Everyday Systems

Just wondering if anyone wanted to join me for 30 days by not getting on the scale..starting on August 1.

I have been using the habitcal and giving myself a greenie if I don't weigh myself. It truly puts me in a bad mood or good mood and I shouldn't let it have so much power over my emotions. As for the first time in a very very long time I feel sane and working on more sanity without dieting...

So anyone up for checking in as often as you like to say how you did for the day, week, etc.
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Starting today I did my final weigh-in until Sept 1. My current weight is 170. Not that I'm doing this totally expecting to lose weight, but more for the sanity of not weighing.

Aug 1 - Start (weight 170); felt pretty good to see it really hasn't gone up from all the crazy S days. Starting with a clean slate feels great.
Aug 2 - Green - I always weigh in the morning and no danger of later in the day.
Aug 3 - Green - surely the temptation is there, but this too shall pass
Aug 4 - Green - truly this morning the temptation was there to just check...but to check just what..my clothes are not falling off of me, so no reason to check
Aug 5 - Green - wow just knowing I can't weigh makes me feel like a rebellious child...I want to weigh...but I didn't
Aug 6 - FAILED - geeze I guess I failed, but at least it was a whole week. So do I give up from here, no, but I may have to weigh in once a week, just can't do it right now..too much pressure. Sorry everyone for starting this post...I would love to delete it but don't see an option.

I have been trying to do this this month. I think I will continue next month.

Does it count if already don't own / never use a scale? If so, sure!

Sounds like a great idea! I am a bit of a slave to the scales....been trying to lay off them recently, especially now that I've at long last dropped a couple of pounds! I'm now kinda torn about the scales: not weighing for a few months (I did sign up for the 90 day challenge after all) and getting either a great surprise or a nasty shock when I finally do step on them OR continuing to weigh more often, knowing that (in my case) weight can fluctuate wildly from day to day.

I also don't own a scale.

Me either, so I suppose by default I'm in!

I'm in, but on a slightly different schedule. I am starting a six-week exercise rotation on Saturday, so my plan is to weigh in and take my measurements tomorrow morning. Then I am done until the end of the rotation, darn it! (Trying to emphasize this to myself.)

Before, I officially weighed in once a month, but I would cheat and check the scale more often. I may put a sign on the scale after tomorrow:

If it isn't September 9th, stay off the scale!

Of course, I'll have to explain it to DH, but I'm sure he'll understand.

Seriously, bury the scale under a pile of towels in the linen closet. Jumping on the scale all day isn't the path to healthy behavior.

I can't join you on this (I don't weigh myself as is), but I will offer some of my musings in support.

I was thinking of starting to weigh myself (in stone or kilograms, rather than pounds, so I wouldn't obsess over the number), but I decided not to do it. I prefer focusing on what is absolutely under my control, which are my eating habits, to worrying over my weight, which is only partially under my control.

I weigh less than I did a year ago, and any weight loss is an improvement for an overweight person. It's not as if you won't have any health problems if you weigh 135 pounds, but if you get up to 136, you'll immediately get hypertension and diabetes. It just does not work that way. Being 25 pounds overweight really is better than being 35 pounds overweight.

I have a choice whether or not to eat snacks, seconds, or sweets every day. I can choose not to do those things. I can't choose not to have extra water weight today, or have a short-term fluctuation in weight for some other reason.

Also, I think I might be tempted to set an unrealistic goal weight, and that might lead to yo-yo dieting. A realistic goal weight is one you can maintain using only sustainable dieting habits. It's easier to see if the habits are sustainable than it is to know if the number is realistic. You give the habits a try for a few weeks- if you can stick to them, they're probably realistic, if you can't, they're probably not.

I'm in it is a habit I want to break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great..so looking forward to our mini challenge..and great for all those that are not addicted to the scale..that is my soon to be hope!

Let' rock on starting 8/1.

I am just starting No S on Monday, August 1 for the first time.

Every time I start a diet, I usually weigh myself every day - when I'm eating "good". If I fell off the wagon, then I wouldn't go near the scale.

Since this is an entirely different diet than anything else I've done, I planned on approaching it differently too - meaning that I was not going to be a slave to the scale and instead stay focused on the new habits I'll be creating by changing my eating pattern. I had already decided to only weigh myself on the first of every month. So, this is perfect!!!!!! I'm in!!!!!!!

