Guest guest Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 I wouldn't bring back the scales. In my opinion, Intuitive Eating is about trusting yourself and your body. I think using the scale as a gauge about how well you're handling your emotions is another way to depend on external cues (the scale), which means you're not trusting yourself. I think the thing that makes IE so hard and so scary is that you have to trust yourself. But I really think if you push through this wanting to weigh thing, and NOT weighing, you'll find yourself in a better place. Now I'm feeling really frustrated and lost without my scale, because before it was kind of a way to gauge how well I was handling my emotions. It wasn't really a self-worth thing. Because I've been working on intuitive eating, I've been frustrated not knowing or having that gauge to see how steady my metabolism is or whatnot. I'd really love some feedback. Should I weigh myself maybe once a week? Or just keep going? Rish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 I think a scale can be a useful tool just the same as a blood pressure cuff or a blood glucose meter. It's all in how you personally approach it. If the numbers on the scale are of more meaning than just clinical numbers then it's probably a bad idea to bring them back. But if it helps you to understand where your body is at the time you use it there's nothing wrong with that. It's as personal as the rest of IE. Do what feels right for you. Sunny Sent from my iPod > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 Agree totally with Sunny...how do you personally handle the numbers? While IE recommends ditching the scale, I think that " rule " was intended for those who let the gains and losses affect their self-esteem. Sara > > I think a scale can be a useful tool just the same as a blood pressure cuff or a blood glucose meter. It's all in how you personally approach it. If the numbers on the scale are of more meaning than just clinical numbers then it's probably a bad idea to bring them back. But if it helps you to understand where your body is at the time you use it there's nothing wrong with that. It's as personal as the rest of IE. Do what feels right for you. > > Sunny > > Sent from my iPod > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 For me, the only reason I get on the scale is to relapse back into my old thinking. If I've lost weight, it wasn't enough; if I haven't it's all over and I'm back into panic and self-recrimination. We're all different though and throwing out the rules so that I can relax into myself is where I'm at right now. Hope whatever you decide works for you. > > For years, I've weighed myself every day. Finally I gave it up about a month ago. But I've also had two periods during the last few years where I stopped emotional eating, and those were the only periods of my life where I actually lost weight. Not forced but lost it kind of naturally. > > Now I'm feeling really frustrated and lost without my scale, because before it was kind of a way to gauge how well I was handling my emotions. It wasn't really a self-worth thing. > > Because I've been working on intuitive eating, I've been frustrated not knowing or having that gauge to see how steady my metabolism is or whatnot. > > I'd really love some feedback. Should I weigh myself maybe once a week? Or just keep going? > > Rish > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 Rish, I think the standard answer the intuitive eating " experts " give is to stay away from the scale. Personally, I think that makes assumptions that everyone uses the scale for the same reasons and reacts in the same ways. MY personal history is that I have avoided the scale when I suspected I was gaining weight and was in denial about it. I'd go YEARS between weigh-ins. When I dieted, I used to weigh in once a week and the numbers were never helpful, because I lost so slowly while dieting, say a pound a month, and fluctuated day to day normally. I NEVER had a history of starving/punishing myself/hating myself if the number went up or celebrating/overeating when it went down. In fact, a few years ago I realized that for me, the scale ONLY gave me useful information if I weighed every morning, and only took any notice of it if it fell outside of the 3 pound range I was currently seeing. Normally, if it were higher, I'd realize I'd just had a salty restaurant meal the night before and not worry about it. If I hadn't and the number stayed up a couple of days, it put me on notice that something was happening. Notice that losing weight hasn't been much of an issue for me, because it happened so exceptionally slowly when it did occur that there was never much to " celebrate. " Since I've been doing IE, I have been weighing, and it's absolutely shocking to see that I seem to be on the right track. The first week I went up a pound outside my range (I'd expected more, truthfully), then dropped back to the same as I started. The second week I dropped 6 (7 including the one pound up), then ended the week at 5 pounds down, which has NEVER happened before to me. It couldn't ALL be water! The third week I dropped 2 more pounds. Unbelievable! Halfway into the 4th week, I dropped 2 more, then went back up those 2 after a very salty meal last night. Because I'm so large, I could not be sure anything were happening without the external input of the scale. My one snugger pair of jeans SEEMS to be a bit looser, but that could be my imagination, as I've so often deluded myself before. Plus sizes tend to be stretchy and encompass a 4 " size range, not the 1-2 " misses sizes allow between sizes. With elastic waistbands and stretch fabrics, denial is pretty easy. Reading that waiting until my stomach signals hunger and then stopping eating when it stops sending that urgent signal will result in not only peace