I threw away my scale

[ybnormal 21]

As soon as Nina let me know that I was set in stone for surgery, I threw away my scale! I'm not going to let this be a numbers game with me or torture myself over the needle not moving. I see my Rheumatologist every two months and at that time I'll find out how much I lost. I want to go by how I FEEL and not about numbers, I've always hated math.

Who here is an avid scale watcher and why?

Renee`

[Beadingnurse 116]

Good for you! I pop onto the scale every day and I am trying to break the habit and weigh only once a week. I can't imagine just weighing at your doctor's office but I see the attraction to it. It definitely takes the pressure off those darn numbers!

[emilygrace 5]

I am a daily weigher - there is evidence in the literature that people who weigh daily are more successful keeping the weight off longer term. People who are "more vigilant".

[ybnormal 21]

I'm fighting to get my life back and while fitting into an old pair of jeans would be amazingly awesome and will happen as a by product, that's not my goal. I have different priorities and it's taken me a little bit to realize it. Some have surgery to look better, some to feel better, some to live longer and some for all those reasons and more. I don't care what the scale says because that's not my goal. You will never hear me complain about being in a stall because I want to FEEL better and live longer, that's my priority.

Evidence in what literature Emily? I would say that literature would be a fast track to frustrating and depressing the hell out of me, but that's just for myself. If you're a daily weigh-er, rock on! I am behind everyone 100%, I was just wondering who does it and does it lead to frustration that's really not necessarily healthy for their emotional well being.

Renee`

[emilygrace 5]

I am certainly did not have major surgery to "fit into my old jeans" either.

I had it for health reasons and obviously the evidence (which I certainly based my decision to have surgery on, how else would you know the surgery works?) shows that being a healthy BMI reduces your health complications.

[Eureka-C 20]

I weigh twice daily, once in the morning at my lowest and once at night at my highest. I like to know what to expect with my body, I found out many things. I usually lose 1-1/2 pounds as I sleep (diff between morn and night), sudafed makes me retain Water, I lose fastest the week after my TOM, my weight fluctuates and stalls a lot no matter how "good" I am. What I do to focus on the big picture is I only document my weight once a month on the 22nd to see the loss for the month. This is what works for me.

[ybnormal 21]

I am certainly did not have major surgery to "fit into my old jeans" either.

I had it for health reasons and obviously the evidence (which I certainly based my decision to have surgery on, how else would you know the surgery works?) shows that being a healthy BMI reduces your health complications.

I didn't mean to imply this was why you had it! no no no! and I see where you're coming from, the literature you were talking about I mean. I just wonder where or why it would advocate scale watching. Do you remember where you read that?

Thanks!

Renee`

[Tiffykins 672]

I am a self-admitted scale whore. I weighed multiple times a day. For me, it really helped me to see trends in my ups and downs. Water weight is a real booger, and once I recognized it, to see a bounce up, I never freaked out. I still don't freak out over my 5lb bounce around on the scale in maintenance. I can tell when I've gone over my 5lb bounce because of how my clothes fit. My husband has now hid my scale at home due to the pregnancy, and the mental aspect of weight regain I'm dealing with because of the pregnancy. The main driving force to me having surgery was to have a healthy pregnancy, and deliver a healthy baby. I had zero co-morbities, or obesity related health conditions because of my weight. Some would say that I had it for vanity reasons, and to some extent that is very true. I was tired of being fat. I was tired of wearing frumpy clothes, and I was extremely tired of just being tired. The life that post-op has given me is full of little joys that most take for granted, and most do not understand my fear of regain with the pregnancy. I can say that the scale never did me wrong. I never had a true stall so I never was disappointed with my weighing habits. But, I also lost that "high" once I got into maintenance when the scale kept reading the same number every day.

[Saved By The Sleeve 22]

I too have read the same exact information at least a dozen times on various online health and fitness sites as well as in health magazines. Statistics show that people who weigh in on a daily basis have better long term success. I don't know why? I suppose because as soon as they see that they are up 3 to 5lbs they cut out any bad foods or add in some more activity that week to get rid of it immediately. I used to be that way when I was younger (wish I would have never stopped) by the time I saw how much weight I had picked up it was so far out of control and I have struggled with my weight ever since I stopped being daily concerned about it years ago (Jenny Craig, WW, Atkins, blah blah blah). As for "myself" I weigh in once every morning or every other morning now. I don't get all freaked out if the number hasn't moved on the scale because I have learned through all of my past efforts that the numbers don't move every single day. As a matter of fact I have been at the same number for about 4 days now LOL, but I know pretty soon I will weigh in and the scale will be down a few pounds more. I also know that sometimes I AM GOING TO STALL, so I can mentally and emotionally handle it. But it all boils down to one thing.....you have to do what works for you :-)

[curry2dive 1]

My daily emotions are ruled by my scale. I am 4 weeks post op today and the journey has been good so far, but weight loss has been so difficult. I weighed 197 when I started my 7 day pre op diet, 185 on the day of surgery, 195 when I got out of the hospital and today I weigh 178 - this has been my weight for the last 3 days. I journal all my food and use ketostix every day so I know that I am good with carb intake (under 20 per day). I should put the scale away because I do feel depressed when I don't lose anything after drinking 96 oz of Water and getting 60-90 grams of Protein per day. Well, my only saving grace is reading what others have gone through and it keeps me strong and motivated to keep on track. This is my life now and I want to find other rewards than the number on a scale!

