To buy a scale or not?

Recently, I moved away to a dorm in college. Upon leaving, I weighed 135, the high end of a healthy BMI. I don't have a scale here, and I haven't really been counting calories too much. The thing is, when I own a scale, I weigh myself obsessively. But currently, while I said I'm not counting calories, I'm not really eating enough, and I can't tell if I've lost weight due to the fact I have a distorted body image. I'm currently about a size seven and I think that's an okay size, but I obsess. I guess I planned not to count my calories, but I actually do attempt to add it up, and most days, I don't go over 1000. I know this is unhealthy, and I need to get out of this mindstate, but for some reason, I am just utterly convinced that this is the best way to lose, and I used to know that's not true. I guess I need to work on liking myself how I am and believing that the goal is to be healthy, not skinny.

I can't figure out what I should be doing to be healthier. I figured I'd be okay once I got here, but I'm really not. Would buying a scale be a good or bad idea?

For background information, I'm 5'3" or 5'4". I originally weighed 205 two years ago. Until about 155, all my weight was lost with an absolutely healthy mentality. Now, unfortunately, I obsess over it. I just turned 17 a month ago.

I'd say no, don't get the scale. If you tend to weigh yourself obsessively when a scale is around and you already feel you have an unhealthy mind set, then getting a scale will likely make it worse. I'd suggest going to see a counselor just to talk things through and work on your body image. I'm saying this because I've had an ED before and I know what it is like to be obsessive about these things. I know that going to counseling might be a hard thing to consider (it was for me at first), but in the end it is really really good. Does your college have counseling services? If they do, you should be able to go to 10 sessions for free.

I was seeing a counselor in Ohio before I moved and we had discussed my eating issues. My college doesn't offer counseling services or I'd consider it, which is kind of why I ended up posting here. Thanks for your advice.

I'd like to qualify my answer by saying everyone is individual, so what worked for or helped me may not help you. I'm sorry you're going through this. As a recoverinb bulimic, I would say definitely get the scale. Right now, you're doing a lot of guess work. Eating 1000 calories a day is definitely unhealthy, but you already know that. It's not the way to lose, but to make yourself sick and bring on, possibly, a lot of other health problems, so I urge you to consider speaking with a dietician or doing some research so that you can get on a healthy diet as soon as possible. It is completely and definitively possible to not starve your body, but eat healthy as to both lose and maintain your weight.

The scale helped me because, while I sometimes slip back into daily weigh-ins (I most often do it once a week or a couple times a week), I can see my success. Success doesn't always mean losing weight--for me, it can mean, "Hey, I maintained my weight for three weeks, and I had a small bowl of ice cream. Gee, it didn't make me balloon into a whale. Hey ... I CAN eat ice cream. Sweet." Keeping track of things and not guessing helps me to realize that food is not the enemy. My own thoughts are.

As far as the distorted body image - I  hear you loud, and crystal clear. Working out and keeping with a fitness routine that I both enjoy and that works for my schedule was the "aha!" for me. A good sweat, knowing what you did for your body is just ... well, sexy. It makes me feel incredible.

I think you also need to find some counseling services in  your area--quick.

Hope that helps. Take care.