SCALES friend or foe?

[edieparks 2]

I let the scales determine how I feel that day.

Tell me how the scales make you feel.

Any opinions /coping suggestions will be appreciated.

edie

[Tricia K. 0]

My suggestion would be to have someone hide the scales and only let you weigh yourself once every 2 weeks. :biggrin1: It has worked wonders for me.

[sugarplum 0]

Im the same as you edie, what the scales say each day determines the mood im in. Im addicted to them, but if any one took them away from me i would be really grumpy lol. I know i shouldnt do this but i done it for 18 months now and i cant get out of the habbit now, yes thats what its become a really bad habbit.

[nightingale2u 42]

Yep... I agree... limit the scale to once a week or even less as Tricia suggested. Try to focus more on the other ways to measure weight-loss such as measuring at least once a month... paying attnetion to how your clothes fit... taking not of how you are feeling such as more energy... less shortness of breath... walking longer distances... less aches and pains... etc. Wishing you the best....

[Iluvharleys 15]

I'm the opposite, I use to weigh once a week, now I do it every day. I get a better handle on things when I do it every day. If I am up a pound or two, I can get a grip on it before it turns into 5 or 6.

[sleepyjean 0]

I'm the opposite, I use to weigh once a week, now I do it every day. I get a better handle on things when I do it every day. If I am up a pound or two, I can get a grip on it before it turns into 5 or 6.

Same here. I can hardly believe it but the scale has become a good friend and I actually obsess about my weight loss *less* because I weigh every day.

When I never weighed myself, I could gain five or ten pounds, without realizing it, so that option is definitely not for me. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, I am never ever EVER going let my weight creep up on me again without being fully aware of it. One of the most horrifying moments of my life was when I stepped on a scale last year, thinking I'd gained 10 pounds, only to discover it was actually 50 pounds. NEVER AGAIN.

When I weighed myself once a week or once a month, there was such a tremendous buildup that unless I lost a good amount of weight, I'd feel rotten, give up, and open a box of twinkies. I'd try all month to be good, only to discover I'd lost two measly pounds! On the flip side, I often find myself eating crap the first half of the week/month, and promising myself I'd diet to make up for it before it was time to get on the scale. Not healthy.

Now I weigh myself every day and helps keep me sane. I don't expect to see a major loss, so I'm not disappointed when I'm down 0.02 pounds. And when I gain, it's not so horrible because I can get right back on track. And sometimes that gain is just my body doing its thing. If I get on the scale this morning and I've gained a pound, it's okay. (Well, not *okay*) I can deal with it because I know I'm not eating enough to gain weight so it's probably bloat or TOM or something.

Once I was able to stop obsessing about my weight (and I have NO idea how that happened) I was able to use the scale as a tool and nothing more.

[Iulizbug 0]

I am the same way. I never thought I had gotten as fat as I did until I finally made myself step on the scale. I was horrified and devastated. At first I said Oh well, then I am doomed to be fat forever then and i am never stepping on another one again. But now that I am almost at goal I have come to the realization that I need the scale to keep me on track. And I will the rest of my life to maintain my weight. It is WAY to easy for me to gain to only weigh every 2 weeks. I could gain 10 lbs by then if i am not monitoring it. So, if its good or bad I still weigh at least once a day just to keep on it..

~Liz~

03/10/06

241/169/160

5'7''

[DonnaB 3]

I use my scale every day. I'm not obsessive about it, but I'm better equipped to manage my weight on a daily basis, if I know what my weight IS daily. Does that make sense? I'm aware that hydration, time of the month, bowel movements, sodium consumption, etc., make a difference on a daily basis, so I don't panic if I see the scale go up one day - but I am careful to watch it over the next few days to see what my AVERAGE weekly weight is.

I'm so glad I discovered www.FitDay.com through LBT. What feels like YEARS at the same weight is revealed to be an average of 1.68 pounds lost per week. You would think I'd be able to recognize that amount of weight loss, but because it is averaged over the entire time I've had my band (6 months now), not just over a couple of weeks, it's not as easy to recognize on a weekly weigh-in. I mean, like most of us, I dropped weight FAST when I was first banded then it slowed down, now it's slowed WAY down (I need a fill). If I wasn't able to see the longterm average weight loss I would be extremely discouraged right now. Instead, I see an amazing weight loss over several months.

To make a long story short (I know, too late) I look at my scale as a tool which provides the data I need for longterm analysis of my weight and health - not short term measure for weight loss.

It may seem like I'm doing a song and dance to distract from the daily grind of watching my weight, but the truth is in the longterm statistics, which, considering we're all hoping to have longterm success, actually makes the most sense.

[Teresita 0]

A scale is definately a really good friend because they tell you truth even if you don't want to hear it. You may get upset at first but you are upset about what was said and you take it out on the friend. You can use that energy and make it a positive situation when you guys get together and even if it doesn't say what you want, you at least know you are working to make the next meeting better.

[*susan* 1,709]

My scale is definitely my friend! However, prior to the band, it was one of my worst enemies. But since getting my band, I look forward to Sunday mornings (the only day of the week I allow myself to step on the scale) and seeing that elecronic number getting smaller and smaller.

[PatU 0]

I have to weigh everyday. And, since the band, I find myself getting on morning and night. I am not obsessed with the number but it keeps me on track. Of course, I am happy when it does go down but it doesn't effect my mood at all. I'm way over that since I've been trying lose so long. If it's up, I try and figure out what could have caused it. Too much salt? PMS? I retain Water like a sponge so I can lose a couple of pounds overnight (and then gain it right back).

PatU

[JulieNYC 4]

FRIEND. Sleepyjean said everything I feel about it. I will never be in denial again. That means that I weigh most days -- usually every day. I understand and don't let it bother me that I am a woman and that my body has fluctuations. But I'll never go long without weighing again. It's dangerous for me.