[ybnormal 21]

Tiff your husband sounds like mine except mine threw away my staple gun (he should have hung the curtains like I asked him and I wouldn't have had to resort to drastic measures). You aren't supposed to be weighing yourself right now are you?! Although I can understand your fear about it, just try to remember you'll always have your tool, it's just in it's rightful place right now, the toolbox!

As for me, I would probably make myself crazy and end up anorexic. I'm not saying that lightly, I absolutely hate failing at anything! For my own sanity I had to throw it away. Also, like I said, I'm coming into this from a different angle, so how I feel means everything to me, more than I can express! I need some of this pain to go away and if it does, then I'm good with that!

Renee`

[ybnormal 21]

My daily emotions are ruled by my scale. I am 4 weeks post op today and the journey has been good so far, but weight loss has been so difficult. I weighed 197 when I started my 7 day pre op diet, 185 on the day of surgery, 195 when I got out of the hospital and today I weigh 178 - this has been my weight for the last 3 days. I journal all my food and use ketostix every day so I know that I am good with carb intake (under 20 per day). I should put the scale away because I do feel depressed when I don't lose anything after drinking 96 oz of Water and getting 60-90 grams of Protein per day. Well, my only saving grace is reading what others have gone through and it keeps me strong and motivated to keep on track. This is my life now and I want to find other rewards than the number on a scale!

SEE?!?! I would be a total raving biatch on those up days. I'm sending Tiffykins hubby over to throw your scale away! LOL

Renee`

[Beadingnurse 116]

My daily emotions are ruled by my scale. I am 4 weeks post op today and the journey has been good so far, but weight loss has been so difficult. I weighed 197 when I started my 7 day pre op diet, 185 on the day of surgery, 195 when I got out of the hospital and today I weigh 178 - this has been my weight for the last 3 days. I journal all my food and use ketostix every day so I know that I am good with carb intake (under 20 per day). I should put the scale away because I do feel depressed when I don't lose anything after drinking 96 oz of Water and getting 60-90 grams of Protein per day. Well, my only saving grace is reading what others have gone through and it keeps me strong and motivated to keep on track. This is my life now and I want to find other rewards than the number on a scale!

OMG Curry...my stats and yours are VERY similar! I was sleeved on the 12th of April so I will be one month out tomorrow. I weighed 197 when I started my pre-op diet, weighed 188 the day of surgery and I have been hanging at 171.2 for a week now. My goal is to hit 130 or 135 again and honestly, I will be thrilled if I get there by the end of the year. I have been vowing every year on my birthday (in March) that THIS would be the year that I would lose 50 lbs and the next birthday would find me at the same weight or higher. BUT I will be 50 lbs down (hopefully more) by my birthday next year. It is hard to keep the long goal in mind but I keep reminding myself that I didn't put on the weight in a month and it won't come off in a month!!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,280]

As for me, I would probably make myself crazy and end up anorexic. I'm not saying that lightly, I absolutely hate failing at anything! For my own sanity I had to throw it away.

This was becoming a reality for me. I WAS anorexic AND bulimic as a youngster. I remember how I felt back then and I started to feel some of those feelings to an extent. It scared me, I'm won't lie.

I did have to put my scale away (no I didn't throw it away... lol ) - and no I do not fear doing this will make me any less successful with losing nor will it hinder me at keeping it off.

I truly don't see how weighing daily would be any more helpful than weighing once a week. If I was going up I would still catch it early enough weighing weekly. It was when I *never* weighed that became a problem.

Like savedbythesleeve said, everyone just has to do what works for them.

[Rev Me Up! 75]

I am very anti-scale. The only reason I have a scale now is to track some of my progress, but I do not weight every day. I get too focused on the numbers. In any given day, you could be retaining Water, you may have a BM backed up that adds weight, you may be ramping up for your period, etc. I don't want to get depressed because I didn't lose weight one day or that I gained a pound. I didn't even want to know about my 3-5 week stall (which everyone goes through) so I didn't weigh myself from week 3 to 5.

I know it is easier said than done for most people, and I am sure people get tired of seing me write the words "walk away from the scale" in all of my posts :-)

Do what is best for you. I, personally, don't think a daily weigh in will keep me on track. Bi-weekly works for now and I am hoping to go to a monthly weigh in when I am in maintenance. Besides, I know when I gain or lose weight - 5 pounds makes a difference in my bra and pants. I don't need a scale to tell me that :-)

Lara