I told myself that I wasn't going to weigh until I could feel a difference in my clothes but I decided that I was going to give Atkins another try and thought I needed a starting weight. I got on the scales last night and I almost burst into tears. I have not weighed this much my whole life even when I was nine months pregenant. I guess it gives me some incentive to do better but I really feel so down about it. I'm hoping that I'll atleast see some kind of results by the end of the week. Anyway...just thought I'd share.

First off .
OMG ! I can so relate to you on this. I decided to weigh in and take some before photos . I actually cried!!!
You have the right idea use that as motivation, don't get discouraged. Put the scale in a corner... a dark, dark corner for a little while .
I had to do that and now I only weigh in every 10 days.
Anywho, we are all here for you.. you can do this

I weighed myself almost a year ago (early April I think) and I was shocked at the gain! I knew I was gaining but I didn't think it was all that bad until I saw the number. If you decide this is the time to lose weight the healthy way, it WILL happen. Don't despair. Like my mom always says "You can always do something about your weight, just be glad you don't have 3 arms." She's a cheerful sprite, that one. My point is, you can tackle your weight, no biggie. We're all here to help and support you along the way.

I think many of us can relate. About a year and a half ago, I got weighed at the doctor's office and was completely shocked. I cried out "Oh my God!" and the nurse felt so bad for me after seeing my distress that she knocked 5 pounds off my chart.

Painful as they may be, these wakeup calls are necessary. At least you know the power is in your hands to do something about it and it's great to know your starting weight so you'll feel that much prouder when you reach your goal.

Thanks all for the kind words.

Sunnigummi, that's what happened w/me. I knew I had gained but I really didn't think it was that bad until I actually saw the numbers. That was deffinately not my body looking back at me in the mirror. Oh well, I'm gonna get it back. It may take a while but healthier eating...here I come.

A dear friend of mine went to the doctor because she hadn't been in a while and thought it was time for a check up. When they didn't weigh her she asked the doctor about it and he actually had the nerve to say they didn't weight her because their scales didn't go up that high. She was absolutely mortified. Needless to say she didn't see him again. Everytime I get "really" down I try to remember this, and tell myself that I don't want that to happen to me. Most times it helps but other times I just gotta have that pizza anyway. (That's why I'm in the spot I'm in).

Yeah, I never bothered weighing when I decided to lose. It wasn't until after I knew I'd lost that I weighed, and I was 250 then. I KNOW I HAD to have been over 260 when I started...but I don't know how far over. So I'll never be able to state an accurate figure on my weight loss. Now I'm wishing I HAD weighed at the start. I just didn't wanna know back then.

Shelly - The thing that happened to your friend happened to me in a way. I was weighed at the doctor and was too high for the scale since it only went to 350. That was one of the most mortifying experiences of my life. The crazy thing was that at the time, even that didn't put a fire under me to really do something about my weight. The thing that I have found is that lasting change (at least for me) comes from positive feelings, not negative ones. Feeling bad might get us going, but it is feeling positive about ourselves that will carry us through the journey.

(((Shelly)))). Same thing happened to me. I nearly fell off the scale. I knew it was BAD....but not as bad as it really was.

I'm on atkins, too, after struggling for two months on Nutrisystem. Fifth day of induction started today. This feels so much more doable to me.

Sometimes getting on the scale and seeing a number you weren't expecting is the switch (or one of the switches) you need turning on in your mind to set yourself to do something about it. My switches went on almost simultaneously late last year.
At my physical exam in 2003, I weighed 180, which was my highest ever at that point and I had high cholesterol. My doctor suggested I lose weight. I then proceeded to gain 22 pounds.
So, by late last year I weighed 202. Switch #1--seeing that number on the scale, my first time past 200. Switch #2--seeing a photo taken way too close of me at Christmas. Switch #3--several ladies in my office making a concerted effort to lose weight and 2 of them succeeding very well. Switch #4--the new year was coming up so I made that my starting point.
I feel different this time around. I've lost weight before without trying (death in the family) and, therefore, gained it back when the new normal set in. I've lost weight trying very hard and hating it, giving up and going back. This time, it sort of all came together for me--my body, my mind, my feelings are all on the same page. Heck, most of the time my mind is willing (to exercise) but my body can't sustain it as long as I would like...and that, too, motivates me more because I want my body to be stronger. And I'm still eating the kinds of things I like, just not as much. Portion control and substitution and moderate exercise are working for me, as well as knowing myself well enough to know what I can live with and what my limits are. I think when people find a plan (their own or someone else's) they can really live with, that's half the battle won.

trekkigirl, I think my switches have finally been pulled. The reason I started yesterday (again) was because while sitting on my couch watching tv, I realized that my belly was sitting in my lap, now who knows how long this has been going on, but for some reason it just occurred to me. It got me to thinking about alot of things. Like the fact that I really don't want my husband, whom I've been with for 17 years, to see me naked. How pathetic is that? This is someone who knows your body up one side and down the other and I suddenly don't want him looking at me. NOT good. My son, one day while just playing around, grabbed my "roll" and started shaking it up and down. (he's young he didn't know any better). How is this possible? That's not mine. Oh wait, it's under my shirt, good Lord, where did that come from? I kinda started putting a lot of these little thing together and came up with one conclusion, I'm fat and it's time to do something about it.

BTW, I absolutely love this place. It's really becoming addictive. Thanks very much for everyone's replies. It's been really nice knowing there are people who feel just like you.

Shelly, welcome to the family! So many of the things you mentioned have happened to all of us. That eye opening doctors visit can really traumatize you, but if it gets you up and moving, then it's worth it. That number on the scale? Yeah, I was sure my doctors scale needed calibrating, it couldn't possibly be correct! I'm glad that you got weighed, though. Sounds harsh? I don't mean it that way. What I mean is that now when you go for a follow up visit, you can look at the scale and say yeah, I lost XX pounds! And no one will have done it for you, you will have done it all yourself. That is such a feeling of accomplishment that I cannot even begin to describe it. I actually look forward to my weekly ww weigh in. I want to see what I've done, what I've accomplished. You'll get there too, give it a little time and those first couple accomplishments, and you'll be jumping onto that scale!