The Top Ten Reasons Not To Weigh Yourself
1. Weight fluctuates from day to day, which is not a significant indication of overall weight change.
2. Daily weight changes often are due to water weight, which naturally rises and falls.
3. Seeing a change we don't like on the scale may make us feel negative about ourselves and our bodies.
4. Focusing on weight tends to correlate with other negative behaviors that we want to avoid.
5. The scale will never say what we want it to say.
6. How we feel about ourselves is more important than the number on the scale.
7. The scale does not consider body composition (the ratio of muscle, fat, and other tissues). For example, as we exercise and gain muscle, we might look trimmer and more fit but actually weigh more, as muscle is heavier than fat.
8. We should not let a machine determine how we feel about ourselves.
9. Weight is not a measurement of self-worth
10. YOUR reason
Source: NutriFit, Sport, Therapy Inc.
1. Weight fluctuates from day to day, which is not a significant indication of overall weight change.
2. Daily weight changes often are due to water weight, which naturally rises and falls.
3. Seeing a change we don't like on the scale may make us feel negative about ourselves and our bodies.
4. Focusing on weight tends to correlate with other negative behaviors that we want to avoid.
5. The scale will never say what we want it to say.
6. How we feel about ourselves is more important than the number on the scale.
7. The scale does not consider body composition (the ratio of muscle, fat, and other tissues). For example, as we exercise and gain muscle, we might look trimmer and more fit but actually weigh more, as muscle is heavier than fat.
8. We should not let a machine determine how we feel about ourselves.
9. Weight is not a measurement of self-worth
10. YOUR reason
Source: NutriFit, Sport, Therapy Inc.
Bottom Line: I do think it's ok to weigh yourself every once in a while to keep yourself on track and to prevent gradual weight gains/losses throughout your life. I usually weigh myself about once a month, just to keep myself on track (and also to make sure I have not LOST weight). I encourage you to take this list seriously and really think about how the scale effects your emotions.
Today I leave you with the only mountain view I had while in Colorado. This was the view from the convention center in downtown Denver!
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
Good tips. :)
ReplyDeletenice! i dont weigh myself unless i feel like i need to... like when i can feel my pants getting tighter or much looser, then i know looking at the "numbers" will scare me, either which way that goes.. lol
ReplyDeleteOHHHHH i forgot.. im having a giveaway on my blog.. go look and enter!!
ReplyDeleteI loved being near the mountains in Denver, even though I'm really sad I never got to actually see them up close. I guess I'll have to take another trip.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your scale tips. I rarely weigh myself!
I stop weighting myself everyday years ago.... it gets me too anxious about my body... no matter what number shows, so to get rid of extra stress in life... no more scale at home. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics!!
ReplyDeleteI actually do not weight myself.. I used to have to see a nutritionist for being underweight and have grown to hate the scale. I refuse to go back to that anxious state of mind. I feel free-er not worrying about a number. I know Im healthy so thats really what matters. :)
Totally agree, "The scale will never say what we want it to say." This is the reason I only weigh myself every other week or so.
ReplyDeleteCrap I weigh myself EVERY DAY! and sometimes twice ha...shhhhh (this will be our little secret)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, such a job that must have been, recreating so many files! Kudos to you for persevering through all the technology stress!
ReplyDeleteThe info on weighing is very interesting, and has definitely given me a new perspective on the scale. For years now I've weighed myself once a week, every Saturday morning, but now I'm seriously rethinking that system - your once a month visit to the scale sounds much wiser... Thank you for the insights!
i really liked this list! very thoughtful and TRUE!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Mari. I do weigh myself daily. I do agree that it can be a bad habit, but it helps me stay focused in eating well and exercising.
ReplyDeleteKatie
Love this advice.
ReplyDeleteI used to weigh myself multiple times a day. As the years have passed, I am getting better and better abotu only checking in every week or so to make sure I'm healthy. It's much less stressful than staring at the scale all the time!
Great post! I didn't own a scale until we got a puppy and were curious how much weight she was gaining. I only know my weight when I have a Drs visit, otherwise I base my weight on how my close fit.
ReplyDeleteI was weighing myself a lot, almost every day, when I was on my bootcamp program, and before that I probably weighed once a week. But I think I'm going to give it a rest, at least for a little while. I really want to use my clothes and the way I feel as a guide to keeping my on track, not some machine that doesn't know if I ate salty food the night before or something. It's too crazy-making for me.
ReplyDeleteOh no, that stinks about losing all your files! To make sure you have a back up of your files, maybe you could email a copy of them to yourself. That way, even if your computer crashes, you will still be able to retrieve them through your email! Also, maybe you could back it up on a disk or something just so you have one more copy of it! It never hurts to have extra copies of something! Hope that helps!