I decided two weeks ago that I was going to put the scale away and while I've not been totally scale-less, I've been doing pretty well with it. I think I weighed myself twice, but both times it's been mid day and with clothes on figuring that since I don't have anything to compare it to, it won't get to me. Kinda like the person who set hers to kilos

Okay for those joining, I think we just edit our post and update daily, weekly, or whenever you have a chance. If you had a slip-up, you may want to say how you feel, etc. If you did great, how you feel about that as well.

Here's to ya...

Count me in! I'm psyched up and ready to start tomorrow morning! YAY!! As mentioned, I'm also taking the 90 day challenge (now into day 21) - once its over, I am intending to weigh myself and record the results both on this thread and on the 90 day challenge thread. After the 90 day challenge? Don't know yet. Might sign up for another challenge or I might just feel that no weighing ever is the weigh ( ) to go!!

Good luck everyone!!

GOOD FOR YOU, DEB! I weighed this am for the last time this month and after only two moderate S Days, was almost back up at my starting weight again (also 170 lbs).

It will be interesting to see what happens. I think its a really good idea to at least cut back on the scale watching. Look what happened to me - in a matter of days, if I were to believe the scale I went from 173 to 166 lbs and then back up again. I feel a little peeved this am that my weight has fluctuated so much. I think one will get a 'truer' reading by weighing less often. Not sure if I will lose either but it is for the sake of sanity if nothing else that we should try to keep away from the daily - in my case, sometimes twice daily - weighing. Here's to us!

Ha, it's funny how we're starting to all weigh the same! I got down to 169 at one point, settled in at about 171, and then went up to 173 after taking a break on the No S Diet while my air conditioning was out (if I wanted lemonade while my house was over 90 degrees, I was having lemonade!!).

I am hoping to be back down to 169 at the end of my six week scale break.

NoSRocks, SpiritSong,

Ya, that is funny how we are all about the same weight..how tall are you's? How old?

I used to weight 150 for many years, thinking I was fat...and that was 10-15 overweight but the weight charts, weight 144 for a couple years and that was a great weight.

Resist the temptation...now that I know I'm not to weigh-in the little voice in me will be tempting me to do it...

Here's to a no weighing tomorrow!

Hi

Can I join in,. a day late but been away so ready to get going.

Jenny

Welcome Jenny72...Here's to sanity!

debrabuf wrote:NoSRocks, SpiritSong,

Ya, that is funny how we are all about the same weight..how tall are you's? How old?

I'm 5'8" and 43 (with a post-menopausal bonus). I have done a slow climb over the last 20 years, 135 to 145, then to 155, etc. until I hit about 192 at my highest.

So my goal is 135, but 145 is probably more realistic. My nurse practitioner told me to aim for 155. At this point, I am aiming to lose 4 lbs. in the next six weeks and not worrying about much beyond that. I'm so happy to be hanging out in a forum where slow weight loss isn't considered a failure!

Anyone stopping back, I'm updating my status in my first post - see above .

Hi again! LOL! It is indeed a coincidence that we are all around the same weight. Could be a good one!

I'm 5'7", 48 yrs old - also post menopausal (or perhaps I still going through it????) I too weighed 150 lbs around 4 or 5 yrs ago and used to think it was too heavy !



Unfortunately, I haven't been able to fight the lure of the scales this week!
However, I weighed every second day so I guess its a bit of an improvement.

At present, I'm around 167 - 168 lbs. My highest ever weight was 175 lbs when I returned from vacation in May this year! I tend to hover around 170 lbs these days. I managed to get down to 166 lbs last week however that was short lived and my weight has pretty much fluctuated this week from around 170 lbs to 167/8 lbs. I guess I'm 'happy' to see I managed to lose a few lbs. At my age I'm finding it increasingly harder to shift the weight! Today (S Day Saturday) was a fairly good one - I had a large slice of apple pie and cool whip for dessert which really filled me up. I rather wish I could forgo the desserts - or at least trim them down some. It's more out of habit than anything else. Not enjoying them as much as I once did, can you believe? BUT I get tempted still when I go to the store and see such things on sale. Hard to resist!! Still peddling away on the exercise bike and i believe this is what is keeping the 2lbs off! Gosh, when I was younger, I would probably be a skinny minny by now with all the exercise etc. Ah well!! All one can do is soldier on, and tbh, it is no great hardship, even though I may have the occasional moan and groan!! LOL! Have a great S Day Sunday, all!!!

How's everyone doing?

