Vacationing from the Scale?

Welp- I haven't weighed myself in probably 3 weeks now and am wondering if this is a smart move or a dumb one.  I usually weigh myself every Sunday, but have been averaging a weekly loss of only 1/2 lb a week for a couple of months and this has been somewhat discouraging for me to look at week to week.  I started this back in Jan. and started at 159 and last I weighed in, I was at 140.  My goal weight is around 130.

I don't know if it's burnout or what, but I've cut back on exercising to 4 days a week instead of my old 5-6 and have been eating about 1600 cals a day instead of my recommended 1200-1300.  Because of all this, I'm nervous about stepping on the scale b/c I've probably gained.  Anyone take a "break" like this with any success?

Original Post by oddfunk:

Welp- I haven't weighed myself in probably 3 weeks now and am wondering if this is a smart move or a dumb one.  I usually weigh myself every Sunday, but have been averaging a weekly loss of only 1/2 lb a week for a couple of months and this has been somewhat discouraging for me to look at week to week.  I started this back in Jan. and started at 159 and last I weighed in, I was at 140.  My goal weight is around 130.

I don't know if it's burnout or what, but I've cut back on exercising to 4 days a week instead of my old 5-6 and have been eating about 1600 cals a day instead of my recommended 1200-1300.  Because of all this, I'm nervous about stepping on the scale b/c I've probably gained.  Anyone take a "break" like this with any success?

 

I think a bit of a break is probably healthy.  Unfortunately because of a weight loss clinical trial I am currently in, I have to weigh daily.  This means that tiny fluctuations are causing me anxiety.  I've only lost 2 pounds in the last 2 months.   Grrr...no one toblame but myself though.

Thanks and weighing everyday would not be good for me so I feel for you!  I don't like being a slave to the numbers.  I feel like I've sort of hit a plateau and taking off these last 10 lbs has been slow and rough.  To "bust" my plateau, I thought I'd change the approach a little to see if this will shake things up a bit.  I hope it doesn't backfire!

You don't want to be obsessive or a slave to the numbers....

BUT with that being said you don't want to be IGNORANT about your situation either. Isn't that how we all got into the weight loss mode in the first place? By losing track of what we were doing to ourselves!?

Keeping yourself informed is important in making good decisions.

You can take a break from weighing in and still be successful - but if you've been falling off the wagon in your eating/exercise routine as well then prepare yourself not to be disappointed when you step back on.

I don't think however that eating 1600 is necessarily bad. I myself won't eat below 1400 calories (and I've been hovering around 130lbs) to prevent binges and to make sure I am nutritionally balanced. Especially if you're exercising 4 days of exercise a week. That's great!

Get back on that scale for a check up instead of just sitting there stressing out. :)

I don't think it's likely that any adult (or teen) could gain weight eating only 1600 calories a day and exercising 4 days a week. 

I took a break from the scale since march. Looks like I gained 200 grams, lol

Keep counting those calories and everything will be fine.

Thanks for your input everyone.  I will get on the scale this Sunday morning and see what I'm working with.  I agree that if my goal is to continue losing weight that I cannot become too lax in my approach.  Being dismissive is what led to the weight gain!

The 1600 cals represents my intake during the week.  I know that on weekends however, that I've encroached more on the 2200 cal mark.  Not having a deficit for even 2 days can disrupt your entire week where weight loss is concerned.  We'll see what happens Sunday and I'll keep plugging away no matter what the result!  Thanks again. :)

Don't forget to also take your measurements!  Sometimes the scale doesn't budge but you've turned some of your fat into muscle and that's something that also should be measured as success.

I do it monthly and track my progress so I can look back and feel good about my lifestyle change and it helps me to realize that it REALLY is worth the battle.