I have an old fashion doctor scale, the one with the sliding dial. I think its not working for me anymore.
This year start, was 350 and current am 328. I am confused and don't have any other scale or the money to get a new one. I am not on any plans, just eating healthy and light activy. I don't feel lightier. I look in the mirror and have not notice any change.
I am losing hope and just accept my size and be happy! I am 43 and struggling since the age 20.
Have you noticed any change in the way your clothes are fitting? Or how your knees are feeling? Those might be some clues.
You could also try a string tied around your waist. Not tight, and not too lose. Just enough so that you can notice a difference if you drop a few pounds. It might help.
When I had no scale and was trying to lose weight, I made a rule about not wearing any elastic waisted pants.(pj's excluded) Everything had to be non-stretch with a button or zipper fly. It helped because I could tell what was going on. Not so easy for me to do in sweat pants.
You can always ask around too. See if there is a 'freecycle' type group in your area and put out a request for a scale. Or borrow one from a friend. Maybe go for a walk on the weekend in an area with a yard sale. You never know- you might get lucky! And you'll get a bit of exercise too.
Maybe join a site like fitday to keep track of everything. I know it helps push me.
Whatever you do, don't give up!
There is a very popular place on the internet built on the concept of accepting being overweight and being happy. It's called The Big Fat Blog and the forums are very active. They are activists fighting discrimination against fat. I spent a few hours there over the weekend, but after awhile I realized while the point they make is wonderful and valid and that fight needs to be fought; in the end it just depressed me. They seem to have the gift of 'wanting' to be fat. That isn't me. Maybe it is for you though? If not, just about every hospital I have ever been in had a scale hiding somewhere you could step on. I use one in our local emergency room because I too broke one recently.
But in the end what you weigh isn't what matters. It's how you feel. Losing weight feels great. I will only weigh myself once a month on this journey and if I am not feeling it and seeing it, then I'll probably not look at the numbers.
Hi Liliann,
But in the end what you weigh isn't what matters. It's how you feel. Losing weight feels great. I will only weigh myself once a month on this journey and if I am not feeling it and seeing it, then I'll probably not look at the numbers.
While this is true... I would tend to think both are very important. I know that it has taken me over 40# to drop a size (and even that is still snug). SO if I hadn't been seeing my number drop on the scale I think I would have gotten discouraged very quick. So I would definitly start shopping the garage sales and see if you can't negotiate your way to a new scale.
Best of luck and definitly do the string idea that was mentioned above.
Liliann,
Before I got my digital scale and I knew my old fashioned one was ready for retirement, when I was at my doctor I asked the girl at the desk as I was checking out if it would be O.K. if I could come in once a week and weigh myself. They were fine with me coming in and as long as I let them know at the front desk they would let me walk in and weigh myself. No charge of course. Maybe you could do that, but don't give up. We've all been there and have been struggling also.
I just bought a scale on eBay that goes up to 550 pounds and it was $19.95 and free shipping. I got it and it works great and they have sold a ton and have good feedback on them. If that's in your price range maybe you can find it on there since I'm probably not supposed to post a link right? I am so excited I can finally weigh myself lol Our regular scale "only" goes up to 330. *sigh*
At our weight I don't notice a change in the way I look either when I lose weight. I have to just believe my scale. lol
Thank you all for your unput and support..I am not giving up. Just the checking the scale so many times during the day, which it gives me a different readings. Must focus on checking on a monthly basis for now..
Liliann, Your scale might be fine! Every time I've lost significant weight at over 300 pounds, I can't really see any difference until I've lost about 30 pounds. It's frustrating not to see the change, but at higher weights 10 or 20 pounds don't seem to make much difference. Hang in there and maybe in a few more pounds you'll start to see a difference.
Lilann,
While I can only speak for myself, I'm not satisfied with just accepting my weight. If my daughter was dating an abusive boyfriend would I tell her to just accept it? If I knew a child who was neglected by her parents, would I tell her just to accept it? No, I wouldn't and I can't accept damaging behaviors for myself either. It is true that it is very important to love who you are, your compassion, sense of humor, moral compass, etc but to accept a damaging behavior, never. I'm 37 and what I do know is that if I don't change this aspect of my life, I'll never to be able to enjoy my grandchildren...because I'll be DEAD. And for what..for candy and donuts and burgers. No thanks, that's not the life I want.
I think so many times we want instant results, we want to see and others to see how well we are doing, how much we are changing. And that will happen but it takes time and let's be honest...patience is an issue for all of us.
I know that it has taken me four months of HARD work to get where I am, I had to work every day to eat right and always to find time to exercise. And there are days when it is still a bit of a struggle...but I've learned to find the beauty in those moments of difficulty and they truly are beautiful.
Last week my son, who on here is Book Wyrm, was afraid to swim to the bottom of our pool, it's eight feet deep. He believed that he couldn't do it because of his size...it took almost an hour from start to finish and he was freezing in sixty four degree water but he did it and it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life to watch and it changed him.
You never know what moments in life will truly define you, but if you don't embrace them and work through the fear, you'll never know
Don't give up....
I went scale free from last Oct through to this week. I finally caved and bought one that is digital, goes to 396 lbs, and indicates body fat, and hydration. For 15$ CAD.
Look in those stores that sell excess stock from other stores if you have one in your area. You might be surprised at the prices and what is available.
For the first 6 months of my diet, all I had to weigh on was those public restroom scales at the truckstops! I got a reading and some lucky numbers for 25 cents. lol. Well, while many seemed to be accurate, s few were so off it was funny. Like the one that weighed me in at 9 pounds and the one that weighed me at 879 pounds. Those scales are not calibrated and not trustworthy. So I caved and bought a cheap scale and carry it into the truckstop restroom once a week and weigh. I have to strip down in the stall and take a photo on the zoom in setting because I can't see the number.
Geez, it's a lot of work to weigh in! The fancy scale we have at home is the one I consider the most accurate, but I am only there every 6th week. I don't want to go that long between weighings.
What I have found to be the best way to see the loss is through comparison photo's. Most of the time I can't see any difference when I look in a mirror, but looking at photo's, I can. I only wish I had taken more int the beginning. Now I am taking them more often. I did not see a definite change until I had lost about 40 pounds, if that helps.
If you cant get a scale I would check with your doc to see if you can come in for WI. But I know some people who dont worry about the scale at all and gage thier loss by measurements.
Also your scale may be fine. But all of us have fluctuations thru the day, between consuption and elimination our weights go up and down. One time I experimented and I gained and lost 10 lbs in a 24 hour period.
I weigh in 1 time a week. Monday mornings naked, after elimination, b4breakfast.
Scale Broken..losing hope
