Thread: The scale and numbers

I don't have a working scale. I actually need to throw away the two I have, LOL. I've been putting off getting a new one because I'm a little afraid to get on the scale after such a long (over a year) detour from LCing. I know I put back most if not all of the weight I had lost. I won't cry over it because it taught me some very important things that I will need on my way to keeping it off forever.

Having said that though, I think I might cry to see the new number. I don't want to get discouraged because it is after all just a number. I'll still look the same no matter what it is. I'll still have the same goals no matter what it is. I do think I'll want to know at some point what my starting point was. I just don't know if I'm up to finding out just now.

I know I must sound like a complete child. It's a just a scale with a number on it to show my progress. But it also so much more.

I know where your coming from. The scale can be quite intimidating. We are taught from the medical community that it is our yardstick by which we measure our progess. Well, I for one can tell you it is only one of many indicators. I rescently returned to the strictest LC regime. The scale was not showing any improvement for me for a long period. I had also increased my gym activities at the same time. The scale even showed an increase of 1 pound for a couple of days. As was noted in the Atkins book, you should be looking at all your other indicators of progress. Measurements, appetite, overall health and how you feel about yourself. You will have periods where you will lose inches and stay the same weight. You may even gain a pound as your body fat percentage changes. These are short term. Look at your overall progress and keep on keepin on. You have it in you. You've done it before. Now just do it again. Have faith in yourself.

Motherto6 and Dad2bike - you might like to take a peek at the Labour Day Challenge - scale monster got to be ruling a few of our lives!

It's your decision to make. You can measure your progress with a tape measure and with the way your clothes fit. A scale is a must for me since I'm a statistics kind of guy (KIM calls me a statistics god-lol). If you'd rather not know at this time then no one can force you on to that scale.

I'm currently desiging my maintenance program (MP) which I hope to be able to begin in Jan 2006 and I'm weighing in biweekly. I gain/loose in 2lb lots every couple of weeks - so I figure that will help me stay on top of any gains and I'll be able to rectify the problem quickly.

I can understand completely you not wanting to know your beginning weight. To me, that was important....... but I certainly understand people who cannot deal with knowing exactly how much their weight has increased. However, that being said, I agree with Rob.... I stayed away from the scale for two years and packed on 60 pounds..... unhappy life so I ate.... Now, I am obessed with the scale....... weigh each morning when I awaken..... I have learned to accept the pound or two fluctuations daily, but I am weighing for the bigger picture... I NEVER want to gain the weight again, and while I do watch my carbs carefully.... now that I am in a maintenance mode, sometimes I can go a little overboard. Weighing keeps me in check. I'd say, whatever you feel comfortable with....... that's what you should do! Good luck in your recommitment.

Thanks,

My first time down, I was scale obsessed. I had to check it everyday and sometime several times a day. I got happy when it went down and really upset when it went back up (even if I knew I had done everything right) I ended up losing that long term thinking and doing stupid things like weighing before I got dressed and after so I would know how much my clothes weighed. I tested different outfits to see what weighed more and other equal time wasters.

So far this week I've been enjoying blissful ignorance. In the back of my head is the whining little voice who wants to know what I weigh and how much I've lost. It hasn't gotten very loud yet so I'm ignoring it for now.

It isn't like I don't have any idea how much I weigh. I know how certain clothing of mine fits at certain weights. That's one of the main things making me afraid of the scale. I know I'm squeezing into things I shouldn't have to work so hard to get into. I may be at a new all time high (scariest thought).

In the end, I'm sure I'll cave no later then next weekend. I'll be too interested in seeing progress in something with numbers. I do feel much more calm about the subject then I did when I wrote the original post. I don't need the scale to tell me the correct way to eat. I've done this before and I know it works. I already feel better and have more energy after only day 6.

Who could argue with improvement like that??

i have not been a slave to the scale this time around-- this has been my second time doing low carb/atkins, and the last time i did it, i was scale obsessed! for me, the difference has been i decided to change my eating overall, & not be so focused on fast results & a quick fix. i understood i got fat by eating the wrong foods & that the only way to fix it was to take it one day at a time.

i do not own a working scale, and like you i was afraid to get on the scale. i did not want to face the fact that i weighed close to 300 lbs. i had all the incentive i needed to make a change, i didn't need to have a number flash in my face reminding me of what i'd done to myself. i count my "official" start weight as the weight i had at my last doctor's appointment in september. i didn't start on atkins until december, so there is a very good chance i actually weighed more than this. i do wish i had an official start weight to go by, but it doesn't really matter. what matters is i am happy with the progress i have made.

now that i have lost some weight & i am comfortable enough to get on a scale, i weigh myself when i'm out at places that have scales-- the vet's office, for instance, has a great scale! i have also been known to pull scales down off the shelves at stores like bed, bath & beyond just to test them out. it helps me get a feel for how i'm doing in numbers.

beyond that, i've measured my progress based on how i'm feeling & how my clothes fit. i know i'm losing when the waistband on a certain size gets loose. i can also tell by how i feel in general. it's far too easy for me to get discouraged by a number, and besides that, i've found that different scales yield different results-- especially when i do things like try three or four different models of scales at the store-- they usually all give me a different number by about a pound to a 1/2 pound. so rather than be discouraged by numbers, i've given myself props for dropping clothing sizes. i do still keep up with the numbers, but i don't gauge my progress solely by numbers.

know you can do it, know what worked for you & didn't work for you in the past, & you will be successful this time around. one day at a time, until before long your days become weeks & weeks become months...