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  #1   ^
Old Fri, Mar-21-03, 13:00
Arrow Arrow is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 160
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 196/196/175 Male 5'10"
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: San Francisco
Default The scale -- yet again

Hi all,

Here's why I step on the scale every morning:

My "average" weight shows about a four pound "normal" bounce. For example, say my flatline weight averaged for the week is 10 lbs. So one day the scale reports 10 #, the next day 8#, the next day #10, the next day #12, etc.

And say I've been Atkins perfect, eating exactly the same thing every day. That's a four-pound unexplained bounce. (And I know from reading here that women can experience a 5 or 6 pound bounce.)

Now, say I weighed only once a week. On weigh day, a "low day," I weight 8 pounds. One week later, a "high day," I weigh 12 pounds. (I say, "Oh, pfui !" Or, something with an explanation point on the end.) It would look like I'd gained four pounds, but actually, my "average" weight for the week would be 10 pounds, neither losing or gaining. Not so good, maybe, but better than a four pound gain.

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE:

We're supposed to be listening to what our body is telling us. Here are two messages I get --

One day I wake up feeling heavy, plumb ponderous. I looked bloated in the bathroom mirror. After showering, I hoist my flab onto the scale and it groans. Then shows I'm down two pounds.

One day I wake feeling really good, full of energy. If, when looking in the bathroom mirror, I suck in my gut and don't breath, my body looks really good. (Of course, when I relax and breath again I have visual evidence of why I'm following Atkins.) I feel so light. I land on the scale like a butterfly landing on a flower. The scale winks at me. Then shows I'm up two pounds.

HOW I HAVE BEEN CHEATING:

This is week seven. On weeks 1, 2 and 3, I lost weight. Week 4 it stayed the same. Week 5, I gained two pounds. (Remember, this is the "average" weight for the week.) I did NOT revise my stats upward. Now, tired of looking at the same old stats and quote, I changed 'em, although the week does not end until Tuesday. I'm real optimistic when I look at the daily weights penciled in on the calendar.

WHY I'M WAY BEHIND:

I try to read EVERYTHING on this forum, and even post some. But this week, I've been glued to the news every chance I get. I'll have a lot of catching up to do, but some things, maybe many things, are more important than my belly.

Anyway, thanks to you all for so, so much.
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  #2   ^
Old Fri, Mar-21-03, 13:10
pegva's Avatar
pegva pegva is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 492
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 189/159/145 Female 63 inches
BF:40%/39%/low
Progress: 68%
Location: Mechanicsville, VA
Default EXACTLY!

Arrow,
That's my point exactly... I weigh every day... if I go up, so what... but if I only weighed once a week and that day was an up day... what do I really know? I can fluctuate as much as 4 pounds!
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  #3   ^
Old Fri, Mar-21-03, 13:16
bigguyjonc's Avatar
bigguyjonc bigguyjonc is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,338
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 354/233/200 Male 5 ft 11 in
BF:YES
Progress: 79%
Location: slc, utah
Default i say break free from the scale

i decided to put it away for a month and just eat and excersize the way i should. It helps relieve alot of stress. and in a month weigh yourself for 3 days and see if you averaged a loss. that's what i'm going to do. I know i've lost fat. My wife says i look great and my clothes all seem to be growing bigger.



Jon
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  #4   ^
Old Fri, Mar-21-03, 13:20
Pat S.'s Avatar
Pat S. Pat S. is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 362
 
Plan: shangri-la/lowcarb
Stats: 185/173/145 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 30%
Location: Oregon
Default

Hi,
The authors of Carbohydrate Addict's Diet had a good idea. What the good Dr.'s said in their first book they suggested you weigh everyday at the end of the week average out the weight and take that number such as:
Mon-151 Tues-152 Wed-151 Thurs-152 Fri-150 Sat-149 Sun-150
Average weight for the week: 151
Pat S.
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  #5   ^
Old Fri, Mar-21-03, 13:22
pegva's Avatar
pegva pegva is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 492
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 189/159/145 Female 63 inches
BF:40%/39%/low
Progress: 68%
Location: Mechanicsville, VA
Default My point was...

I don't LET the scales Stress me... it's just an information tool.

When I'm at goal... I guess I won't weigh every day... then again...
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  #6   ^
Old Sat, Mar-22-03, 05:23
luvhump luvhump is offline
New Member
Posts: 24
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 197/197/145 Female 5.2
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: upstate new york
Default

I'm in my 5th week of this woe and yes, the scales are important, I've decided that I'd rather see and feel the inches. I don't know if any of you have experienced this but when I get a whoosh, I know its coming the night before. I just feel different-my hands when I clasp them feel different. When I feel this way, next morning, i've dropped a pound of so. I would be interested in knowing if anyone else has had these feelings. The other interesting thing I found-I usually have this feeling on the same day of each week. I have noticed that my inches have slowed down-could it be when you lose the pounds, you don't lose the inches as fast?
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  #7   ^
Old Sat, Mar-22-03, 09:31
Arrow Arrow is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 160
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 196/196/175 Male 5'10"
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: San Francisco
Default This freaky fad diet

Hi all,

Luvhump, on the pounds vs. inches equation . . . Sometimes I think the mathematics involved in this process defies all logic.