(I'm doing great, because I still don't own a scale.)

Hi who me? LOL! at your no scale comment! I tell you, that might be the only way to stop me from weighing so much - ditching the scales for good - mind, I'd probably just pay every time I went past the pharmacy scale in the store... yes, I am that addicted! So perhaps for the sake of my wallet, I'd best keep them for a bit.

Anyway - thanks for dropping in - at the moment, unfortunately I've not managed to go more than 2 days without weighing. This morning, I weighed and was almost 165 lbs !! Therefore, now I'm starting to get a lower reading, I might be tempted to weigh even more, just to make sure it isn't a fluke and that my eyes aren't deceiving me - LOL

Just like clearing all the junkfood out of the cupboards takes temptation out of easy reach, putting the scale into deep storage reduces the temptation to obsess on the numbers.

I challenge everyone to stash the scale wherever you stick Xmas ornaments (or whatever is analogous). Put it somewhere that's hard to get to, and give yourself a break from the insanity.

Who me, so far so good, only weighed myself officially once this month and got 2 reds..so not too bad..I really want to pass on weighing tomorrow...I moved my scale from the bathroom into the dining room where I have to pick it up and take it to the bathroom, if I get past the morning I'm good for the day .


NoSRocks..wow that is awesome about the weight loss...yes stay off the scale so you can enjoy that number

Just got my 9 inch plate diet book in today...not a diet, much like No S, funny how we have supersized everything as Amercians...bigger houses, larger cars, supersized our fast food, yada yada.

I already use a 9 inch plate

I've been doing this for August. I'll join you but allow myself to weigh on Sept. 1, if want.

Thanks, no snacker! Like your new name btw

I've sort of lost track of when the end of my 90 days was - I think you're saying 1st September, oolala? I'll record my weight 'officially' on here once I've figured out the 'correct' date and then i may just sign up for another 90 days! Perhaps if I keep this up, I might even stop weighing during the next round??

K, I'll try to stay off until September 1. I was on the dumb scale this morning. Staying the same which is okay, but if I see a gain it could cause me issues .

Anyhow...here's to letting the scale getting dusty a bit....

Could you put the scale away in a closet? Or better yet, have someone else put it away?

Blithe Morning wrote:Could you put the scale away in a closet? Or better yet, have someone else put it away?

Sounds like a great idea..I'll ask my husband to move so I don't know where it is and that he can give it to me on September 1..

Great idea!

Wow, I am on shaky ground, figuratively and slightly authentically. My dizziness is dissipating but is not completely gone. I'm still trying to get caught up at work and just seem to get farther behind because of new work coming at me that keeps me from making a dent in what I missed. In any case, I had failure in all areas today.

oolala53 wrote:Wow, I am on shaky ground, figuratively and slightly authentically. I had failure in all areas today.

I'm sure all of these stressors complied together are shaking up your ground, sometimes we need to find things to make us feel better and we fall on old stomping grounds, only to find it makes us feel worse.

You definitely have been an influence in my life..if we could only apply what we tell others out of compassion to ourselves we all would be in a better place.

Stay strong, you can do it Oolala!!

I've been very red with the scale...why oh why do I insist on torturing myself...

Hey guys! Must be something in the air today! I've had a bit of a wobbly myself (cheated at dinner by having a buttered fruit scone and nibbling at some delicious coffee cake )

I can feel it all sitting heavily in my stomach now (hope not TMI - sorry!)

Have failed miserably on the scales too so please - I know easier said than done - try not to be too hard on yourselves guys since we are all in the same boat. Just going to do a bit on the exercise bike although I don't feel very energetic this evening. Tomorrow is a new day - onward and upward!!

NoSRocks wrote:Tomorrow is a new day - onward and upward!!

You got that right..I had a slip on Tuesday and found it a little hard to get back to normal eating pattern. What happens is I can stick to the plan, but if I allow myself to slip with a snack, I end up binging and could eat a whole days worth of food calories during those binging...so I'm trying really really hard not to.

The scale is another issue..I'm addicted to it as well...I need to do something..perhaps move it into a room upstairs.

Like you I felt like crap the night I binged and the next morning..showing to me it is just not worth it, the binge only soothes for about 1 hour then that is it.

Hope you find yourself in a better place today..

Reporting in as a drop out of the challenge. I fell off the No S wagon for a couple of weeks, and now I am going to try a two week kick start program before I get back on. I weighed in this morning to (1) see how much damage I had done, and (2) to get a benchmark to see how my two week program works.

