fit perfectly.

My conclusion from this unplanned experiment is that I can control my weight without stressing over the number on the scale and I never thought I would believe that. I think the scale is a very valuable tool but a very harsh tool as well. In the past 16 months I have stayed a size 8 consistently. When I am at my very lowest weight I can wear a 6 and when I am up my 8's feel tight. I am wondering if my new motto for 2009 should be eat right, exercise and stay an 8 instead of the constant battle/striving with the scale? When I am on that scale I constantly feel as though I am not good enough and my weight is not low enough. When I am off the scale I find balance and am at peace with my body.

If anyone has successfully stayed away from the scale and maintained or lost weight will you please share so that I can make an informed choice?
Thanks!

[maryvit]

Homestretch,

Congrats at staying in those 8's.

The scale is a necessary evil for me, but I'm not at goal weight yet. A couple years back when I was behaving myself on lc and in my (then) 6's, I used my jeans as my scale because I do get extremely depressed if the scale doesn't reflect what I think it should

When I get to goal this time, I'm putting the scale under the bed and sticking to my (hopefully) 6's as my guide so I don't have such bad moods after stepping off the dang thing!! My dogs run out of the room when they see me pull the scale out for the daily ritual!!

[Teresa123]

I am a daily weigher--but I would love to not be one! I think your goal sounds so much more healthy than hopping on the scale daily and letting that dictate your mood...which I do as well. Now, I just have to convince myself that I can trust that I will do the right thing without it.

I'm definitely interested in hearing what others do!

[homestretch]

Teresa I too weighed daily for a long time and then went to weekly. My lack of weighing really came from being preoccupied with some family issues but it was a very interesting experiment. When I realized my pants were again loose and it was not due to the fact that I was obsessed with the scale, I felt very empowered.

Mary...that is so funny about the dog. There have been times that I step on the scale and then immediately find a reason to growl at the hubby. It is so crazy how such a little thing can dictate the way I feel.

[johnshade]

I also don't use a scale. I didn't have that much weight to lose to begin with. However, I know myself and I know that I would have used it as a tool to judge myself and thus reduced my entire relationship with food down to what the scale said. Particularly if you are near or around goal then why not just focus on hammering home the healthy lifestyle. The number is just that a number. I wake up everyday excited by life and what I eat...why would I want a scale reading to determine that for me?

[Teresa123]

What you guys are saying makes soooo much sense...intellectually.

I think what worries me is that the only time in my life that I wasn't on a scale daily was when I was gaining weight, or just didn't care---so part of me is scared it would be like being in denial--since that has always been the case in the past. I need to do some re-wiring of my brain I think!

[fischdeb1]

Having been in maintenance for about 8 months, I find it very necessary to weigh myself at least 4 times per week. I've tried the "jeans fit" before. I would lie to myself. I would say, the jeans aren't really that tight or the jeans shrunk in the wash. Then when I finally did get on the scale, sure enough, 5 pounds up. Unfortunately the scale also effects my mood. But I don't trust myself...not yet! I'm keeping the scale!
Deb

[johnshade]

I think there a number of factors involved here. For example, how important is simply being at a certain weight to you? What is your past relationship with food? Do you have an eating disorder of any kind? Were you overweight? or were you obese?

We all come to this way of eating with different goals. Weight loss is of secondary importance to me compared to having an enjoyable and sustainable lifestlye. The "scale game" has been the dowfall of so many people I know with dieting issues. For some it is a good tool, no doubt and it helps to know your bmi, but why "four times a week?" what is it about your diet this far along that is so uncertain that you are swinging five pounds up and down a week? That may be a better question to ask. Why not focus on the healthy living aspect rather than seeing your food relations as a constant "finger in the ****" scenario?

[fischdeb1]

I haven't been swinging for 8 months, thanks to the scale! Believe me I have been down the road of many diets through the years and have always gained it back. When I was in high school I would gain 1 pound per year. Ever since I had my two children 28 years ago things changed. Weight comes on very fast. Now, past menopause, it's even faster! The only difference this time, is monitoring my weight with a scale. I like being a size 6-8 much better than 16. I plan to stay this size!

[LoraJR72]

I haven't been on a scale since the Doctor's appt in November and I told them not to tell me the number. LOL I do know all my pants (size 4) are loose and everyone at work compliments me on how nice I look. (Big ego boost.)

I "know" that if I eat according to plan and spice up my workouts every so often then I should maintain without stress. I think positively too and that helps me tremendously.