with food, but also weight loss (which is VITAL for my health, as I am at very high risk), SOUNDS good, but I have tried many many many diverse techniques in the past and they haven't worked at all. The peace with food itself is scary, as in the past that happened occasionally when I was just " giving in " entirely and gaining rather massive amounts of weight. Seeing the scale reflect a positive course is very encouraging to me to keep up the good work, which is not coming naturally and involves completely retraining myself in how I eat and take care of myself. It reassures me that no matter how strange this all seems, I'm doing something right. If, however, I had had a lifelong struggle with the scale, it might be very unhealthy for me to weigh myself at all. Jane > > For years, I've weighed myself every day. Finally I gave it up about a month ago. But I've also had two periods during the last few years where I stopped emotional eating, and those were the only periods of my life where I actually lost weight. Not forced but lost it kind of naturally. > > Now I'm feeling really frustrated and lost without my scale, because before it was kind of a way to gauge how well I was handling my emotions. It wasn't really a self-worth thing. > > Because I've been working on intuitive eating, I've been frustrated not knowing or having that gauge to see how steady my metabolism is or whatnot. > > I'd really love some feedback. Should I weigh myself maybe once a week? Or just keep going? > > Rish > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Rish, it seems to me that IE encourages us to return to whatever INternal 'gauge' we all have (may ignore) instead of focusing on an EXternal one (scale). I wonder if what you really need is feedback that you are doing well? If you get that from a scale how can it not be a 'self worth' thing? Its good, though probably difficult, that you are experiencing frustration but if you can zero in on the source of that, I think you will find that it isn't your scale. BEST wishes, Katcha IEing since March 2007 > > For years, I've weighed myself every day. Finally I gave it up about a month ago. But I've also had two periods during the last few years where I stopped emotional eating, and those were the only periods of my life where I actually lost weight. Not forced but lost it kind of naturally. > > Now I'm feeling really frustrated and lost without my scale, because before it was kind of a way to gauge how well I was handling my emotions. It wasn't really a self-worth thing. > > Because I've been working on intuitive eating, I've been frustrated not knowing or having that gauge to see how steady my metabolism is or whatnot. > > I'd really love some feedback. Should I weigh myself maybe once a week? Or just keep going? > > Rish > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 I quit weighing when I realized that the scale controlled my mood and how I felt about myself. It was never what I wanted it to be or where I thought it should be. Now, the only time I weigh is at the doctor's office. It took me a few times to realize that the number does not define me and who I am. Now it is just a number and I've been suprised to see it lower each time I've gone. I now prefer to look within myself to see how I'm feeling about myself and by how my clothes feel and fit. Some people do continue to weigh once a month or once a week just to keep tabs on their weight. I think you have to find what works for you and no one here can tell you what to do. That's the great thing about IE is finding what works for you as an individual. But what I would ask yourself is what does that number on the scale mean to you? And pay attention to the voices in your head as to what they are saying to you when you do weigh. Are they positive or negative? If positive, then you may be fine to continue weighing on a regular basis. If negative, I'd stop the weighing. Hope this helps. Alana > > For years, I've weighed myself every day. Finally I gave it up about a month ago. But I've also had two periods during the last few years where I stopped emotional eating, and those were the only periods of my life where I actually lost weight. Not forced but lost it kind of naturally. > > Now I'm feeling really frustrated and lost without my scale, because before it was kind of a way to gauge how well I was handling my emotions. It wasn't really a self-worth thing. > > Because I've been working on intuitive eating, I've been frustrated not knowing or having that gauge to see how steady my metabolism is or whatnot. > > I'd really love some feedback. Should I weigh myself maybe once a week? Or just keep going? > > Rish > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 If the number 'doesn't mean anything' - why bother knowing it? I'm certainly not a 'number' nor do I measure myself based upon such an arbitrary reference ;-) My scale gathers dust in my bathroom, sitting there as a mute reminder of EXternal measurements that I could subject myself to but don't have to. Katcha IEing since March 2007 > * " what does that number on the scale mean to you? " > * > if one can weigh without it meaning anything more than a fairly arbitrary > number, great! > abby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 If the number 'doesn't mean anything' - why bother knowing it? I'm certainly not a 'number' nor do I measure myself based upon such an arbitrary reference ;-) My scale gathers dust in my bathroom, sitting there as a mute reminder of EXternal measurements that I could subject myself to but don't have to. Katcha IEing since March 2007 > * " what does that number on the scale mean to you? " > * > if one can weigh without it meaning anything more than a fairly arbitrary > number, great! > abby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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