my scale is off, need a new one. It's not making the progress i want it to either. i can't afford a new one at the moment, so was wondering what you all do? was thinking of buying a pair of pants or shorts next size down and making that my goal....any thoughts?
on another note, dieting is turning me into a real crab. i am so crabby my kids are avoiding me....if i was a jolly fat person, i'd be tempted to throw in the towel, i can't stand myself. anyone else???
thanx
tracyg

It would probably be better if you could buy a scale, most are the price of clothes, but instead of buying a pair of pants a size smaller (I get more depressed and disappointed and that causes me to eat more if I don't make the goal of fitting in them) I would buy a $1 measuring tape and measure the same areas, chest, waist, hips, thighs, etc., once a week. Cheaper than pants. Also, make sure you are getting enough and an equal balance of protein, carbs, and essential fats at each meal. If I don't eat anything besides lettuce and fat free salad dressing I get really cranky and short tempered. Not enough protein at each meal leaves me starved and weak, the same as not enough carbs. I stick to low glycemic carbs also. My ratio is usually protein 40%, good carbs 40% (not bread, fried, cakes etc.,) and EFA 20%. This keeps my moods and hunger more stable.

I measure my success in different ways.

1) the number on the scale (yeah...that's a big one for me!!)
2) I take measurements all over. 3 places on my abs, my hips, my thighs, my arms, my bust....if I can see a difference, then I am soooo happy.
3) then there are the non scale victories...like being able to make it thru a whole cardio class without having to stop more than twice to catch my breath (yeah...that one hasn't happened yet. but it will)

I like that idea too about buying a pair of shorts in a smaller size. I was just thinking the same thing that I should go buy a pair of 12's to have on hand and just keep trying them on every other week. I swear my hips, butt and thighs should be getting smaller, because they sure hurt alot today after last nights class!!!! lol

I measure, I weight and I use smaller clothes as a gauge.

Measuring is pretty good to see how many inches you are losing. The scale can fluctuate but you should see an overall downward trend. Clothes are good just to give you a general guidelines. I currently have size 18 misses petites pants waiting for me and I should be in them in them soon

I weigh once a week.

I measure inches once a month.

I have smaller clothes in my closet that I also use to measure my progress.

I weigh daily - yeah, I know I shouldn't but I do. I only RECORD the weight once a week, though

I measure bust, waist and hips every Monday and record it.

I think investing in a scale is probably a wiser choice than a 'smaller size' piece of clothing. On the other hand, if that is a big motivator for you, then by all means, hang those shorts up where you can see them, and try them on once a week!

Good luck!
Heather

If it works for you then there is no "shouldn't". There are just as many studies supporting daily weighing as weekly weighing. I weigh whenever I get the urge - almost daily.

Smaller clothes are good too, but dont buy too much smaller than what you currently wear. Your shape can change as you lose and it might not be a good gauge. Or you might get to that size and the style no longer works on your body. One size smaller at a time! I dont do that so much for motivation as to save a bit of money. I try to skip sizes. So I had a lot of size 10's in my closet from the LAST time I lost weight. So when I was a 14 I resisted buying too many size 12's (although I did buy a couple because they were on clearance) and just wore baggy until i could get into the 10's. Now I would be really comfortable in 8's but only own one pair (impulse buy - plus I never thought I would wear LESS than an 8). I wear the 10's even though I spend half the day pulling them up and bought some 6's only when they were buttonable but not really comfortable.

I get easily discouraged so I use anything I can think of ... scales, tape measure, clothing, body fat calipers ...

"There are just as many studies supporting daily weighing as weekly weighing."

Thanks, ennay! I did NOT know that! Feeling a LOT better about admitting the daily weighing, now!

Heather

1) I weigh myself every morning.

2) I measure myself every couple weeks and record my measurements on Fitday.

3) I try on clothes from my closet every few weeks. I clean out items from my closet as the clothes get too big, and I put them in a bag to take to Goodwill or The Salvation Army.

4) I keep NSVs in my journal so that at times when the scale doesn't cooperate, I can still remember I am making progress elsewhere.

5) My mother-of-the-groom beaded top and sheath dress is hanging in the front of my closet. I try it on each week to see how the arms are fitting. (The upper arms are tight on the dress. I'm working to help them be LOOSE!)

6) I use a ticker here and update it when I lose more weight.

7) I try on my youngest son's jeans! They have zero stretch in them, and I am about two more inches from buttoning them!

8) I make note in my journal of things that I can do now that were very difficult before.

I weigh myself daily, I take my measurements once a month or so, and every month or so my personal trainer does my body fat percentage. I also use my clothes as an indication of where I'm at, but that is the least reliable of all my measurement methods. Clothing sizes vary pretty significantly from brand to brand so that sometimes I can make myself a size or two smaller just by buying a different brand. And they stretch and shrink in the wash. My jeans are always a little tight when I pull them out of the dryer. After wearing them for a day or so, however, they are hanging off me. Have I lost weight or have the jeans just stretched out? (Sadly, my scale and my measuring tape tell me it's the latter.)

Personally, I agree with Currydi. I find it hard to believe that you can't find a scale for the price of a pair of pants. I know I paid only $30 for my scale and there were definitely cheaper ones available. The scale is a much better investment and will be cheaper than the pair of pants in the long run. What happens once you fit into the the pair of pants that you bought to measure your progress? Then you have to buy a new pair of pants in a smaller size. But if you buy the scale, you'll still have it and it will still weigh you just as well as it did when you were the larger size.

A measuring tape would only cost you a buck or two.

Don't worry about how often you weigh yourself. If it works for you, that's all that matters. I weigh myself twice a day (as soon as I get up in the AM and right before I go to bed at night) and I consider that restraint!

I weigh daily, but I take it with a grain of salt.

Measurements once a month.

Body fat % every few weeks.

Keep track of cardio fitness.