[BellaHMB]

I weigh once a week but honestly, I can tell if I am gaining. So long as I keep wearing my jeans I am ok!

Bella

[LoraJR72]

Oops! Jumped on the scale this AM.

60lbs. Total LOST!!!!

[homestretch]

Originally Posted by LoraJR72

Oops! Jumped on the scale this AM.

60lbs. Total LOST!!!!

Way to go! That is so awesome! I think it is equally awesome that you did it without being a scale junky!

I have found myself wanting to hop on the scale this week but I am really trying to not. I am working very hard on my relationship with food and I am not sure I can do that if the scale is in the picture. I have a history of serious food/scale issues and I have never gone without the scale unless I was in the process of overeating and gaining. In the past when I was being "good" I was on the scale, exercising, and eating right and when I was "bad" I was off the scale, not exercising and binge eating. This is new territory for me but I see the change in my relationship with food. Now I find myself wanting to be more moderate with food instead of all or nothing. I may just start a journal into this journey to see what happens to me without the scale!

[vli1127]

Hi all, It looks as though there are two threads on this same topic and this is what I wrote in the other one as well. I think scaleless is a great idea. I am currently in TOPS and only weigh at meetings even though I have a scale here at home. I used to drive myself nuts with the numbers. I know what it feels like in my clothes and how I look in the mirror.

I am currently maintaining at around 167-173 and I am 5'6". I had some fitness testing done at my "Y" in the past few weeks and my body fat is around 26%. I am in a size 10-12 depending on brand and cut which I am quite pleased.

[lowcarber2.0]

I think going without a scale can work both ways for you.

When I was heavy and eating nonstop I put the scale away so I couldn't see how much I was gaining. It is that reason that the government recommends that the scale should be used often.

When I am eating healthy and put away the scale, I have a PLEASANT surprise when I do use it.

When I use the scale and am disappointed, I put pressure on myself. I don't work well under pressure. I eat.

Bottom line I think you lose more without the scale depending on your diet and personality.

[BellaHMB]

So last week I felt I was low on my weight and I weighed 142, then today
I don't feel much different but my scale said 148. So rather than panic, I am
simply cutting back and starting to use fitday again. I had been feeling like
my food had increased portion wise and also had been eating more nuts.
Not sure how this fits in with the scale question except that I seem to need it
to stay accountable.

Bella

[Chef]

Originally Posted by homestretch

I posted in the main lobby but thought I might get some good input here.

I know I have read multiple threads over the last year about who gets on the scale and who does not but I want to hear some personal experience with it.

Here is my story, I have been at goal for 16 months. However, my weight seems to go up and down about 6 pounds (below and above goal). The scale causes me a great deal of stress because like many of you when I am down I feel like a million and when I am up I feel low. I was on the up side of those 6 pounds after Xmas and I was having nasty thoughts about myself every time I got on the scale and it was not going back down. Life got in the way and I just did not have time to worry about the scale in the last couple of weeks. I have continued to eat low carb (with the addition of adding more fat) and working out as usual. In the last couple of days I have noticed my pants getting loose so I know that the weight is back down. I even tried on my skinniest jeans and they fit perfectly.

My conclusion from this unplanned experiment is that I can control my weight without stressing over the number on the scale and I never thought I would believe that. I think the scale is a very valuable tool but a very harsh tool as well. In the past 16 months I have stayed a size 8 consistently. When I am at my very lowest weight I can wear a 6 and when I am up my 8's feel tight. I am wondering if my new motto for 2009 should be eat right, exercise and stay an 8 instead of the constant battle/striving with the scale? When I am on that scale I constantly feel as though I am not good enough and my weight is not low enough. When I am off the scale I find balance and am at peace with my body.

If anyone has successfully stayed away from the scale and maintained or lost weight will you please share so that I can make an informed choice?
Thanks!

Hi HS,

I never had a scale when I was younger. About 15 years ago I lost weight and got down to a great size. Then I gained back. I would only weigh myself at my parents who had a scale.

I married and of course she had a scale. I learned that I needed a life diet and exercise plan and my wife and I did it together. So a weigh in was very important to her. That was three years ago. I now am on my own program as she is on maint. I can now go back to no scale that is what I like if it were up to me. I fooled myself years ago saying I didn't gain and with no scale who knew. I think folks should use a scale until they get to a size that is visible in the mirror then the mirror is the scale.