Hi again guys! Yeah, I'm hearing you on the snacks and the scales (two S's we can definitely do without )!

I too have not been able to escape the clutches of the scales - in fact, I'm sorry to say - - since signing up for the no weigh challenge I've become even more compelled to weigh than ever...! Isn't it odd how the mind works?? This morning, I was 2 lbs up from my 165 lbs. BUT this being the No S plan, I don't feel too panicky or annoyed by this, at least not for now. However, guys I don't think we should get too hung up on the weighing either. For some of us, it is a comforting habit and we just need to know how we're doing weight-wise. Even when we don't get the result we were hoping for, there seems to be a magnetic attraction to them (at least for me, there is. LOL!) and no pun intended btw!!

Thanks for listening folks and Hope everyone's having a great No S Weekend!!

mmm funny how easy it is for me to stay OFF the scale after i have an all out s day gone wild...i'm going to commit to no weighing during this coming week. funny, but i could be feeling thin one day, get on the scale and not a movement happened..so i get discouraged...

NoSRocks....i hear ya on why does it call us even more when we say no? i think it is the rebel child in each one of us ..

I hear ya, NoSnacker!

This week, I'm going to try not to step on the scales for at least a few days. I'm thinking if I can make it even to Friday, that would be great, and it's a start. The daily weighing is getting to me a bit now; I'm kinda fretting over each gain and diet head could start creeping in if I'm not too careful.

I'm also planning on having less bread based meals this week, particularly breakfast and lunch. These 'rules' aren't written in tablets of stone, btw, if I find I can't do it one day, I'll pick up from where I left off and try again.

I've also updated my profile to reflect my current weight and even though I got to 165 lbs on a few occasions, my weight tends to go back up to 167-168 lbs. I'd rather record the higher weight for now whilst it's fluctuating.

I started no - s in April, and shortly thereafter, I was weighed at the doctor's office. It was my highest weight to date.

Now almost six months later, I've become curious about my weight. I've clearly lost a little bit of mass, but don't really know the numbers.

That's just fine with me.

I don't have huge weight-loss goals. My doctor said I was in the "normal" range, and then said that if I wanted to lose a bit of weight it was fine, but that health concerns should not dictate my choices.

I'm trying to slow down the slow, steady creep of weight gain that so many women experience.

Who Me? wrote:Now almost six months later, I've become curious about my weight. I've clearly lost a little bit of mass, but don't really know the numbers.

Wow that is great that it has been six months for you not to have weighed. So was this something you always stayed clear of or had to come to that place in life?

Thanksss for stopping by...

I've never owned a scale!

Hey Who Me? - that sounds like a really great idea. Weighing can just add to the stress of trying to lose weight and often as not, how I feel on a particular day is governed by the number I find on the scale. Crazy I know!!

Haven't found it happening as much on the No S Plan mind you - as I am of the belief that if I continue on the Plan, my weight will naturally settle at a 'good' body weight for my height and build. Who knows, maybe I am already there! Sometimes, and probably for a scale addict like me, its better just to go by one's clothes and how one looks in the mirror than the no. on the scale. There was a time - many moons ago - when I didn't weigh myself for around a year or two and I think I was much slimmer then.

Hope you're all having a great weekend guys and here's to the start of a new week! Will let you know how I get on. Cheers, Roxy

I broke down partly because I had been ill and it whacked out my eating. I found myself picking I think because I wasn't getting to experience my normal hunger and satiation rhythms that I have come to cherish. I was back to feeling deprived, but from lack of enjoyment rather than lack of food. I won't tell you what the news was, but I think it's on my daily check in. However, I'm back to no scale until Sept. 1. Then I won't check again until my birthday on Sept. 26. Perhaps I'll swear off the scale for my 58th year. It doesn't feel at this point that that would be a gift to me but maybe in retrospect, it will be.

I like the scale discussion...it often has me wondering, why oh why do we weigh anyway? I think it started way back when...when I was in weight watchers, my first official diet, I think....they weigh you every week so you get obsessed....then after that, it carries over into your normal life....years ago I'm sure people only weighed at the doctors...

NoSRocks...we certainly have a love/hate relationship with our scales.

Oolala....I'm sure when you weigh on Sept 1 you'll see the results...you have done fantastic and I still owe you for bringing me to a place where I can find some sanity!

