hi, i am new to this way of life. i can see the benefits of the dr.atkins program. however i weigh 400lbs and i am having a hard time getting it together and i cant weigh myself cause my scale only goes to 330, so i can't get instant results to give me hope to continue.i'm sorry if i sound pathetic.

Hiya!
To me it's not about losing the weight now.. At first it started out about looking at the scale and seeing the results. I spent the first two weeks on the diet without a scale and broke down and purchased one. Have you felt better since you started? The first hope I got was that my sleeping changed. I went from dead tired at 11 to struggling to go to sleep at midnight. My energy levels skyrocketed and I just felt 'cleaner'. I was spending most evenings watching tv and being lethargic. In two months I've taken up tennis, basketball, fishing, camping, and soon to add biking to my list of activities. Granted I can't compete yet, but I'm eons ahead of where I thought I'd be.

If the weight is an issue, you might possibly consider buying a scale. I bought a Siltec PS500L from www.scalesgalore.com for 184.95. It's expensive, but at the time I thought it was a great investment because I *could* see the numbers move.

If the price range is out, have you tried the Ketostix? they're a very cheap way to tell if you're 'doing' it.
I hope it helps.

Greetings, and welcome to the TDC.

I have one important message for you: <B>you aren't alone</B>. Many of our TDC folks know what it is like, to have to find special scales to weigh, because the ones they have at home (or can purchase for a reasonable price) don't go up that high.

I know how important those numbers are -- when I first started, I was scale obsessed -- seeing the numbers go down gives you a boost. But instead of using your <I>weight</I> numbers, how about getting a measuring tape and checking your <I>inches</I>? As you stick with the program, and exercise, your inches will go down, too -- and that's as much of a mood-booster as watching the scales go down!

And no, you don't sound pathetic. You sound familiar -- we understand what you're going through.

I know this might sound odd and it certainly won't give you an exact figure but what about getting hold of a second set of scales, putting it next to the first scale and putting one foot on each scale, try to maintain an even balance between the scales and add the totals together .... this might give you an idea of where you are up too but don't count on the final number being exactly right .....

Another option is going to a post office or a shop that sells scales, ask them nicely if you can use them - most places I've asked said yes and have been really nice about it .....

What about your doctor, does s/he have a scale that goes higher than your own ..... maybe you can weighin their on a monthly basis .....

Just a few suggestions but honestly I would suggest the following

Weigh yourself infrequently (atleast 2 week intervals) its not worth becomming a slave to the numbers.

Measurements are far more important as its already been said here, they tell the true story!

HTH

Fiona

Hello,

I bought the same scale and it is worth every penny. It is a digital and goes to 500 lbs. Later I found a site that offers cheaper ones at drugstore.com.

No way are you in this alone or pathetic. My highest weight was 381.8 and for 2 years struggled losing and gaining with WW. You will see a difference. I cleaned out my pantry and frig of high sugar, low fat stuff. I still have a freezer full of HC and LC dinners. My husband will eat them. Then I went shopping for the items I needed for the 2 weeks of induction.

Today is my 6th day of induction and I have lost 12.5 lbs. It has been rough, but today I felt less tired, etc. Withdrawal from white flour and sugar is hard. Just tonight I got my first burst of energy, and that is why I am on the PC at 2am instead of in bed.

Hang in there, you will make it.

Have a day.

Hi

Welcome to TDC....where there is no such thing as sounding pathetic We are all in this together!

I agree with taking your measurements instead of worrying about the scale. You will be able to tell when you are losing just by the way you feel, they way your clothes start to fit differently. Using the ketostix is also great.

You have come to the right place for support and encouragement so just stick with us and keep at it

Hang in there. It is hard, but it is worth it. I have my starting weight down as 360, but that is just an estimate and I think there is a good chance my actual starting weight was even higher than that. My doctor's scale only goes up to 350 and when I started low carbing last July I weighed more than that. I started low carbing in early July and was unable to weigh myself until late September when I was in a public bathroom that had a doctor's scale. At that time I weighed 335 and by early October I was able to start weighing myself on my bathroom scale which goes up to 330. In other words, I did this for 2.5 months before weighing myself and for three months before I could weigh myself regularly.

What kept me going during that time was the knowledge that I was less hungry than I could ever remember being, and therefore I was eating less, and I must be losing weight or at least not gaining (I had been continuously gaining for over 15 years). I also felt better and was more energetic. After a while, I started fitting into clothes that had been too tight on me. The difference in the way the clothes fit did take a while to notice -- for those of us who weigh over 300 pounds, it takes at least 20 or 30 pounds to notice any difference in the way clothes fit -- so don't be discouraged if you don't notice that right away.

When I started, I decided to give this a good faith effort for three or four months and then get gastric bypass surgery if it did not work. I already knew that lowfat diets did not work for me, so this was my last ditch effort. I am so glad I did this. I feel so healthy today and I cannot imagine feeling this good after surgery.