For the most part that is my story and yes, I don't use the scale for the most part. Trainers at my club recommend a once a week weigh in my wife weighs herself everyday and I just don't see how the shock day to day can be good for the soul.

Great topic thanks

Cheers,

Jim

[homestretch]

Well I initially thought I would post my updates on the other thread but since this seems to be the one that everyone is interacting on I will post here

Last week I was sick with a head cold and so tired. It gave me a lot of time to think, think, think and drive myself crazy about getting on the scale. So Saturday I hopped on and guess what? I weighed 3 pounds more than I thought that I did!!!! That did scare me because I did not feel it in my clothes. That prompted me to go back to induction level carbs and now I am down 4 pounds. I think that the upward swing had a lot to do with me being sick on cold meds and just finishing TOM.

So what am I thinking now? Two things, one I probably would have not known about the 3 pound gain if I had not gotten on the scale and the weight probably would have returned to where it is now. Two, maybe that hop on the scale made me catch a weight gain before it really took hold.

The result is that I am happy that I stepped on the scale. I guess I am really trying to make peace with the scale and the monster inside of me that thinks the scale determines my value on any given day. My goals have not changed. I still want to maintain being a comfortable size 8 in 2009. However, I am realizing that trying to stay off the scale can be just as much of an obsession as getting on it 3 times a day (yes I have done that too).

I still plan on keeping up with this thread in the hopes that someone else can learn from it just like I have learned from so many others who have shared their inner diet/maintenance/exercise battles here. Maybe I should have titled the thread taming the inner scale beast!

[fischdeb1]

I have mentioned on this thread that I really depend on frequent weigh-ins on the scale. It is the sole reason why I have maintained for nearly a year now! I have never done that, and I'm 52. I have never maintained weight loss for more than just a few months. I haven't liked my eating lately.

I feel like I've been too loose, so I went on The Scarsdale Diet for 2 days to try to get my discipline back. It worked. I feel in control. I know me and if I don't weigh in often, the weight slowly creeps back up. If it goes beyond 4 pounds, I get very discouraged. I like to catch it quick!
Deb

[homestretch]

Originally Posted by fischdeb1

I have mentioned on this thread that I really depend on frequent weigh-ins on the scale. It is the sole reason why I have maintained for nearly a year now! I have never done that, and I'm 52. I have never maintained weight loss for more than just a few months. I haven't liked my eating lately.

I feel like I've been too loose, so I went on The Scarsdale Diet for 2 days to try to get my discipline back. It worked. I feel in control. I know me and if I don't weigh in often, the weight slowly creeps back up. If it goes beyond 4 pounds, I get very discouraged. I like to catch it quick!
Deb

Yes I know just what you are saying. I feel like the scale has been a very important part of my maintenance over the last year. I feel a lot better now that I have been back on induction and strict. I had to make an effort to stay off the scale beast and I always wondered if I could do it. I think my strategy now is to find a happy medium with the scale. One where I am not weighing everyday but more than every couple of months. When I was losing I weighed once a week, same time, and same day. That seemed to work well. How often do you weigh?

[65kilo]

I quit weighing myself 1 year, 5 months ago. I knew my weight was up; I know it has come down. As long as my jeans fit I know approximately where I am... too tight, cut back loose, I have wiggle room. What benefit is there to an exact number? If you gained 3 pounds and "didn't realize it" it is because it was water weight, or not enough to matter... when it is enough to matter i.e. your clothes are tight and it is a big "HELLO". I will not let my every day mood be dictated by a stupid scale. After this long I actually feel bad for those who do b/c even if it is ONE day a week it is ONE day you feel like crap and one day a week adds up to weeks, months and years in one's life. Life is too short. I trust in myself to do what needs to be done with a scale as a cattle prod.
Good luck to you

btw I was not one w/ little to lose, nor did I lose it all on lc, but mostly ww originally. I have maintained most of a 85 lb loss with ups (quit smoking in '07) and downs (recently w/ lc) of as much as 10 - 15 lbs. since '02

[fischdeb1]

I weigh myself 4 times a week. I know...I know, crazy!
Deb

[homestretch]

I do see the benefits of doing things both ways. Right now I am above goal and have to get it back down so it is back to the scale for the time being. I know that being 3 pounds higher than I thought was water weight but the number really was a shock considering I knew that I had been up after the holidays. I am embarking on some dietary changes and I am going to use the scale to gauge how the changes effect my body. Right now I am asking myself if trying to stay off the scale was a bit of denial???? I would ideally like to just be comfortable in my skin without the judgment that the scale brings and right now I am a work in progress

[homestretch]

Originally Posted by fischdeb1

I weigh myself 4 times a week. I know...I know, crazy!
Deb

Deb at the height of my scale obsession I would weigh several times a day so I do not think you are crazy! The scale has been like a lot of things in my life, all or nothing!

