Thread: Kick in the Pants!!! Please help!

Well I've been lurking here for a long time without posting. Now I need a little help. Encouraging help, kick-in-the-pants help to counteract the the kick-in-the-pants I received Friday (It took me this long to figgure out how to get signed in).

Here's the problem: I bought new scales on Friday because I've had the feeling my old ones weren't measuring accurately (because my mother-in-laws showed a different weight - not as much loss as mine showed). The new scales, after I'd carefully calibrated them, showed me weighing 32 lbs. heavier than I thought I weighed

I am SO PISSED!!! (sorry, but yelling is needed outlet).

It means that I was 32 pounds heavier when I started than I thought I was. That means I weighed over 300 pounds when I started!! I don't know why but that 300 pound mark really gets under my skin! How could I let myself get to that???

And, instead of being at the nice round 200 pound mark I thought I was at, I actually weighed 232 pounds on Friday (yes, I'm down to 230 today but still!).

AND, I had to go back and adjust all my weight stuff in FitDay! Do you know what a pain-in-the-butt that was?!?!?

So yesterday morning, Saturday, I looked up the "induction" thing from Atkins. Okay, 30 grams or less per day. For two weeks. I can do that. That's what I'm doing. (Do you know that FitDay doesn't subtract fiber from the carb count!!! bummer!)

The 200 pound mark was very very important to me because I need (for myself only) to lose 40 pounds by May 4th. Both of my younger children are graduating from college in May and that is the date of the first graduation. Lots of pictures will be taken (you all know what that means right?). I wanted to look as nice as possible.

It was a goal I set for myself last March. At 160 pounds I thought I might be wearing a size 12, maybe a size 10. I just had a picture in my head. I've been holding it out to myself through all these months since March 2005.

Now, in order to reach that goal I would have to lose 72 pounds by May 4th. From my experience with this WOE, I just don't think it is possible.

I've been losing steadily since March by focusing on 10 pounds per month. That's all. Just the 10 pounds. I've never stopped to focus on the "total" except to say to myself "by the kids graduations I want to be a size 12 or 10. 10 if I get there, but don't think about it just focus on the 10 pounds per month." I didn't count my carbs too carefully. I never did "induction." I just cut out as many unneccessary carbs as possible, ate a well balanced meal with meat and vegetables, took my vitamins and drank plenty of fluids. I also began exercising regularly.

I got on the scales religiously every morning, didn't freak if it hadn't changed because I do know about the "whoosh fairy" and know that I'm going to gain about 10 pounds before my period - but I'll lose it to about Day 3 of my period. I was religious about the scales because then when I had a temptation I would just say to myself "what did you weigh this morning?" "How far is that from your 10 pounds this month, how many days do you have till the end of the month?" "If you eat this, will you lose that 10 pounds?"

Whenever I thought I was stuck, I would go to FitDay and write down EVERYTHING I ate and all of my activities. Usually after 7 days of that, I would have corrected any bad habits I'd unconciously fallen into.

So that's how I've managed to lose 95 pounds. I still have 80 pounds to go to reach my "final goal" of 125 pounds. And, right this minute I am irrationaly pissed about the 32 pounds!!! Since I've never quite felt this discouraged, I thought I'd stop in here and post so all of you nice people can help my "scrub out my head" (my version of the "stinking thinking" saying).

Hmmm...since I'm new. I think I should go ahead and tell you a bit more about myself and my motivations in this same post. (Nope, can't do it. Too long of a post. I'll post an "Intro" separately).


Okay, I'm done. I know this is very lengthy. I feel better about the 32 pounds having written all of this though. Thank you for indulging me. Please do write me some "kick-in-the-pants" messages about the scale thing. I need some thoughts to tell myself to keep me from obsessing more about this.

Thanks!

You have lost NINETY-FIVE POUNDS!!! Do you know how incredibly AWESOME that it? You have lost the weight equivalent of my nearly-full-grown Golden Retriever! (see my journal for a picture) You're doing great!

Don' worry about what dress size you are in May. You've lost 95 lbs.!!!!!!!

You'll look good in whatever you wear, whatever the size.

Keep up the good work!

I have to agree with Nita and Michelle, you should be proud of yourself for losing 95 pounds! To me the scale isn't what matters, it's how you feel in your own clothes. My best friend is the mesuring tape. Since I've restarted induction 2 weeks ago I've lost 7 pounds and it was all in the first week. The scale hasn't moved, but I feel it in my clothes. I haven't mesured myself yet, but will do so tonight.

Congrats on your loss, and don't let the scale get you!

