Scared to step on the scale

[Anonymous]

I’ve been consistently focusing on my diet, and have increased my cardio and weightlifting. I’m noticing more muscle, my clothes fit better, I’m measuring smaller, and I just look better overall. But I haven’t weighed myself in weeks and I’m terrified to step on the scale, but at the same time, dying to know if I’ve lost any weight. I had to have, but I’m terrified I’ll step on the scale and it’ll say the same weight it’s always said, and I’ll be so discouraged and disappointed.

I’m feeling my “skinniest” today. Do I just do it?

[Anonymous]

Please get some therapy, and I mean that in a kind way. An inanimate object should not hold that kind of power over you.

If you feel awesome and strong and fit now, why should a number on a scale take all that away from you?

And if you do step on the scale and "don't like the number," please remember the number doesn't tell you anything other than weight. Not muscle mass, not subcutaneous fat, not visceral fat, etc.

Rooting for you, OP. Be stronger than a little scale.

[Anonymous]

I feel you. I’m the same way. I think don’t do it. Keep focusing on feeling good, clothes fitting etc. it’s not worth the letdown!

[Anonymous]

The scale is just a number. How you feel is SO much more important!!

[Anonymous]

You listed many great reasons for *not* stepping on the scale. Why do you need a number to validate all those things?

[Anonymous]

I got one of those scales that measures other things, such as muscle mass, etc. because I had been lifting so much and getting stronger, my weight didn’t necessarily go down when I first stepped on it, but I was really proud of the fact that I had great muscle mass and very little fat (weight isn’t everything!!)

[Anonymous]

Try the Shapa scale if you are overly focused on the scale number (I got one because I can relate). It just flashes one color if you’ve gained a certain amount (I think the goal is to not show you normal minor fluctuations, it analyzes trends over time), another color if you’re holding stranding, and another color if you’re losing weight. So you never see the actual number that you weigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try the Shapa scale if you are overly focused on the scale number (I got one because I can relate). It just flashes one color if you’ve gained a certain amount (I think the goal is to not show you normal minor fluctuations, it analyzes trends over time), another color if you’re holding stranding, and another color if you’re losing weight. So you never see the actual number that you weigh.

Wow, I have never heard of this before. Great idea. I can also 100 percent relate.

[Anonymous]

I would not step on the scale - you KNOW muscle weighs more than fat, you KNOW you've made progress on your goals, you probably also KNOW pounds don't tell the story of how your body is changing....but understandably like many people you've tied a worth to pounds in particular. i've been the same place - known I feel better, believe I look different / better and than let one number of one metric bring all of that into question in my mind

If you want something you can track, take your waist measurement or something similar

[Anonymous]

I know how you feel. I got on today and up 2lbs in a week and I know I didn’t eat 7000 extra calories. I ovulated yesterday and that always makes the scale go up but I hate it.

[Anonymous]

No weight is meaningless do a waist to hip ratio measurement.

https://www.omnicalculator.com/health/waist-hip-ratio

[Anonymous]

This is why you should weigh yourself more often.

[Anonymous]

Hey, OP, I feel you. A weigh-in can sometimes totally destroy me and send me on an eating binge. If I were you, I'd keep doing what I'm doing, rather than possibly feel gutted that the scale doesn't say what you hope it does.