[NWLoser]

Just wanted to add my two cents. I gained weight the last time I went off lc (3 years ago) by avoiding the scale. If I didn't weigh then I didn't know I gained. Total denial. This time I am down 115 lbs. and I weigh once a day first thing in the morning. I do not let it affect my mood but I know if I am up in weight that I need to make a change in my eating. So I definitely use the scale as a gauge.

[jo2621]

Oh yeah, I used to be a couple of times a day scale monkey when I losing fast. My weight loss has almost ground to a halt now that I am just above goal.

I need the scale to be accountable; I was not accountable to myself and that's how I gained 100 pounds over the span of 22 years.

Now, I weigh once a day in the morning after all "duties" are taken care of.

I record it on a monthly calendar. I total up the week on Saturday and get my average for the week. Then at the end of the month I total up the weekly averages and get my monthly average.

That way I see the "big picture". Even though the perimenopausal TOMs make me blow up like a tick, I can see that it all evens out and I have been steadily losing about 2 pounds a month.

[fischdeb1]

The Scarsdale Diet, which is the diet that I lost on, recommends weighing in every morning as part of your maintenance routine. If you're 4 pounds up, then back to the diet for a few days. That's how I've been doing it this past year.
Deb

[jo2621]

Originally Posted by fischdeb1

The Scarsdale Diet, which is the diet that I lost on, recommends weighing in every morning as part of your maintenance routine. If you're 4 pounds up, then back to the diet for a few days. That's how I've been doing it this past year.
Deb

That is basically what I do. The scale is a tool to help me with my journey.
I don't get mad or upset when it doesn't please me.

I actually have gotten around 143 a couple of times but my body seems to be happy at 146 so now I am trying to slowly get to goal so I will stay there. I know what to do and what not to do to maintain and I'll be darned if I'll let myself "go" again. I like those size 6s way too much!

I have gone back to Fitday and if I see the week's weight go up more than my comfort zone then I try to see what the cause is and correct it. Usually it's way too many nuts or too much cheese.

The perimeno TOM sometimes screws me up. I had a partial hysterectomy about 10 years ago so I still get all of the symptoms. But once again, if I gain then, I can look at my weight chart and I know why.

Jo

[Wifey]

Originally Posted by homestretch

I posted in the main lobby but thought I might get some good input here.

I know I have read multiple threads over the last year about who gets on the scale and who does not but I want to hear some personal experience with it.

Here is my story, I have been at goal for 16 months. However, my weight seems to go up and down about 6 pounds (below and above goal). The scale causes me a great deal of stress because like many of you when I am down I feel like a million and when I am up I feel low. I was on the up side of those 6 pounds after Xmas and I was having nasty thoughts about myself every time I got on the scale and it was not going back down. Life got in the way and I just did not have time to worry about the scale in the last couple of weeks. I have continued to eat low carb (with the addition of adding more fat) and working out as usual. In the last couple of days I have noticed my pants getting loose so I know that the weight is back down. I even tried on my skinniest jeans and they fit perfectly.

My conclusion from this unplanned experiment is that I can control my weight without stressing over the number on the scale and I never thought I would believe that. I think the scale is a very valuable tool but a very harsh tool as well. In the past 16 months I have stayed a size 8 consistently. When I am at my very lowest weight I can wear a 6 and when I am up my 8's feel tight. I am wondering if my new motto for 2009 should be eat right, exercise and stay an 8 instead of the constant battle/striving with the scale? When I am on that scale I constantly feel as though I am not good enough and my weight is not low enough. When I am off the scale I find balance and am at peace with my body.

If anyone has successfully stayed away from the scale and maintained or lost weight will you please share so that I can make an informed choice?
Thanks!

I just wanted to tell you I think your soo pretty! You look just like this woman on As world turns!

[homestretch]

Originally Posted by AmberNikki80

I just wanted to tell you I think your soo pretty! You look just like this woman on As world turns!

Wow, thank you! You just made my day. I might have to watch As the World Turns!