ReplyDeleteI weigh myself once in a while, maybe a few times a year. I don't really worry about the number all that much because I know that weight fluctuates. I just try to make sure it's in a certain range - like if I gained a few pounds or lost a few pounds, I don't really worry about it if I know that I'm eating healthy foods and exercising.
I usually weigh myself every week. I used to weigh myself every day. I used to think weighing myself daily helped keep me on track but looking back I think it was the opposite.
ReplyDeleteI rarely weight myself...maybe once a month. It's mostly because I know I will get upset if I see a number higher than what I am used to! I do it every now and then just to keep myself in check though!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Gina. I used to weigh myself every Saturday. It was like a ritual. It was scary stepping on that scale. I put so much pressure on myself to not be over a certain number or to lose x amount of pounds in one week. No matter what the number said, I was never satisfied. Well, one day my toilet broke and flooded my bathroom. Water got in the scale and broke it. Obviously, I had the toilet repaired, but never replaced the scale. It's been almost a year since I weighed myself! I get weighed at the doctors and that's good enough for me. Keeping a scale in the house isn't healthy for me. I've just been going by how my clothes fit. Sometimes I think the toilet breaking that day was a blessing :)
ReplyDeleteI found this post really interesting. I weigh myself when I think to - no pattern or rhyme or reason. I don't let the scale get me down or even pay too much attention to it. I do notice that it goes up and down a lot - I go out to eat, its higher (probably because of saltier food)...
ReplyDeleteI have never had an eating disorder but my sister did. I saw what it did to her and made a committment to myself - years ago - never to let my weight be who I am. For myself, I don't see weighing myself as a problem but I can see how it may be a problem for others.
SCALES ARE FOR FISH!
ReplyDeleteI don't like to weigh myself. Why? Because it cultivates a sense of morality based on a number...I am "good" girl if a number is high or low. I struggle with numbers as far as I have to run this many miles a week or drink this many glasses of wine a week. The rules themselves become arbitrary and confining. Great Post...I still would LOVE a guest post from you! Email me when you can.
Sorry to hear about your computer troubles lately. Hopefully things will get back to normal for you soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm a daily weigher. When I was in my years of putting on all the weight that lead to my obesity issue I never got on the scale. It was my way of staying in denial. Now that I'm in maintenance I'm considering dropping back to weighing less often but haven't decieded yet. Your tips give me something to think about though.
Great post! I totally agree with you that weighing yourself too much can do a lot of harm. I weigh myself about once per month to make sure I am in my comfort range as I think focusing on one particular number isn't good...
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about your computer. Try not to stress out about it too much... I know, easier said than done...
As many others said, great post. I try to keep a steady weight and when my clothes start to fit a little tighter I know its time to be more conscious at meal time. A scale is just a very intimidating thing and it can ruin your entire mood.
ReplyDeleteAMEN! By now I know my body well enough to know if I'm on track long before I get on the scale, anyway!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, my dear. Here is my reason #10: The scale does not weigh how much I could possibly make someone else smile or my kickin' brain power today or any other day :)
ReplyDeleteI do check in every week or so, but more out of curiosity these days. Have a wonderful day!
Yes, all true about not weighing yourself. In fact it will only make you crazy, which would be my #10, absolutely crazy and leads to obsessive behaviors. I always tell clients to check how they feel in their clothes, not what the scales says. But if you do choose to weigh yourself you need to keep it consistent. Same type of clothing, same time of day, week day versus weekend day, etc.
ReplyDeleteOne trick I do so I never lose files (I know too late!). I email them to myself and create a folder in my email account for work. A computer can break, I can lose my flash drive, but I am way less likely to lose Yahoo. I also tell my students to do this, it will save everyone a lot of stress. Called me paranoid, but I always do this. I also do it while in the draft process, if in the middle of a big project at the end of the day I email myself what I have done. Then the file is around if I need it. Just a hint for the next go around with the new computer.
Awesome post. I'm definitely gonna stop weighing myself as often as I did. Actually, your once a month "visit" sounds like a pretty good idea. :)
ReplyDeleteI just was talking to co-workers about this today! We don't own a scale so I only weigh myself at the dr. and sometimes at the gym - since it's always a different scale the weight shifts but I like now owning one as we've learned how to stay healthy and maintain our "size" without it and by enjoying healthy foods and staying active!