All of us in the TDC get down and depressed sometimes. We have an enormous task ahead of us and we will not see success overnight. I have been doing this for nine months and I figure it will take me another 18 months to two years to reach my goal weight. Fortunately, we don't have to get all the way to goal to realize the benefits of low carbing. I am still morbidly obese according to the weight charts, but after nine months of low carbing my blood pressure is down to normal without medication, I can walk for miles without getting tired, I can climb hills, and I can cross my legs -- all things I thought were impossible for me when I started this last July.

Good luck to you. I know you can do it.

Hi,
welcome to our community, great to have you on board. Just a word to say you are not alone and you can acheive your goal, just spend a little time in the success stories and when there link to that person's journal. I have given some thought over the last couple of days as to the fact that for none of us is this going to be quick fix to weight issues, it has taken years of eating the wrong things and doing little exercise, for most of us to gain the pounds, and with that extra weight, we often feel out of control and prone to becomming deppressed.

It's an old saying, but take one step at a time, and now that you have decided to follow this plan, do it to the very best of your ability, and you will begin to feel better, your hunger will reduce, and soon you will begin to notice your clothes less restrictive. I started just couple of weeks ago with at least 125 lbs to loose, I notice my clothes loosening and my energy levels increasing, I used to become sleepy and lethalgic, but not any more.

I guess the thought of the mountain to climb is overwhelming, but the choice is ours, if we stay on the road worrying and procrastinating over it we will be no closer to the top.
If we take a small step towards it, then we will be closer and as each small step builds up momentium , we begin to believe we can achieve the goal, once there, we can continue one step at a time untill we reach our goal.

So my good friend, can I encourage you to push forward, don't worry about tommorow, just focus on today, for when tommorow comes, you will have been successful today, and remmember you will find all the support you need here in this forum.

Graeme

You don't sound pathetic at all. You sound ready to start.

I think it's very important to have SOME way to track your progress. It doesn't necessarily have to be weight though. I think it's Breecita here who tracks via clothing sizes.

We're all pulling for you!

TJ...i agree with what others on here have said. You can find other ways of encouraging yourself, measurements, clothing sizes, how your energy levels are, moods, decreased food cravings, there are lots of different measures besides the scale! Keep with it though and soon one day you'll step on there and it will register a number!

I just wanted to welcome you, TJ, to this really cool forum. People here will always encourage you to 'keep on keepin' on' - and who couldn't use some really great cheerleaders on this challenging journey?

It is a pain to 'get it together' - all the work involved in learning new ways to cook and shop - But like anything, it gets easier the more you do it. I'm very much still a newbie, so in no way an expert, but I have noticed that with each new day, it's becoming more natural to think "cheese" instead of "cracker" when I want a snack. And by the third or fourth grocery shopping trip, I know which brand of hotdogs have the lowest carbs - I don't have to compare all 18 brands.

And pathetic? No way, TJ, not around here where we all know what you're going through. Congratulations on being brave enough to start on this path!

TJ,

Welcome! As you've already seen, this is a very encouraging place. I just wanted to add a couple of things.

You mentioned "instant results" to give you the hope to continue. It's already been said, but there are more results to this WOE than the scale can show, and once you're past the first few days (where many people feel awful) one of the first ones you should notice is that you'll feel better. I used to have a particularly nasty form of sleep apnea -- nasty enough to make going to bed a stressful event! It's been completely AWOL since I started this WOE, and that alone is enough to keep me going.

Another thing that may encourage you to keep going is that you can EAT on an LC plan. You'll be able to correct your health problems and lose weight without having to be constantly hungry. I am the world's worst bread and potato fiend -- happy to eat them to the exclusion of all else -- but I have never felt deprived on this plan because I've never been hungry. Just think of all the other things that you love but couldn't possibly have on a low-calorie, low-fat plan, and if they don't involve starch, enjoy them. The long haul becomes much more bearable when you focus on what you can have.

And come here often for encouragement. This is a wonderful group of people!

--Ruth

Just wanted to welcome you and encourage you to hang in there. I find the ketosticks a better indicator that I'm doing the right foods. I never get on the scale just once anyway...I move it all over the bathroom floor, get on fast, get on slow, first R leg, then try L leg first.............ohhhhhhh It's a sickness!!
Also, just keep the day at hand in your sights. If you get hungry..........EAT, EAT,EAT.......keep those lo carb snack handy.
Good Luck.

Welcome-Don't forget to take you measurements either. They can help you to track your progress. Often when the scale slows a bit, progress is noticiable with the measuring tape-Plus they are a lot cheaper than a scale!

Thank you all for responding, I got a lot of great advice and the courage to begin again. When I am honest with myself and follow the program, the cravings go away and I do feel better. I'm glad I have found this group and I will journey here often for support.