I don't think anyone should follow my example, since I am losing at such a slow and grudging rate. But since the first two weeks, I no longer count the carbs in lettuce, spinach, broccoli, asparagas, celery, cabbage . . . I eat all I want.

There's a supermarket I go to to buy meat, 'cause they have great markdowns. (I buy veggies at a produce stand near my apartment.) So, I'm standing in line at the checkout counter, and the woman in front of me has all this low-fat, no-fat "healthy" stuff. (She was slender and attractive, too.) She puts the divider on the conveyor belt and I plop down my stuff. Two turkey thighs, marked down, two lamb shanks, maked down, two pork loin blade chops, marked down, hamburger, on sale, a package of bacon, a carton of heavy cream and a carton of eggs.

The woman couldn't have looked more disgusted when she glanced at what I had if I had scraped up a very ripe road-killed cat and thrown that down.

I can imagine her telling a friend about it later:

"A real broccoli belly. I mean, he had spinach sag over his belt. It is so sad people let themselves get fat on all that lettuce following that kooky Atkins diet instead of watching the food pyramid. He didn't even have any pasta !"

Also, if you weigh every day like I do and watch the normal ups and downs, you never really enjoy a Whoosh ! Maybe a "Wh--" but the "--ooosh" is never there. In my case, it comes off slow -- when it comes off at all.
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  #8   ^
Old Sun, Apr-06-03, 00:52
spongebutt's Avatar
spongebutt spongebutt is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 223
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 189/187/124 Female 60.75 inches
BF:
Progress: 3%
Location: Washington
Default Re: This freaky fad diet

LOL at Arrow.

Last edited by spongebutt : Sun, Apr-06-03 at 00:54.
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  #9   ^
Old Sun, Apr-06-03, 01:20
NOT_MINIME's Avatar
NOT_MINIME NOT_MINIME is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 88
 
Plan: Atkins? Protien Power?
Stats: 220/193/150 Female 5'6"
BF:Unknown
Progress: 39%
Location: Arctic, Canada
Default

i decided to put it away for a month and just eat and excersize the way i should. It helps relieve alot of stress. and in a month weigh yourself for 3 days and see if you averaged a loss.

This is a great idea Jon and one I will adopt as well. When did you decide to do this? What week into the plan>
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  #10   ^
Old Sun, Apr-06-03, 07:18
Katana's Avatar
Katana Katana is offline
Urban Jungle Denizen
Posts: 4,061
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 180/165/150 Female 5'10"
BF:
Progress: 50%
Location: Tel Aviv
Default

I think each person needs to find what works for them... Maybe if you don't get on the scale you feel like you're not doing your job. But I think the scale can be a fair-weather friend.

I'm not doing so well right now, but a year ago I was the Atkins poster child. People I don't even know were stopping me in the hallways to ask how I lost my weight, and tell me how good I looked...

And I never weighed myself. Not even once.

I think numbers are too easy to obsess over. You might be making great progress, but if you weigh yourself everyday you don't really see it.

To me, what was key, was losing inches - seeing how well my clothes fit, and of course - buying all new clothes!

Now that I'm a size up from where I was, I know how right I was. If I weigh myself I'll get even more depressed. Rather, I just want to fit into my great clothes again - that is my goal and desire.
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  #11   ^
Old Sun, Apr-06-03, 10:02
viv's Avatar
viv viv is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 951
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 138/122/120 Female 5.4 1/2 small frame
BF:23%/23%/?
Progress: 89%
Location: san diego
Default

I'm with Katana!

For me... the scale is the and !

I personally like clothes... if the clothes fit then i'm comfortable with the way i look, i feel better, and i'm more confident...

one day - i'll have those above mentioned feelings despite whether or not my clothes fit - but that's a whole other ball of wax - progress not perfection.

viv

Last edited by viv : Sun, Apr-06-03 at 10:03.
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  #12   ^
Old Sun, Apr-06-03, 10:30
red1cutie's Avatar
red1cutie red1cutie is offline
"Natural Mystic"
Posts: 5,905
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 178/108/120 Female 5' 1"
BF:45%/17%/15%
Progress: 121%
Location: T.O.
Default

Thanks Arrow for making me smile and laugh and feel sad, a little! I know your frustration. Hey, at least the net movement is downward. BTW, Congrats on your 11 pounds lost!

When I was buying my broccoli, eggs and water this upcoming week this guy asked me if I was stocking up for the war.

Peace
red

Last edited by red1cutie : Sun, Apr-06-03 at 10:34.
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  #13   ^
Old Sun, Apr-06-03, 14:34
fishie48's Avatar
fishie48 fishie48 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 930
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 260/250/160 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 10%
Location: upstate New York
Default Too funny

You are just too funny. I loved reading your posts and was so intrigued that I read what was in your profile. A WRITER!! That is pretty evident and my goodness, you are a GREAT writer. I like your technique of averaging weight by the week. I'm going to start that too.
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