ReplyDeletegreeatt post!! I dont; weigh myself ever. Its just not something I think about too often. I go by how my clothes fit. If they fit better one day I know I have lost a little, if they are tight one day, oh well that means I just am bloated. My weight fluctuates but not all that much
ReplyDeleteI was talking to this woman at work the other day and she weighs herself 3 times a day everyday! thats a little overboard
I wish I was one of those people who could use clothes to figure out my weight, but I feel like my bloating prevents me from ever figuring that out. I actually do weigh myself most days, but I use it to keep myself on track. It doesn't bother me if it goes up I just know I should eat a bit better for a few days. I do think people who get really upset about it should not. I know it's not everything so I don't take it as everything :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful view!
ReplyDeleteI don't weigh myself. As you said, the scale doesn't say what we want it to say. Losing weight is a challenge and looking at the scale often and not seeing the loss I would have liked can definitely put a damper on the already successful pounds I have lost. I weighed myself at the beginning and don't plan to check it for a while.
Good post! I used to weigh myself a lot, but I'm at about once every 2-3 weeks, I'd say. It's nothing that I think about daily, and I just continue to plug along at increasing fruits, vegetables, and exercise each day! Great post, Gina!
ReplyDeleteI have been weighing myself regularly...I have noticed that when I eat certain things I retain a lot of fluid (and whatever else!). I am trying to keep track of what creates that bloat. So far, gluten seems to be it.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely easy to become obsessive, I have been in the past. But I'm proud to say that no matter what the number says, it never determines what kind of day I will have. It's just a number.
Totally agree with all of these reasons! I weigh myself maybe once every other week and you're right it's never going to say what we want it to say even if it's what we wanted to see it probably still won't be good enough!
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of what's on this list, but for me...I don't know. I don't feel like the number greatly affects my mood everyday- it's more if I don't weight everyday then when I do stand on the scale it might be a time when I have a random bout of water retention or something and I assume it's a trend and panic. I think it kind of comes down to two things: 1) trusting your body, and 2) valueing yourself beyond what you weight. I'm not in that place yet...though as anxious as I have been without a scale for the past 3 weeks (longest time since I was 12!) I am very interested to see how my body has handled the different food/exercise routines and whether it is okay to trust it a little more than I do.
ReplyDeleteI weight myself once in a while as well to stay on track but I needed to face reality after baby to be motivated to lose lol
ReplyDeleteI weigh myself whenever I can be bothered to. It's curiosity! If I start to feel as though the scale makes or breaks my mood, then I know to take some time away from it.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I only weigh myself on occasion. I completely agree with you!
ReplyDeleteI never weigh myself. I haven't in a long time, and I know that numbers always make me upset!
ReplyDeleteI rarely weigh myself but I do keep tabs on my clothes size, especially pants. I've been wearing the same size for about 2.5 years, but beforehand, I was 2 sizes larger.
ReplyDeleteI totally loved your last post, though it may be at your expense ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh, and I do weigh myself, but I kind of need to since I am trying to gain. I HATE it with a passion, though. I kind of feel like a laboratory rat. Once I hit my goal weight, I'm burning that scale.
Late to the party but...This is one of those things that is so individual. I weigh myself at least once a week, sometimes I will weigh myself every week day morning. Know what happens when I stop weighing myself? I gain weight.
ReplyDeleteWeighing in regularly works for me. I've been doing it long enough that I understand and expect the fact that fluctuations are going to happen.
So while I certainly understand that for some people it's a bad idea, I don't think it's fair to issue a blanket statement on what people should do. We're all different!
:)
I really really love this post.
ReplyDeleteMy doctor told me a while back I needed to put on some weight I lost after increasing my running mileage for trainning and I finally met that goal weight, but for some reason I was kind of nervous; would the kids at school think I gained weight? I talked to my mom about it and she said it was probably muscle because I look more toned :D yayy for not worrying about that stupid scale anymore! i would so much rather have muscle than bones!
I very rarely weigh myself, and only to make sure that I'm not slipping back again (I can feel it when that happens). At my most obsessive, I just couldn't win...
ReplyDeleteIf the number was higher than expected, the sick part of my brain was unhappy. If the number was lower than expected, the sick part of my brain was secretly pleased. It was a lose-lose and served no purpose other than to reinforce my negative thoughts.
GREAT advice! after being obsessive about weight for years I was in a program and then didn't weigh myself for an entire year.
ReplyDeleteI now feel confident in being able to weigh myself, but weigh myself no more than once a week and always am sure to do it at the same time of day (in the morning before I've had breakfast or much to drink)
If you have had problems with being obsessive over the scale then you need to step off for a long time and focus on just eating healthy and maybe visiting a nutritionist to make sure that you are healthy.
thanks for posting these great tips! I think a lot more women need to see this stuff