Ok I need my positive girls tonight. In a different thread I posted about how I thought my scale was off bc when I went to the Dr. a couple weeks ago I was 296 but then last week my home scale was 312. After counting calories for a week my home scale was 306 and the Dr. office was 288. My hubby had the same issue. The Dr. office scales are professionally calibrated so I thought, until I get a new scale I will go with that number bc afterall, my clothes are getting looser and I can now wear shirts I couldn't wear before so I have to be losing.
Tonight I went and bought the Weight Watchers Scale from Walmart thinking surely it would be the same as the doctor. NOPE...310! I am so upset right now. I haven't been on plan the past 2 days but I still haven't gone crazy and been making better choices. I still haven't had anything but water or calorie free drinks. I am so frustrated and normally I would have given up by now but I know I can't. I know that whether it is 310 or 288 I have a lot of work to do but wow...a whole week of eating between 1200-1600 calories for what seems like nothing.
I need to look at the positives...I was 320 at my heighest and at least I am not gaining. I am not giving up and not going back to my old ways so that says something right?
I'm definitely going back on plan tomorrow and coming up with a new (more concrete) plan. I have to do low carb bc of the metformin so I am going to try to do 1200-1300 cal Mon-Thurs and 1500-1600 cal Friday-Sunday. I can do this but right now, I'm fighting to not feel really doubtful about that statement.
Thanks for listening...I'm so glad I can come here and vent to find support rather than just throwing in the towel.
I have been told that you should typically go by how your clothes fit instead of what the scale tells you. My biggest gauge is the beltloop. Scales are funny though. My home scale always shows I weigh less than what the doc scale gives me. And like today, I weighed in at 177 at home this morning, but when I had my weekly weigh in at my weightloss clinic, they said I weighed 180. Sadly that is the number I am tracking since they are the ones keeping track of everything.
You are right to look at the positives. If your clothes are getting looser on you, then you must be doing something right! Good luck to you and I hope you find a plan that works with your metabolism.
Goodness, I find every scale is a little different -- mine, my gyms, my docs! Every one! Really, what you need to do is just pick one and stick with it! Sounds like you lost weight on BOTH your scale and the docs! So, congrats on your weight loss!!!
I have the same problem with getting discouraged sometimes when the scales play tricks on me. I don't own a scale and it's a good thing or I would stay depressed all the time
Keep fighting that feeling of doubt and hopelessness. I have also been told to go by how your clothes fit. It's not all in the weight lost because if you are exercising where before you hadn't been, your body is adjusting to that as well. Our bodies are complex things.
You know, you hear all kinds of things but only you know how you feel and if you are seeing a difference in your clothes and other things, let that be your motivation! You are doing just fine! And don't beat yourself up if you go OP a little. We are still human and it will happen! Just jump back on and keep trucking!
That sounds frustrating. Don't let it throw you!
So long as you're seeing downward changes in the scales you know you're on the right track!
How often do you get weighed at the doctors? Could you use that as your official weight and use a *change* in your home scales as positive feedback you're moving downwards? Still not ideal I know....must be messing with your head a bit!
Goodness, I find every scale is a little different -- mine, my gyms, my docs! Every one! Really, what you need to do is just pick one and stick with it! Sounds like you lost weight on BOTH your scale and the docs! So, congrats on your weight loss!!!
This. Who cares what the scale reads? It's seeing it CHANGE that matters. My house, doctor, gym scales are all different. Why blame YOU for inconsistent equipment? Stop making yourself crazy, accept that they are weird that way, and just stick to one to be the measure of your changes.
Also if it is going to get you upset, stop comparing apples (calories) to oranges. (lbs.) Just stick to calories across the board. You eat calores, burn calories, track your loss in calories as well.
1 lb is about 3500 calories. Go with "I have lost X calories this week." It will be more representative of your effort.
It's weird to me when people say things like "It stinks! I've ONLY lost 1 or 2 lbs this week!"
To me that represents 3500 - 7000 calories of work! I do a happy dance to nail -1 lbs a week.
Thanks for all the advice, support and encouragement! I was trying to tell myself the scale is still moving down but it is easier said than done. I am going to just stick with the scale I have here and go with that and as long as the numbers are getting smaller...that's what I need to focus on!
I love the idea of looking at it from a calories burned perspective. I think that will help me especially if I am counting calories. I just went over to the calorie counters threads and was reading about where to start as far as caloric intake and I'm wondering if my numbers are too low. Perhaps I should start higher like 1800 and see what my body does so I have room to go down later. I definitely don't want to eat 1200 calories and send my already jacked up metabolism into starvation mode. Anyone else around my weight count calories? Where did you start?
Hi darlin', sorry to hear about your frustration! Scales are dumb! I went to the doctor last week and weighed quite a bit less than I did on the scale at my sleep doctor's scale just a couple weeks before that, so I stopped at my sleep doc's on my way home (less than 30 minutes later) and there was an 8lb difference on their scale (higher, of course). So I don't think there's anything particularly more accurate about a doc's scale -- 2 different docs, 8lbs different. I agree with other posters that you just need to pick one and go from that. It totally stinks that if you pick the one at home you're starting so much higher! But seeing it go down is the thing, not the actual NUMBER you weigh!
I totally agree with your thinking on the calories. I was told by a nutritionist to shoot for around 1800 calories when I weighed ~305, no less or I was going to put my metabolism into starvation mode, like you said. It seems counterintuitive to increase calories, but your body does need fuel to keep that metabolism going. I would try it and see what happens.
It is so hard not to focus on the number on the scale, but try! I lost 24 lbs in April and was soooo excited, then May came and I only lost 7 lbs...but I lost 9 inches just in my waist and hips! Don't let the scale be your guide for success!
I am also living a low-carb lifestyle because I find it better for my health but I don't count calories. I find that if I eat high fat(coconut oil,avocados,some nuts, coconut milk) I am not very hungry and I automatically keep my calories under control.
You can do it, don't give up just because of a number!
I eat 1800 - 2000 calories. And I don't plan on changing it any time soon. Maybe once I'm at 200 lbs I'll revisit and reevaluate, but I'll tell you right now I like to eat and I'd rather increase the workout load than change my food level.
Thanks all! I'm feeling much better today and jumped right back in! I am on this journey for the long haul and my body deserves me to work hard for it so that's my plan! I don't care what the scale says (well I do care that it is going down!) and will just use my scale at home.
I would encourage you to take your measurements (waist, hips, bust, arms, legs (both thigh and calf) and neck)... then after a month... do it again. The scale movement rocks, but if I loose 4 inches in my waist and only drop 5 lbs... I am thrilled, but if I drop 15 lbs and see little movement on the inches I get frustrated. I guess it is just different perspectives.
Keep fighting the good fight... but remember this isn't a short term thing we are doing here. For me, there is no giving up, because this is just the way I am going to live from now on, I am not on a diet. I am not working out because I am trying to just lose weight, I am doing it because I want to have more energy and feel healthy. The weight loss is a huge bonus, but it isn't the only thing to look at. Also, as others have said you are going in the right direction on all scales... so smile about that!
I am also trying the counting calories, and I am not really sure where to start with that, but I agree dont make it too low or your body will go into starvation mode, and that wouldnt be good. I got excited today at the Dr, because I thought they could start at the 250 on the weight scale and maybe I could be under 300, but no they had to move it over, maybe next time though. I understand your frustrations though, you barely eat anything you feel like you should weigh so much less, but like I read another person say, go by your clothes, sometimes you loses inches faster than you lose pounds. Hugs!
Feeling Defeated!
