OBSESSED with the scale! please help

[stephb]

:help: ..ok i just need to get this out and see if anyone has any suggestions or advice..i tend to be totally obsessed with weighing myself and thinking non stop about my weight, all i think about every second of every day is what i should eat, should i eat this?..what if i gain weight from eating that?ect. its starting to drive me crazy! each day i plan what im going to eat i try to drink lots of water and what not, i exercise 6 days a week, i usually to cardio for about 40 min and pilates for 10-20 min.. lately ive been taking it to another level tho, ive been trying to have only 5-15 carbs a day because i dont seem to be losing any weight, i know weight fluctuates each day but its just frustrating now, when i first started it didnt fluctuate that much, i weigh myself 3, sometimes 4 times a day(i know, thats a little much) but i cant help it, and before, the whole time throughout this diet, i would always weigh one pound less in the morning and a pound more at night, well now my weight fluctuates alot more for the past couple weeks, because im trying to lose my last few pounds and in the last 3 days i seemed to have gaind 3 pounds, i know thats not alot and it could be water but i just get upset and frustrated when i see that, and if i stop weighing myself everyday and start doing it like once a week then im afraid that i will gain weight and not know it and keep gaining, i guess the scale for me is kind of to keep me on track...i just dont understand how im not losing now, im barely eating any carbs, ive been eating alot of meat and eggs and cheese, and ill usually have a low carb choc bar, or lc yogurt each day but they have never been a problem for me in the past so i dont know what to think, i know im prob taking this too seriously but after losing the weight, i NEVER want to go back and im afraid to make my carbs higher because if im not even losing anything at 5-20 or however many i have, then how can i lose if i add more carbs?..and i know i shouldnt weigh myself everyday 3 times a day but i cant help it because im afraid ill go off track and gain weight, plus it makes me feel good when its a lower # but then it makes me feel horrible even if its only a pound higher..if anyone can help or has any advice for me, id realllllyyy appreciate it, i cant take having my weight on my mind every second of every day, its literally ALL i think about...

[Dodger]

Either throw the scale away or give to someone else for safekeeping.

Your weight is not what is important, your health is what matters. When you are low-carbing, your health is improving even when the weight is not decreasing. There is no direct connection between your weight and your health.

If a scale is not available, you can concentrate more on healthy eating rather than worrying about a meaningless number. Find someplace (doctor's office, gym, etc.) where you can weigh yourself no more than once a month.

[IdahoSpud]

Hi steph,

I understand (to a limited extent) the problem that you are dealing with. I think this is a problem best handled by a professional. You might want to consider a counseling session, because if this continues, your health will almost certainly be compromised by your desire to attain the perfect body that is in your mind. My 2 cents.

[diemde]

First of all, congratulations on how much weight you've lost! I bet you are very proud and feel so much better. Good for you!

I would suggest you start thinking of yourself as being in pre-maintenance mode. You really are there and should probably think about how you want to live this lifestyle for the rest of your life. You might want to post in the premaintenance & maintenance forum to get some help, too. I don't know how long you've been losing weight, but weighing in can get to be an obsession and letting go of that obsession can be difficult. You'll want to retrain yourself to maintain your weight and part of that retraining should include when to weigh in.

I fully expect to have weight fluctuations for the rest of my life. I think when we get close to goal, we think we're going to step on the scale every day and it's always going to read the same number. I don't think that's true at all! Giving your self a range for your weight seems to work best from what I've seen. So maybe 107-111 would be a suggestion for your range.

A couple of ideas for you. Your body may be ok at your current weight. If you are healthy & comfortable, then maybe you don't really need to lose those last few pounds. Maybe you could start do some different exercise to reshape your muscles and focus on that instead of more weight loss.

I've found that the lower in weight I get, that it's more about calories than carbs. If I keep the calories in a reasonable range, I'll lose weight, regardless of how many carbs I'm eating. You might try doing that for these last few pounds.

If I were in your shoes, I would probably weigh in once per morning and then let go of it the rest of the day. I know, easier said than done, though.
But you have to decide how you want to live the rest of your life with this. Obsessing on the scale multiple times per day is just not healthy. How you look and feel is so much more important than some arbitrary number on the scale. Think of it as an addiction and try to break the addiction.

Good luck!

[dixiegal99]

I have to agree with Dodger. I was weighing myself 2 or 3 times a day and getting obsessed and discouraged so my husband hides the scale and gets it down on Monday's for me. So now I can only weigh once a week, and the weight seems to come off faster.... Congrats on your loss this far.

[Kristine]

I agree with Dodger. You're borderline underweight and it's time to move onto maintenance and live your life. All that obsessing is surely taking your time and energy from the important things in your life. :rheart: It's not easy, and there's no simple solution, but start challenging those thoughts when they come into your head. "What difference does it really make, what the scale says today? Does it affect how good of a worker/student I am? (No.) Does it make me a better or worse person? (No.) Would anyone else ever notice, let alone give a rat's behind? (Big no!)"

