Hi - this is coming from a HS math teacher (me)

This morning as I was doing my 25 minutes of incline walking at 3.7 mph, I was pondering all the fuss about numbers and how they can affect our mental well-being.

I was a little depressed Monday because my scale had somehow added a pound to my weight over the weekend. It seems many of us get unhappy over the little numbers staring back at us on the scale! It's been said before, but here it is again, nobody notices the numbers on the scale, they notice how we look! They don't know that's a size 12 under there, or a 34 belt you just bought.

I know I feel better, my clothes fit better, and so on, but unless that tape measure verifies it, or the scale, I get frustrated!

Right now I'm sweating going to the Dr. tomorrow to hear my blood profile numbers, when I know I'm healthier and in a better frame of mind than I was 3 months ago. If my cholesterol is 250 instead of 190, I'll feel worse. If the BP goes up on that day, I'll worry about it.

It would be nice to just know I'm feeling better and more healthy, and not obsess on the numbers!! Just ONCE! oops

John

July 03, 2003
202/176/170

John, you hit it on the money. Weight, age, IQ, size, how long it takes us to travel somewhere, how much money you make, what time you go to bed, what time you're forced to get up....it's ridiculous how much we obsess on numbers. The bad thing is, it's difficult for anyone to go one day and not obsess about the numbers a little bit, not just those of us who are losing weight, counting carbs, drinking ounces of water, getting our blood profiles checked, etc. LOL!!

BTW, congrats on your weight loss, it looks like you're doing fabulous!

Cheers!

Jen
Started Atkins 5.5.03
196/181/155

Oooooo! Oooooo! THATS ME!!

And thanks to the computer and things like Fitday I can now obsess on hundreds of things!

I hate it. I keep telling myself that I have not been doing this very long and all this is part of the learning process. Later on, I will feel confident enough in what I am doing to relax a bit.

When does "later on" come? I wish is was sooner, not later.

Rave
232/199/130

Isn't it amazing how the scale can dictate to us whether or not we are going to have a good day or not.

I weigh once a week.



Victors are really just temporary quitters who then regroup with a vengeance.

I am with Mona on the scales..if I allow myself I can go nuts with it..so if I forget to weigh in am, then I wait for another day..it has been 4 days since I weighed and that helps me!

To get to the rainbow you must first pass through the rain!

Unfortunately, I'm a daily-double weigher. Right before bed, first thing in the morning. I'm kinda wishin they made a bed-scale, so that when I wake up, I could glance over and see what I weigh in the middle of the night.

Rave, I know what you mean about FitDay - I spent way too much time on that during the first month of Atkins. Now, I go there maybe once a week if I have a concern about a food.

BTW, I didn't own a scale before starting Atkins, maybe self-defense.

John

July 03, 2003
202/176/170

They do make a bed with scales...check out a medical supply place!

To get to the rainbow you must first pass through the rain!

LOL! in my mind, record keeping is the only thing that separates mankind from animals. And, I'm not sure animals aren't in the right, on that score .

(all the rest - art, tool use, humor, etc. have now been documented in the animal kingdom.)

~~~Teelbee

174 (Mar. 2002, highest weight), 164 (Jan. 2003, begin LC)
164/135/137-134
remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic

OMG! I love the bed scale thing. I thought I was the only one with "Weight OCD". I weigh myself every chance I get. Log my food, weight, inches, have spread sheets with graphs etc. My daughter just shakes her head & says she's going to hide the scale from me. I think I see an Intervention in my future.

265/203/155
Started 7/15/02

I threw my scale in the garbage 3 days ago. I was weighing myself everytime I went into the bathroom - talk about a nut!!!
I will not let myself buy another scale for 2 weeks.
Who is dumber than me?? I just cost myself about $25.
Beth

I got rid of my scale too! (accidentally though, last year... urk...) I feel much better for it and I think my WOE has been made much easier without it.

***********************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."

John, I am also addicted to my scales. I weigh myself first thing in the morning and right before bed too. I try to estimate what my weight will be in the AM by my nightly weight. It is so screwing I never estimate correctly. I hate the fact that my scales dicate my life (or close to it anyway), but i am afraid if I do not weigh in I will let myself slip and gain it back again. That is how i gained my 30 pounds back from WW. It was too depressing to get on the scales. I have been thinking lately that I might be able to give up my scales soon. Hey, I beat the carb addiction, scales should be easy.

Beth, there is no way I could toss mine out. I am sure I would be digging through the trash for them .

John, good luck on your appointment tomorrow. I am sure you will pass with flying colors .

Susan ( AKA Northwest)
207/177.5/160

HATE THE SCALE!!!! I am only weighing 1x a week at work. I will not allow myself to have a scale at home. I would weigh myself everytime I went into the bathroom. I had a fight with myself today not to weigh at work. But I didn't do it. Maybe tomorrow, LOL!

V

I can do this!!


403/312/220 5'10

temp goal: 299.9

LOL, John.

Our world is ruled by metrics and measurable objectives.

My refrain in management meetings at work is "Just because you CAN count it doesn't mean it COUNTS!"

I weigh daily and chart it in Excel. It's a tool for me because even if the scale bobbles a bit, floating up and then down, I can **SEE** that the trend is downward over time.

Ginger

Life is NOT a dress rehearsal.
159/147.5/139

LOL, John--bed scale? What's next scale shoes, so we know our weight every step of the way. Scale toilet, so that......hey, hey, hey, I'd better keep it nice here!

I was obsessive, too, early on. Even though I have dyscalculia, I can read the scale all too well.....It was just too much riding the waves of emotion. Now I rarely weigh and depend on my clothes to tell me when I need to cut back down. Even at the doctor's office today, I got on the scale but didn't look--and told the nurse she'd better not tell me....


BC
172/108/108
Zone since 4/98