Hi I am pretty new. I have clinical depression and anxiety. I was divorced in 2008 and have totally let my weight go. I have decided to make a change and am eating whole grains veggies and fish. I am also walking and or running 4 times a week. Counting calories and keeping it under 1200 for the last 12 days. My problem is I am so afraid of getting on the scale for fear I will sink back into a dark place and give up. I want a reference and would love to see progress. I just dont think I can take the shock. Does anyone have ideas?

welcome!
Here it is, if you think it is going to put you into a tailspin don't do it. BUT how do you know how far you have come if you don't know where you started.

Also how much "under" 1200 are you going?

well i think you need to suck it up and weigh urself. you will feel good when you weigh the next day and have lost weight. It is so worth it. and will keep you going.

Could you try measuring yourself with a tape measure, and tracking your progress that way?

Sometimes it can be less confronting to keep a record of our inches lost, as we seem to attach less emotional importance to that number (even if we would still like them to be smaller!).

Or dig out some old clothes that no longer fit, and try them on once a week to see if, little by little, they start to fit.

I do agree that you need a starting point to gauge how much weight you've lost, but if you feel that it would be counterproductive at this stage, than putting off measuring yourself on a scale sounds like a good idea.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do!

I am at about 1100 depending on activity or exercise. I am trying to go by my jeans when they feel a little loose I might come up with the nerve to do the dreaded. Thank you everyone would love to be posting the carrots.

Hi Aimee- I have depression also and I know exactly how you feel. I have been losing weight VERY slowly that it makes me so depressed. Plus, the two pounds or so of water weight fluctuation makes me crazy. I have decided to try what someone suggested which is measuring and trying on my smaller clothes because weighing myself personally, puts me is a worse depressive state. When I am depressed, I don't eat but STILL barely lose weight. Good luck and I hope you are getting help for your depression Oh, and the exercise is the best you can do, my prob is I can't motivate myself to even take a walk!

Hi aimee and welcome I'm sorry about your depression..it sux doesn't it!! and I understand what you're saying about being afraid to see a specific number. I agree wtih the poster that said, maybe if it would be counterproductive at this time, just don't. And yes I think using other methods, such as measuring yourself, or going by your clothes..however sometimes for some people it takes a loss of at least 10 pounds to feel a difference in clothes sizes..

I think your program is great!! healthy foods, 1200-ish calories and regular exercise...you will get there!

I will confess that I dont think my ticker is accurate, I think i am up a few pounds but I am afraid to see a higher number because it will make me so disgusted with myself. I won't binge but it will put me in a more depressive state..so I haven't gotten on the scale in a month. I'm afraid also

Hey aimee, I got brave and got on the scale this morning, I am up 5 pounds which doesn't sound too terrible but since I needed to change my goal to a lower number, I need/want to go down 10 pounds. So today was the first day in months that I didnt have a big cookie at work