Here's another point: this is hard to accept, and I struggle with it, too; but once you're in a healthy weight range for your height, the scale lies. It doesn't tell you anything about body composition. You could lose fat, gain lean body mass, and see nothing on the scale. OTOH, you could starve yourself and over-exercise, lose your lean body mass, look WORSE because you're losing shape and getting flabby, and the scale will go down. Trust me - if you could compare two pictures of yourself in those two situations, you'd choose door #1.

If you really need to go by the numbers, have your BF and measurements done by a trainer every now and then. :thup:

[notskinny]

My original goal when I started this was 130 lbs. (I'm 5'8) I got to around 135 and kept trying to get down farther. I always saw my fat belly when I looked in the mirror, no matter what anyone else told me. I was wearing size 2's and 4's. Still didn't faze me. Until I saw a photo taken and saw how gaunt I actually was. That's why my goal this time is a bit more realistic at 140. Your right at the low end of the "normal" Body Mass Index. I agree with the rest and think that you should really read up on Pre-Maintenence/ Maintenance procedures. Sounds like you really didn't do OWL either. (dont feel bad, I did the same thing before, just kind of winged it until goal weight) You've done an Excellent job getting where you're at and you should be sooooo happy with yourself, not agonizing over a goal (maybe unrealistic) that you set for yourself. Please enjoy where you're at and how much you've accomplished. :hyper: You should be jumping up and down with joy right now! Not beating yourself up with a scale!! :bash:

[stephb]

i just want to thank you all for all your advice and support, i really appreciate it, ill have to try to at least cut down a little bit, i have to admit its going to be a hard habbit to break tho, because im scared that if i gain any weight and dont know it right away, then i wont beable to lose it again (i know its kinda stupid) but i cant help but feel that way, i wansnt like this before, i used to weigh myself like once a week or so and each time i hit a goal, id set another at a lower weight and another and another..it seems like i just dont know when to stop..but i still dont look the way id like to..after seeing such dramatic results with this diet, i dont EVER want to go back to how i used to look.. i should be proud that i got this far i guess, and i am but its just been frustrating for me lately because im sooooooo close to my goal and cant seem to make it there, i think i will try REALLY hard to just concentrate on the way i feel and eating healthier then just concentrating on the number on the scale..ill just have to see what happens i guess, and i will have to just TRY to trust that im prob not going to gain weight and if i do i have to KNOW that i can lose it again.. :o

[rachelratz]

Yep, being too thin is not a pretty sight. At one point, I slipped down to just under 105. I looked like (in my husband's words) an orphen. I am just under 5'3" and it was struggle just to gain a little. I eventualy found a comfortable, natural body weight. Any person who have read my posts, know I tossed out the scale long ago. The scale itself was driving me crazy. I enjoy a varity of foods and restrict the bread and starch. I keep active and no longer have that much of an interest in my weight. As long as my clothes fit me, I feel fine. A few days ago I weighed in at my gym. 110 on the nose, the same I was, the last time I checked my weight... almost four months ago.

[PilotGal]

Either drive it over to a thrift store, or Freecycle it.

your clothes are such lovely ways to see the weight loss. ;)

[charmedpea]

I should be one to talk.. I weight my self all the time.. But from what it sounds like to me is the reason why the scale isnt moving.. Muscle weights more than fat.. if you are excersizing as much as I think.. You are building muscle.. charmed

[Miss Katz]

Hi, I weigh myself every morning and every night, but I'm looking at water weight and keeping track. I'm not obsessed with it. Sounds like people get obsessed when they have a strong fear, but in a way that obsession is working or feeding some part of yourself. You should consider getting your self confidence/feel good from something else other than the scale. It really is the same feeling after all. I don't believe in throwing away the scale unless that works for you, but it's good to find other important things to focus on. I don't think the scale is the problem. I was obsessed with the scale before and realized it's just my impatience. I decided not to deal with that anxiety, because your body will work the way it works. There is only a few things you can control: keeping track of what you eat and whether or not you exercise. It's good to keep reading and looking for facts because the beliefs about your body could not be based on fact, just on lies.

[Vgal]

I agree with what everyone said above. I was obsessed with my poundage when I first starting losing weight. I was weighing myself 14 times a day! I'd only record the lowest weight of the day. I stopped doing it because one it made me feel depressed and discouraged and two because the way my body can retain water or food, I can gain up 10 lbs. pre cycle bloat. If I'm constipated (sorry to be gross) I'm like three months pregnant. How can I judge realistically my progress if I'm dealing with that? No sane person could. In your case, I can understand your paranoia. Now that you've lost the bulk of your bulk you don't want to get too comfortable and slip and slide back into old eating habits. The joy is that you are a different person. You now have different more healthy eating habits. So, ideally you can't backslide. Granted one or two pounds is not the signal of the decline, but it can and will happen. It's OK. Enjoy your success and keep on moving forward. Congrats!

[cdcgic]

im there with you completely obsessed, and feeling miserable those last 12 pounds wont come off!

[nedgoudy]

I have been in Overeaters Anonymous for almost 10 years and when I hear people say they are OBSESSED with FOOD or losing weight or the SCALES and they only weigh 110 lbs that they may need to seek professional help.

Can you spell Anorexia?

Just presented IMHO and may the higher power of your understanding help you to solve the problem.

But a therapist and even MEDS might be appropriate.

Couldn't hurt to check it out anyway.