should I buy a scale?

I keep hearing conflicting messages about whether or not it's a good idea to have a scale and weigh yourself regularly.

On the one hand, a lot of people have told me that it's good to weigh yourself weekly or daily in order to keep track of your progress and feel accountable.

On the other hand, many people have also said that it's better to focus on how your body looks and feels, rather than a number-- in other words, measure your progress in whether your pants feel looser, not whether you dropped 5 pounds.

I guess I'm just worried about weighing myself every day, because I know several people who do it and get so upset when their weights go up the tiniest bit. Right now, while I know I need to lose some weight, I have a fairly healthy self-image, and I have no desire to be more self-conscious about my body. But I'm also the kind of person that likes to have concrete results, not just 'hmm, my jeans are a bit baggy lately' (as great as that is).

So what are people's opinions re scale/no scale? Anyone who's tried both approaches would be particularly helpful. Thanks!

Wed. Sep 6, 12:00am

everyone is different and only you know if the fluctuation will bother you..i weigh everyday

Wednesday, September 6, 2006, 12:14 AM

I think it could cause problem weighing yourself everyday because it fluates so much. Maybe tht is just me. I think logging your food everyday makes you accountable. I just don't know. It is a great thread though

Wednesday, September 6, 2006, 7:22 AM

Different people have different experiences with daily weighing

Recent studies posted on PT indicate some research indicating that daily weighing is helpful. Obviously, however, daily weighing drives some people crazy. It is really a personal choice and you can try daily weighing and see if it works for you. Or try working on healthy eating/healthy weight loss without weighing yourself daily and see if that works. Whichever one you try, if it doesn't feel right, then switch and try the other approach.

For me, daily weighing has been super helpful over the last several months. Just the other day someone posted a reference to www.physicsdiet.com. I logged on and loved it! You can post your daily weight (or weekly, or whatever) and it creates charts and shows trends. The site gives you daily averages which allows you to see the *trend* which can help draw attention away from daily fluctions.

Ultimately, neither approach - daily weighing or not - is evil and neither approach is magic. If you keep an open mind, you can find out what is right for you.

Good luck!

Link

Wednesday, September 6, 2006, 7:33 AM

I weigh everyday but whether you think you need that or not how motivated are you. Are you motivated enough to stick to your diet for months without seeing any results. It could take you a month or more to lose enough weight that you are really noticing it in the way your clothes fit and even then it gets easy to forget where you came from because it is a slow process. That weight number gives you something hard and concrete to keep you motivated and to show you your on the right path. A weight loss of 1lb a week is good which isn't anything you'd notice in your clothing.

Wednesday, September 6, 2006, 8:23 AM

I weigh every day

I was afraid of the scale for the last 3 years, so I wouldn't get on it. Once I realized that I was serious about getting my body the way I want it, I went out and bought one. Weighing every day has really been helpful to me. Before I starting weighing -- I was eating "healthy" and exercising, but not losing weight. Once I incorporated counting calories and getting on the scale everyday, I starting dropping pounds. I still think it depends on the person. If you are going to get upset if you see a 3-5lb increase one day, then I'd say DON'T weigh yourself everyday. I see the fluctuations and I am learning to get to know my body much better. I also recommend www.fridgegraph.com and www.physicsdiet.com as it will store your daily info and provide you with charts to show your progress over a week, month, year, goal, etc.

Wednesday, September 6, 2006, 11:14 AM

i strongly suggest using a measuring tape to evaluate progress rather than a scale, especially if you are toning / creating muscles.

Wednesday, September 6, 2006, 11:38 AM

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