Ok guys I'm pouring my heart out to you...I was a member of a MSN low carb group before I came here. They were wonderful people but they have left a scar as big as the Mississippi in my heart. Every time I got excited about weight loss and due to the fact that I would weigh my self quite often, I was branded obsessive. ok, to make a long story short I started losing weight again after about a year stall and everyday I would get on the scale and see a loss...well of course when the scale stopped going down I went back to the group to ask for advise because I was afraid that I had hit a stall again...thus the brand...I have to stop looking for loss EVERYDAY...honestly all, I am not obsessed with this, I was simply very happy to see that scale move again...so I stopped getting on the scale...that was over a month ago. Do I miss the scale...no...can I go another month without it...yes (if I sound defensive here please don't take it to heart, I said the scar was big) I am looking forward to going on to OWL in about two weeks (though I may not because the losses I have seen in the past month have been unreal) and am wondering if not the scale how do we determine when we stop losing weight? I'm almost afraid to post any weight losses because of what I went through, I know I've found a wonderful site, but I really don't want to go down that path again. Please help.

Gail

Tape measure (plastic kind, the cloth ones stretch) or body fat measurements can tell us if we are still losing the fat. In fact it is a bit more accurate.

The scale weighs. That is it's job. It doesn't care what we ate and drank that day or the day before. It just gives us a number. Most of us drink 4 to 8 pounds of water a day.

For the record, I weigh myself every single morning. Doesn't really mean a thing to me at this point. I do so to give myself a reference point. I have managed to keep the same weight now since August of last year. One big difference is I am a dress size smaller.

I think you only get obsessive if you weigh yourself often and become critical of the number and in turn beat yourself up over it. Or cause yourself to fail over what it says. It is after all a scale.

I am another one that weighs every single morning. I enter it in to fitday so that I can learn about my ups and downs and see it all on a nice little graph. I enjoy the weighing daily, but I don't think I'm obsessive about it. Sometimes there's a gain but it doesn't mean much. Everyone has daily fluctuations and unless you obsess over being up 2 lbs today, then I don't see where the problem lies. Some people just prefer to weight more than others. Each to their own.

Now, as far as tracking real progress goes, I measure my hips and waist every week and enter those along with my weight into a body fat caculator that I've found. Once a month, I do more measurements...waist, hips, thighs, arms, and chest. That's the one that I really look at to see how I'm doing. Basically, I just keep all these different measurements to keep me motivated. As long as there's even a little positive change, it's so easy to keep going.

Hi Gkeenan,

In my view, there are far worse things to be obsessive about than weighing on a scale.

Far too often the old and often used cliché that everyone is unique and different somewhat rings hollow in our modern times. I think it still rings very true today. What is right for the individual might not be for the whole; and, vice versa, what is right for all might not be right for the one.

Whose to say that weighing everyday is obsessive if it’s what you’re comfortable doing for your own sanity’s sake? I wash my hands at least 7 or 8 times per day. Do I find that obsessive-compulsive behavior? No, I don’t. Would you? Probably. Would most? Absolutely. However, in the end, if I’m comfortable with my behavior, then it’s the only thing that matters irrespective of what anyone thinks. I also think obsessing about your scale weight to be infinitely preferable to fretting over whether or not “other” people think you’re being obsessive.

Sometimes I think we need to put things in proper perspective. You’re weighing yourself on a scale, not being “obsessive” over “other” things, which are not nearly as benign.

Good luck!

Hi gkeenan. Welcome and Congrats on your losses so far.

I completely agree with what Frederick said. If you want to weigh every day do it. Also, I think you should take your measurements so that when the scale isn't moving or your weight seems to move up you can use the your inches as another source for your progress. Don't let their "label" influence what you think about yourself.

You weigh everyday, so what? If it helps you do it. Just like some people test their ketones everyday. Whatever works..continue doing.

Good luck on your lo carb journey.

red

I, too, weigh every day and also measure every day. I record it only once a week on a spreadsheet. I actually won't claim a loss on my fitday account unless I am at the same weight for two days running. Heck, I weigh at night to see how much excess fluid I am carrying. Good way for me to check on water consumption or too much salt.

Am I obsessive? Probably. Do I care? No. If the scale goes up a pound or even two-doesn't shake me anymore. I know that will happen on the weeks I up my weight lifting load.

Welcome to the forum here. We might call you names, but only in a loving, fun way.

Hi Gail,

I agree with everyone here, but I also like the "pantometer" way of tracking my progress. Just find an old pair of too small jeans and try them on every little while. It's really fun to see the changes as the jeans get closer to fitting.