Who Me...you are definitely in better shape emotionally for not having one..want to come kidnap mine!!

I'll be right over, No Snacker!

I decided on another thread spur of the moment that I am going to abstain from weighing until my birthday, Sept. 26. And maybe it will be a gift to me not to weigh that day. I'll be 58 that day so the next year will be my 59th year. Maybe that will be the year of no scale...

Who Me? wrote:I'll be right over, No Snacker!

k, but let me hid my scale first!!!

oolala53 wrote:I decided on another thread spur of the moment that I am going to abstain from weighing until my birthday, Sept. 26. And maybe it will be a gift to me not to weigh that day. I'll be 58 that day so the next year will be my 59th year. Maybe that will be the year of no scale...

mmmm, not sure i could do that.....unless of course Who Me comes and kidnaps my scale!

I bet I'd look cute dressed as a cat-burglar. And you know, black is very slimming!

Especially when you are a plastic molded doll.

Who Me? wrote:cat-burglar.

This is too funny, NOW you blew your cover...I'll have to watch for the cat and his mate..

oolala53 wrote:Especially when you are a plastic molded doll.

Wow, this is a barbie? Isn't it funny how we wanted to be like barbie growing up...NO waist and big you know what's...

p.s. I figured it was a barbie when I did a quote the caption said so ...

Just noticed that someone else already alluded to the fact that the scale is another S. The No S diet- no snacks, sugar, seconds or the scale, except SOMETIMES on S days. Weighing only on Sundays might cure a few. It's only going to lead to self-recrimination, no?

Just don't do it, anyone! And definitely NOT if you're having red days or are going wild on S days. It likely won't stop you from overeating, but it will reinforce over-obsession, if there is such a thing.

oolala53 wrote:Just noticed that someone else already alluded to the fact that the scale is another S. The No S diet- no snacks, sugar, seconds or the scale, except SOMETIMES on S days. Weighing only on Sundays might cure a few. It's only going to lead to self-recrimination, no?

Just don't do it, anyone! And definitely NOT if you're having red days or are going wild on S days. It likely won't stop you from overeating, but it will reinforce over-obsession, if there is such a thing.

Ohhhh, I like it...No scale except on S days and sometimes...but not after reds for sure!!

Thanks for such a simple, brilliant idea!

I'm truly going to try to not weigh after Sept 1 for at least 2 weeks,,,if I can make it that far I'll try for another 2 weeks.

I'm curious - the '30 Days - No Scale' experiment is now over. Maybe some of the participants could share their experiences? What are some of the pros/cons to using or not using a scale to monitor weight?

Sixty wrote:I'm curious - the '30 Days - No Scale' experiment is now over. Maybe some of the participants could share their experiences? What are some of the pros/cons to using or not using a scale to monitor weight?

I know I did not succeed, but am trying for September..so far so good..I don't think anyone else succeeded either. I know some girls mentioned they don't own a scale...

But I'm giving it a September try!

If anybody is still watching this, I did not weigh most of September and have weighed only twice in October. I know my weight is up since June, so what's the point? I was weighing myself all the time I was not racking up green days, but I kept having failures. I know from experience that the scale is not what is going to keep me on track, so I am committing this year, while I am 58, that I will weigh only once a quarter, at the end of each 90-day segment of my RE90X program (another thread--see board). In a certain way, it is making me get more and more serious about sticking to my plan because I have no other measure besides my habits and my pants to go by!

I have something that helps me a bit and that is that I travelled for several months in India and environs back in the late 70's and had no access to any way of tracking my weight except the occasional public scale. Of course, I had time to walk a lot, but I got to the lowest weight of my adult life. I committed to not eating when I wasn't hungry. I'd have a mocha in the morning and usually two meals a day, usually one of them pretty hefty. (I still remember this incredible fried fish I ate for many brunches while hanging out in New Delhi.) So, though I don't think I can recreate that life and get that thin, I know my weight doesn't have much to do with the scale. I think it has a lot more to do with absolutely committing to rarely using food for entertainment, inordinate celebration, or soothing and being active. And eating three meals a day can go a long way to meet that goal.

That is really great insight Oolala! I do happen to stay off the scale when I'm not doing so well as there is only one way the scale can go...with that said I feel much better not getting on it..

I remember the days standing sideways in the mirror and saying wow I have such a flat stomach...mmm those days are long gone unless I want surgery.. .

Clothing won't lie that is for sure.....