)

You have lost the weight equivalent of my nearly-full-grown Golden Retriever! (see my journal for a picture)

Thanks! I really needed that! I hadn't quite thought of it that way. I thought about the 95 lb dog all during my shower this morning (I had to pop in and see if someone responded didn't I? )

Lost the equivalent of a 95 lb. dog....<shaking head> I love it!!

Hi K...I replied to your other post but I just wanted to say that fit day does record the fiber in the box with the daily totals....so you can subtract it yourself. It took me a while to discover that. Have a great day

Wow. 95 lbs. Tip o' the low-carb hat to you, M'lady.

You sure about those scales? If your MIL's weren't that different, it seems to me that a 32 lb. variance is X-treme. If you've bought a new digital gadget, I'd recheck. I'm suspicious of new technology--and scales in particular!

Anyway, good for you. And hang in there. Whatever shows up in the graduation pictures in a few weeks will be better than yesterday. Whatever size you are near the date, shop for the most flattering attire you can find, and enjoy the pride of the day.

Ditto what Vickie said about fitday. The fiber is broken out in the summary box at the top of the daily page, and you can do the arithmetic easily. For the grand total at least.

Whew! Back from my day. I've been "peeking in" all day but I really can't write from work. So much nice support here and I really appreciate it.

I'm going to steal a page from Eddie's way of posting -

Rosie_Posie - I'm still smiling at the Golden Retriever comment. For some reason that really snapped me out of my funk. (Well I think just writing out my frustration, anger, etc. started me on the way out but you finished it!)

Nita - I know and I'm looking forward to whatever size it is because I *know* it will be a better size than I am now, and a better size than when I started. I'm loving my closet during this period. I'd forgotten I had some of those clothes.

Anik - Thank you. I only forgot for a bit. I'm back on track and yes, I'm very proud but not done yet! <smile>

Vickie - Thank you for that tip about FitDay. I went and looked and you're right!! I wasn't looking up there, only at the totals after I'd entered the food. Thanks for telling me.

Barb L. - Thanks for "dittoing" what Vickie said. It certainly helped. Yes, I'm sure about the scales. The old ones were very very very old (over 10 years) and had been moved from house to house four times. The new ones are *not* digital (I have reservations about that also). The new one is a HoMedics Dial Scale - in extra large print so my old eyes can see the numbers early in the morning (LOL). Thank you again for the encouragement!

Folks, I really am better about the scale thing today. I really think it helped to just have a place to vent. Thank you for existing and thank you for participating and giving me feed back!

~K

I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling better now, and I'm glad I could make you laugh. Sometimes, that's how I think of my weight loss. For instance, I've lost 10.5 pounds...that's a bag of potatoes at my grocery store! I just happened to have taken Prince to the vet last week, so his weight of 95 pounds was fresh in my mind.

K, I too am astonished at your 95 lb loss!!!!!!! What a MAJOR accomplishment. Dub thyself Goddess in the Making!!!! What I would do is take two gallon jugs that are full of whatever.......and weight them on your scale. A gallon of liquid weighs about 7 lbs. So if it reads 14 lbs or close, you know it's accurate. You could do that with the other scale too. Then you will know for SURE which one is more accurate.

You will be beautiful at your kids' graduation no matter what!!!!!!! I'm sure you have a bubbly smile to match your bubbly personality and you'll be showing that off in those pictures 'cuz it will be such a happy day for you all!!!!!!

Originally Posted by barb keith

...............What I would do is take two gallon jugs that are full of whatever.......and weight them on your scale. A gallon of liquid weighs about 7 lbs. So if it reads 14 lbs or close, you know it's accurate. You could do that with the other scale too. Then you will know for SURE which one is more accurate.

I did that. Also, I'd already done something similar with jugs of olive oil (I love the stuff and buy it in large sizes <smile>).

The new scales are true. :(

But I'm over it. I just re-set everything. Nothing has really changed. I've lost the weight I've lost (I am sure the old scales measured that correctly. It was just *where* they registered that was the problem. I'd been doubting them for quite some time but I had been checking with a doctor's scale about the *amount* Like I said, it was just the *where* not the how much. Hmm...I don't know how to explain this correctly.)

Thanks for all of your good wishes and thoughts.

~K

Scales can be emotionally draining for lots of people. What the scales say dictates the mood of the day. Everybody has to find their own best attitude toward the d*mn things.

In weight loss mode, I only weighed once a week, or less. Made a note of it in my exercise diary. Now, in maintenance mode, I actually weigh every day. My personal history tells me that I slip easily into denial--if I don't see the number, it isn't happening. This is one of the Weight Creep's favorite ploys with me. I don't think of it as obsessive, just preemptive.

Best wishes. Your 10 lb. "carrot" sounds like a winning strategy.

Ah, yes, I should have figured you would have done something like that...............you're a SMART lady!!!!!