Other than that, go ahead and be obsessive--(better word I think is determined). Hey, with the amount of weight you've lost so far, you've got nothing to apologize for!

You're doing great! Congratulations!

jude

When I started doing this in December, I weighed myself once a week. Once I started again in February, I weigh myself every morning. I sometimes weigh myself before I go to bed too just to see what it may be in the morning - it's usually about 2 lbs less when I wake up. I think that everyone is different, has to do things differently, and hey, whatever works for you - do it! You may find that you weigh yourself not even on a really set schedule at all. What I've been doing is motly weighing every morning. I only chart my losses on fitday. Like last week I had gotten down to 187 (charted) then went up a couple pounds. When I got down to 186.5, I charted again. I just like to see the little graph thing. Then I only do a once a week on Atkinscenter.com since they have a weekly summary.

I'm not a fan of the scale. Its not an accurate measure of body composition. I prefer measurements and seeing an improvements in my weight lifting workouts and spinning classes.

But I would be careful with obsessive behaviour. I mean I do understand what Fredrick is saying, but that would only refer to undestructive behaviour. Washing your hands 7 times a day won't harm you or anyone else. So thats fine. But weighing yourself , starving yourself, binging , bulimic obsessive behaviour , food phobia is not healthy. It begins to control your life, your every thought, you come to do nothing but control the behaviour in fear of it controlling you.

When you weigh yourself it begins a cycle of destructive psychological behaviour that isn't healthy. You step on the scale, look at the number and either feel good that u lost OR you get upset, depressed and frustrated that you either didn't or gained. Then you begin self loathing, feeling like failure, let down and in a negative frame of mind that could set the whole day in a negative perspective. You could go on to further the damage by binging, going off the planand giving up entirely. UNHEALTHY. Its self torture.

my suggestion don't worry about the numbers on the scale. Just let the healing process ocur and you'll be down sizes before u know it. PATIENCE really is a virtue.

Piera

OMG! I've finally found a home... Thank you all for the pats on the back...and thank you for saying I'm ok...that really means a lot. Piera, this is exactly what I am talking about...I read your response and relived everything that was thrown at me on the other board...but all of their words were directed directly at me, not general statements like you are making...I do not give a rats....if the scale goes up a couple of lbs...what I was concerned about was getting into another of my stalls...I do not have any eating disorders...I eat more than my husband and he is twice my size...(I love atkins) If I stop losing I do not beat myself up and do not hide from the world...(again, please don't take my defensiveness personally-it comes from being let down by a group that was my support for so long)...I think I can get on the scale in the morning without feeling like I'm failing myself for doing so...thanks everyone...I needed this.

The greatest thing is that there are others here that weigh themselves daily...I thought I was alone in this...I guess I allowed them to make me feel like some sort of freak. I have recently fit into my 'stack' of jeans that I place on the top of my dresser (the next size down) and just replaced them this morning with the next size down (which will be a 10) so I use my clothing to tell me how well I am doing...I don't even rely very heavily on the tape measure for the longest time I was going down in sizes (pants) and yet my thighs remained the same measurement...I measure my waist once a week...I've dropped 3 inches in the past month but have no idea how much I've lost...I will be able to see that tomorrow.

Again, thank you all for this...it is the boost I needed to get back to feeling good about myself.

Gail

That's what we're here for, Gail Shame on those MSNers for making you feel badly That's not what a "support" group is supposed to do. When I was doing this in December and weighing only once a week, it was because I was at a point where if I did weigh myself more than that, I was getting obsessive and depressed, etc. Now I have a much more healthy, realistic attitude towards it. I weigh every morning, but I don't get let down when the scales go up a bit, because I know that it fluctuates throughout the week - just like my 187>189>185. I just use it to kinda gauge where I'm at and I like to make little points on my fitday graph

gk, I used to "obsess" about the scale too and still have weeks where I weigh every day, but I decided that a better measure was how my clothing fit. Even though I don't lose pounds, my clothes fit looser and I can tell that things are still happening.

Gail,

I also weigh myself daily and I'm FAR from having an eating disorder. I love food and have always had a pretty healthy relationship with it. I think it's entirely possible (and probably true in most cases) to get on the scale without feeling hurt, depressed, or enraged by the numbers. It's certainly not going to send the average person into a downward spiral.

If an individual knows that he or she is prone to emotional issues attached to the scale, then obviously getting on the scale every morning isn't a good idea. For me, I can get on and see a 2 pound loss and KNOW it will be gone by the afternoon -- so what? It was THERE! That means I'm closer to being there for real, it motivates me. If I see a higher number, it kicks me into gear and keeps me in check.

You seem pretty level-headed about it. So, weigh-on!

Andrea

Which MSN group was it??