Re: The scale has GOT to go!

[Guest guest]

I just recently (as of yesterday) gave my scale to my roommate to lock in her room so I won't be tempted by it's evil ways. You are right, it does hold the power to determine our moods. If it's up, I have a bad day, if it's down, I have a good day, and I know it's silly - that it most likely is just water weight anyway, but that is the logical side, not the emotional recovering dieter side. So from now on, I am going to try to only weigh myself every couple of weeks and maybe not even then. I'd like to just get to the place where I rely on my clothes and the way I feel to tell me how I am doing.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred. 2. Free your mind from worries. 3. Live simply. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less.

The scale has GOT to go!

It's amazing the power that the scale has over my moods and my self-esteem. It has the ability to make me really happy or really depressed. The scale hasn't moved since March. I started IE a few weeks ago and felt the best I had ever felt about myself in months. No stress about staying away from "bad" foods etc. I gave it about a week then I weighed myself out of curiousity and although I felt wonderful I hadn't lost anything. I immediately went into "diet" mode and then last week, I went back to my tried & true "diet" that has always helped me shed weight fast in the past just so I could see some results and it STILL didn't budge! Nothing...I was basically starving myself for 4 days and nothing...I finally had it a few days ago and just started bawling because I felt hopeless..I didn't think it was scientifically possible to eat very few calories and not lose weight.This just has to stop..NO MORE SCALE...this

is no way to live. I flat out refuse to give a battery operated machine the power to determine my moods.Has anyone else stopped stepping on the scale for good?

[Guest guest]

>

> Has anyone else stopped stepping on the scale for good?

I haven't yet stopped stepping on it " for good " , but I do have periods

of time when I don't weigh myself. Most of the stuff you said in your

post applies to me. The scale drives me nuts because of its behavior.

For some reason, I don't feel that the fit of my clothes will tell me

anything. I realize this is ridiculous, lol. I always feel like I have

to be " validated " by the number on the scale. Too bad the number is

not usually one I want to see.

The other thing that has hooked me, as far as scales go, are these

programs where you input your daily weight (making it necessary to

weigh EVERY day), and it tells you what you rolling average is, how

much you've gained or lost, etc. I'm a real numbers person, and ever

since I discovered these little weight programs, I've been " addicted "

to weighing more than ever. I used to use one called Weight Commander,

but lost it on my other computer. I've since found a free one that is

almost as good. I've gotten into such a routine, weighing daily all

these years, that it's a hard pattern to break.

I can go for awhile without weighing, but FEAR of a huge weight gain

always causes me to drag out the scale again.

I read a book called " Think Yourself Thin " where the author stated

that seeing and knowing your scale weight number can actually make you

feel heavier, even if you weren't feeling that heavy before you hopped

on. I have experienced that in my own life. I can be rolling right

along, feeling like I'm either maintaining or maybe even losing a

couple of pounds, which makes me feel lighter, but the minute I hop on

those scales, I magically feel huge again.

Daily weighing is actually a waste of time, and useless--so why can't

I just stop doing it?

Can't wait to hear what others say about the scale...I'd also love to

know if anyone who has lost a lot of weight was able to do it without

weighing themselves...

Becky

[Guest guest]

I handed my scale to my dh about a week ago and told him to put it in the

back of his car. It's still there and I won't be getting it out for quite

some time. I know what you mean.

Leisa

The scale has GOT to go!

> It's amazing the power that the scale has over my moods and my self-

> esteem. It has the ability to make me really happy or really

> depressed. The scale hasn't moved since March. I started IE a few

> weeks ago and felt the best I had ever felt about myself in months. No

> stress about staying away from " bad " foods etc. I gave it about a week

> then I weighed myself out of curiousity and although I felt wonderful

> I hadn't lost anything. I immediately went into " diet " mode and then

> last week, I went back to my tried & true " diet " that has always

> helped me shed weight fast in the past just so I could see some

> results and it STILL didn't budge! Nothing...I was basically starving

> myself for 4 days and nothing...I finally had it a few days ago and

> just started bawling because I felt hopeless..I didn't think it was

> scientifically possible to eat very few calories and not lose weight.

>

> This just has to stop..NO MORE SCALE...this is no way to live. I flat

> out refuse to give a battery operated machine the power to determine

> my moods.

>

> Has anyone else stopped stepping on the scale for good?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'm seriously thinking about "hiding" my scale for 6 months or longer. I don't want my mood everyday, or my self esteem to depend on an arbitrary number on a scale. I'm eating GREAT for the first time in my life. I'm not bingeing. I'm walking every single day and then some. I'm trying new things, like kayaking, and planning on trying salsa dancing soon. WHY should a number on a scale dictate my mood from day to day?! Yes, I've convinced myself. The scale MUST go. I have a sneaking suspicion it's broken anyways which means it could be an unreliable source anyways. Micah was messing around on it and one of the balance tabs broke off and I've been using it anyways. Off to blog about this a little more...

