Weight Loss Weekly: My Relationship With the Scale

Let me tell you about a new trick I have found to lose weight quickly. Get on the scale. First time with your clothes on. The second time without (much) clothes. Hoopla! You just lost 5 lbs.!!! Doesn’t it feel great?

This week my blogging friends and I are discussing our relationships with the scale.

Joie de Vivre writes: "This topic actually causes me a lot of anxiety and I am tempted to just say, "My relationship with the scale is tenuous at best. The End.", but I think discussing WHY it is tenuous, will help me in my further weight loss journey, and that is where I will begin...". To read more, click Joie de Vivre

Giyen from Bacon is My Enemy says: "If bacon is my enemy, the scale is my nemesis." Read more here.

Sunny at That Extra 20 Pounds answers: "I must say... I love the scale! Is that weird?"... Keep reading at That Extra 20 Pounds

1 family. friendly. food answers:
Truth is I don’t have any special relationships with the scale. I don’t love it or hate it. I just don’t use it very often and I pretty much ignore it. I did take it out of the closet and moved it next to my side of the bed, but I rarely use it. Why is that?

#1 my most convincing argument for not using the scale is - a few years ago I used to exercise with a group of women and our trainer once told us that muscles weigh more than fat. This means that if you go to the gym and work your butt off, and actually turn your fat into muscles, you will weigh more. This can actually be very discouraging and frustrating to someone who is working hard at the gym but relying on the scale to tell them if they are making progress or not.

#2 I rely on my clothes to “tell“ me if I lost or gained weight. It’s pretty straightforward with clothes. You either fit into your old or new clothes, or into that 00, 6, or, 10, or 16 size pants, or you don’t. Clothes don’t lie to you. You either fit in them or not, right?!

#3 I’m not that much into numbers when it comes to weight loss. I don’t count how many calories I burnt during workout, and I don‘t count the calories of food I eat or want to eat or food I think I should avoid eating. My approach is more to eyeball things. I think it’s better for my sanity, and also, I really don’t have time for this.

#4 My goal is to fit into my old clothes, those from 5 years ago, and not to lose X or Y lbs. So, again, the scale doesn’t really serve any purpose in achieving this goal.

#5 Different scales show different numbers. For example, when I am weighed at my doctor’s office my weight is different than in my home scale.

Because of all of these reasons, my relationship with the scale can be summarized in one word - indifference. How about you?


Now let’s move on to this week’s challenge. Are you ready?
Last week’s challenge was - portion control (click here to read). Did you do it? How did it go?

I did pretty well, but since I was out of town it was a bit challenging. As Joie de vivre wrote: “I eat like I don't know where my next meal is coming from”. I had to travel out of town last week and because I wasn’t in my usual environment I did not eat what and when I normally do, and literally I did not know what and when I’ll eat next.
So, last week’s challenge is still my current week’s challenge + there’s a new one: Park a little farther, walk a bit more.
Instead of parking your car the closest to where you need to go, park a little farther and take a few extra steps. Walking is this week’s challenge.

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Previously on “Weight Loss Weekly”:

Why Do I Want to Lose Weight? What’s the Plan?
Why Did I Get Overweight in the First Place?