Hey ya'll. I just stared Atkin's 5 days ago (and with NO cheats) but I didn't weigh myself before I began. I've noticed that many of you write that you don't rely on a scale, but on the fit of your clothes or your measurements. However, I'm a numbers kind of gal... Only thing is, I KNOW I'll get depressed if I step on scale and don't notice any loss (or percieved loss since I actually didn't weigh myself before I began). My dh says he notices that I'm starting to slim. But as for me, I don't notice any physical changes. I do however notice that I have steady energey and a steady mood throughout the day. Wow, I sure know how to make a should-be-short post long. So, I'll backtrack to the point:

How valuable is weighing to ya'll?

Thanks in advance.

Casey

I personally only weigh myself once a week....no matter how much I want to know what the scales say!

For many years I wouldn't go near a scale....if it showed I'd lost, I'd "celebrate" and end up gaining it back....if it showed an increase, I'd drown my sorrows in food....either way I'd end up gaining.

When I started Atkins I weighed myself and I weigh every week. I'd like to be able to say that I only weigh monthly or something....but at least its' not daily!

My suggestion? How much do you THINK you've lost? 1 lb? 5? whatever it is....get on the scale and take it at face value. If you then add the # of pounds you think you've lost, that could be your starting weight!

Also...check your measurements....I was shocked at some of those numbers!

And then there is the "pant-o-meter". Just go by how you feel in your clothes!

Bottom line is that it doesn't matter where you actually start....what's important is that you've started a new, healthy way of life....and if you stick with it you'll be rewarded!

Welcome to the forum...feel free to ask any questions you might have. The people on here are very helpful and supportive!

You might also wasnt to start a journal....it's good to write things down, and people will come by and add their words of encouragement!

CindySue,

Wow! You have such an uplifting and motivating aura about your posts!!! Thank you.

I really like your suggestions. I'll step on that dreaded beast (the scale) tomorrow. I have to go to the gym on base to do it because I wouldn't keep something so evil in my house.

I'm so glad that I found you all. I bragged to my husband that my post meter has gone up to 2 eggs. Hopefully I get up to the T-Bones one day.

Thanks again,
Casey

Casey, I can empathize. Nothing can ruin a great 'skinny' day faster than stepping on the evil scale when you just know you shouldn't. My advice is if you know it's not a good idea, don't do it!

I'm also a numbers kinda gal. I like tangible things. I've come to accept that weight fluctuates - daily, weekly and monthly. Exercise, water retention, the weight of the food I eat, TOM and even when I ovulate all effect the scale - so I take the numbers with a grain of salt.

I've found that it helps to have other frames of reference, other numbers. If you do decide to weigh you should also get out a measuring tape and a pair of test pants. Take measurements in many places - it's common to lose inches on one thigh and not the other. If you can, take pictures.

And of course, take stock of how you feel on a daily basis. That really is the most important measure. If you intend on eating this way for the rest of your life then good health and fat loss are inevitable

Nat

Hi Casey,

Well, although I would never want to disagree with Natrushka, who has helped me by answering my postings many times. I weight myself twice a day. Once in the mornings after ablutions (I take this as my true weight) and once in the evening.

This has given me valuable feedback on how my body works. Most of the time my body just stands still but sometimes I loose weight quickly in two or three days. I can analyze what I ate, and did, and tweek the diet.

It's up to you. I would say however, don't get emotional about what the scales say. Last Sunday after a sauna and swimming I was 80.4 kilos. I went to a friends house, had a few glasses of red wine and by the time I got home I was 82.2 kilos. Had I put on weight - no - just holding onto water - and it'll go away too. Scales are only a source of data. How you feel is more important.

Good luck,

Robert

For me, weighing in twice a day helps keep me honest. In the past whenever I've tried to lose weight and fallen off the wagon, I've stopped weighing in altogether because I didn't want to see the number go up. This has always put the brakes on my weight loss efforts. I fool myself into thinking that if I don't see it, there's no real damage done. Sometimes it gets very discouraging to go for weeks or months at a time without a loss, but I know that if I didn't force myself to get on the scales at the very least once a day, that I would start adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that until the day before weigh in day.
asugar

There seem to be as many opinions on this as there are members here! I weigh once a day, because it keeps me motivated. If I see a loss, it encourages me to continue to eat right. If I see a gain, I can take care of it right away. It's amazing how we can delude ourselves into thinking that a three-pound gain is water weight. It may be, but it may not be, and it's easier to re-lose three pounds than ten pounds.

I also chart my weight in Fitday and keep an eye on the averages, so that I can see what it's doing over the long term. I would go nuts if I weighed every week or less--I would constantly be worrying that on the one day I weighed, I was higher or lower than average, because of salty food or TOM or whatever. Looking at the averages helps me to avoid obsessing over a particular daily number. If I'm happy with that, I don't let one particular day get me too discouraged.

Bottom line: do what works for you. But do remember to use the same scale, weigh at the same time of day and with the same (preferably no) clothing.

Skywind

Since I am also a numbers girl I weigh myself every morning, BUT I only record it once a week. It has been interesting to see the weight fluctuate on a daily basis and head downward on a weekly basis. I also record my waist measurement once a week, since that is one of my trouble spots and I take a picture in my workout clothes once a week. With the weight and waist measurement, I can calculate a BMI and really inaccurate body fat %. I know that BMI doesn't take into consideration muscle mass and the waist only BF% isn't the best way to do it, but they give me a baseline and I like to watch the numbers fall. BTW, I have done a more accurate BF% using hips, wrist, forearm and weight and found that the waist BF% is 10% above the more complete BF%.

One thing I do with this information is chart weight loss by waist measurement. I have found that on weeks my weight loss is slow, my waist shrinks and on weeks my waist stays the same, my weight falls. So I know that at least something is changing every week.

Paleo

I really love those scales. I think they keep me accountable. I weigh every Sunday morning and post this weight in my www.atkinscenter.com journal. But alas, I do NOT weigh everyday cause that just makes me crazy. My weight tends to go up and down up and down. My partner is also on Atkins and weighs daily. And that is really hard to put up with. A gain, no matter how slight, is not a good day. I am threatening to hide the battery until Sunday. I think once a week is an accurate reflection of how you are doing. And, when you get closer to your goal weight once a month or every couple of weeks should do it. I take my measurements every couple of weeks but really, that doesn't motivate me much - I need the hard number on the scale and I know I have to put it in my Atkins journal! And I love to change my number on here and see the percentage change. It takes so little to thrill me. LOLOLOL Cindi