April

-----Original Message-----From: IntuitiveEating_Support [mailto:IntuitiveEating_Support ]On Behalf Of starzinmyeyez77Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2006 3:20 PMTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Subject: The scale has GOT to go!

It's amazing the power that the scale has over my moods and my self-esteem. It has the ability to make me really happy or really depressed. The scale hasn't moved since March. I started IE a few weeks ago and felt the best I had ever felt about myself in months. No stress about staying away from "bad" foods etc. I gave it about a week then I weighed myself out of curiousity and although I felt wonderful I hadn't lost anything. I immediately went into "diet" mode and then last week, I went back to my tried & true "diet" that has always helped me shed weight fast in the past just so I could see some results and it STILL didn't budge! Nothing...I was basically starving myself for 4 days and nothing...I finally had it a few days ago and just started bawling because I felt hopeless..I didn't think it was scientifically possible to eat very few calories and not lose weight.This just has to stop..NO MORE SCALE...this is no way to live. I flat out refuse to give a battery operated machine the power to determine my moods.Has anyone else stopped stepping on the scale for good?

[Guest guest]

>

>

> >

> > >

> I read a book called " Think Yourself Thin " where the author stated

> that seeing and knowing your scale weight number can actually make

you

> feel heavier, even if you weren't feeling that heavy before you

hopped

> on. I have experienced that in my own life. I can be rolling right

> along, feeling like I'm either maintaining or maybe even losing a

> couple of pounds, which makes me feel lighter, but the minute I

hop on

> those scales, I magically feel huge again.

>

> >

I believe this! When I had started IE about 2-3 weeks ago. I didn't

look at the scale for about 5 days. I slowly began feeling pretty

good about myself. I thought for sure I had to have lost weight so I

wanted to check just to see....and it was all downhill after that.

Becky,

It's really hard to break the " addiction " to the scale. Many of us

here are freeing ourselves from dieting and most of the diets use

the scale as a tool to determine success. I'm just trying to learn

to focus on hunger/fullness. I'm trying to make that my new

responsibility -- listening to hunger signals. I just know for me,

that it's mentally unhealthy for me to be a slave to the scale.

[Guest guest]

I wouldn't say I've given up " for good " , but I've certainly given up daily

weighing! My scale had the same " power " over me! I would be soooo happy if the

numbers were down, and I'd be soooo depressed if they were up. So, I totally get

you on this!

I've told myself that weighing with the scale once-a-month is PLENTY! Even that,

sometimes, can be nasty, though. Lately I've either gone UP or stayed at a

plateau, and that can be just as harsh. :-?

Jenn

<><

-----Original Message-----

>>It's amazing the power that the scale has over my moods and my self-

>esteem. It has the ability to make me really happy or really

>depressed.

>This just has to stop..NO MORE SCALE...this is no way to live. I flat

>out refuse to give a battery operated machine the power to determine

>my moods.

>

>Has anyone else stopped stepping on the scale for good?

http://mizbooksreads.blogspot.com

http://intuitive-eating.blogspot.com

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/IntuitiveEating_Support

* NEVER DIET AGAIN! *

[Guest guest]

Well, I can tell you that the clothes thing DOES work ... my jeans are getting

too tight to put on! :-( LOL. Wrong way for them to go ... they're SUPPOSED to

be getting looser! LOL ... but hey ... I can say the clothing-as-measure works!

:-P LOL

Jenn

<><

-----Original Message-----

>For some reason, I don't feel that the fit of my clothes will tell me

>anything. I realize this is ridiculous, lol.

http://mizbooksreads.blogspot.com

http://intuitive-eating.blogspot.com

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/IntuitiveEating_Support

* NEVER DIET AGAIN! *

[Guest guest]

If it is causing you problems, you should definitely chuck it.

I love my scale. I weigh in every morning before I have eaten

anything. I use the " Hacker's Diet " free tools to chart it daily and

compute an exponential average. That way I can look at the overall

trend and not go crazy with the day to day. I am making progress

since starting IE and yes, the scale is a motivator.

>

> It's amazing the power that the scale has over my moods and my self-

> esteem. It has the ability to make me really happy or really

> depressed. The scale hasn't moved since March. I started IE a few

> weeks ago and felt the best I had ever felt about myself in months.

No

> stress about staying away from " bad " foods etc. I gave it about a

week

> then I weighed myself out of curiousity and although I felt

wonderful

> I hadn't lost anything. I immediately went into " diet " mode and

then

> last week, I went back to my tried & true " diet " that has always

> helped me shed weight fast in the past just so I could see some

> results and it STILL didn't budge! Nothing...I was basically

starving

> myself for 4 days and nothing...I finally had it a few days ago and

> just started bawling because I felt hopeless..I didn't think it was

> scientifically possible to eat very few calories and not lose

weight.

>

> This just has to stop..NO MORE SCALE...this is no way to live. I

flat

> out refuse to give a battery operated machine the power to

determine

> my moods.

>

> Has anyone else stopped stepping on the scale for good?

>