Suggestions for a new guy?
 

My situation may be close to some of you, but most may not relate. I've been LCing for 6 days now and can tell a difference in my mental and my mood. I feel like have more energy, and I'm hoping it's a good sign. My situation is, I have no scale that is able to weigh me. My choices as I see it are as follows: I can either put down $200.00 for a 500 lbs scale, or go to the hospital and get weighed on the freight scale in the depths of the basement. For those of you that are 400+, how did you know if you were losing weight? Should I hope that I'm doing okay and just wait the 90 pounds plus that it would take me to become able to use a standard 350 lbs scale? Any ideas would be greatly appreciative.

Hello!
 

Welcome to the forum and to the Triple Digits Club, bamrak!

On the contrary...I can totaly relate. You'll note from my stats that I weighed 426.5 13 months ago. So I know all too well the challenges of being extra large and the toll it takes on one's body.

I also faced the challenge of finding an accurate means of weighing myself. As you mentioned, I plunked down the $200 for a 500 pound capacity scale. Haven't ever regretted that move...

I'd like to invite you to stop by my journal anytime you like. It's rather long, but I recorded my weight loss over the last year (OK, there's a lot of socializing in there too) as well as my daily menus and many recipes...

The only other I want to make clear in this post tonight is how really good I feel these days. Oh, and BTW, I have to test results to prove that this WOE (way of eating) works.

Good luck to you and WELCOME!

Donald :wave:

Donald,
Your posts are what led me to post this question in the first place. I appreciate the information, and look forward to joining you in the loss. I've never felt the desire to lose weight in the past, but it seems that I have the desire, and I can say I do feel better already.
Thank you for the warm welcome, and I hope to be able to share some success stories with you all as well :)

Signs of weight loss
 

Hi Bamrak,

First of all congrats to you for making the positive step about low carb eating. I started Atkins about 6 weeks ago and I feel great. I can relate to not being able to weigh myself because I am pretty big also. You will feel the benefits very quickly. Try measuring your waist. I lost 6 inches in 3 weeks.Your clothes will start to feel looser. Hey,if I can do this anybody can. I feel that I have loads more energy and I don,t feel tired in the middle of the day anymore. I am never hungry also. This is now the longest time I have ever been on a diet. Diet perhaps is too strong a word. As far as I am concerned it is a new way of life for me. I have also started a journal, simply to chart my progress over the months, years to come.

Make sure that you drink plenty of water as well. I made the mistake of drinking diet cokes and eating sugar free jelly. I later found out that these contain asparatine which is a big NO NO.
The important thing to remember is that you are not alone. This forum will give you all the support you need, and there are plenty of folk in the same situation as you and me who will give you both the motivation and inspiration you need to continue with low carb eating.

Best Wishes

Kenny

The reason my starting weight is listed as 350+ is that when I started I did not have access to a scale that went over 350 pounds and my weight was off that scale. I did not weigh for the first 2-1/2 months I was following Atkins. I could tell I was doing well because I wasn't getting hungry between meals, I was eating less, I had more energy, and my clothes were getting looser. However, I could not independently confirm that with a scale. I stuck to Atkins without the confirming number on the scale because I kept feeling better and because the only alternative that I was aware of was weight loss surgery which scared the h-ll out of me. I had tried lowfat dieting, but that was a disastor for me, so it was not a viable alternative.

In retrospect, I think this may not have been a bad situation to be in. So many people keep posting that they are discouraged because they lose rapidly for the first two weeks on induction and then go into a stall that lasts a few weeks. If I did that, I had no way of knowing.

It's up to you to decide what to do, but I definitely think there are advantages to being unable to weigh yourself regularly. You'll be able to tell if you are feeling better and if your clothes are getting looser and you will get less hung up on the daily fluctuations of your weight.

Welcome to the Triplet Digits Club. I am glad you found us.