HELP!! Scale issues

[Keetje]

Hello Everyone,

Am sure I have come to the right place for a bit of help. I am at a loss as to what to do. Feel desperately unhappy. I am sure there is a lot of info on the board about this issue but I feel in need of a bit of support from you lovely people.

In my early 20's (45 now) I had eating/dieting problems which would probably be diagnosed as an eating disorder nowadays. I would binge, purge, exercise myself into decline, starve myself for days on end etc. At my lowest weight I weighed about 110 pounds - not overly thin, but I looked skinny and I was also pretty damn unhealthy. I swore off dieting at about the age of 24 to try and break the cycle. Part of the problem was the fact that I used to weigh myself about four or five times a day. Every time the scales went up I was beside myself!! A whole day could easily be ruined by a blip on the scales in the morning.

So I stayed away from dieting, I feel very pressurised when people talk about losing weight, sometimes I can even get downright belligerent! My BF's mother made an extremely thoughtless comment about my weight at Christmas and since then I have found it very hard even to talk to the dear lady.

Over the years since I swore off dieting, I have put on a LOT of weight - this time because of binging without the purging or starvation afterwards and resolutely stayed away from the scales.

So I decided that the time had come for action - and I bought the book and read it. It made sense to me.

This WOE has brought the desire to binge back under control, since I started five weeks ago, I have only had one slipup and by my previous standards this was really quite minor (but by Atkins standards, it was major!!! a whole 500ml of Haagen Daas Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream 10 days ago). The binging thing seems to be getting under control which is GREAT.

HOWEVER....the weighing myself bit isn't under control - far from it. I am back to weighing myself 5 times a day, and today has been completely lost to despondency about not losing any weight over the past three days. I have been in tears several times and almost completely unable to do anything but read about dieting then cry some more.

Anyone else out there with similar issues? or am I just completely bonkers?

Keetje
Non-Practising Bulimic (is there such a thing?)

[LaceyLooWho]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

I cant really relate to the scale thing because I don't even have one at my house (which I like). Maybe you can give yours away or give it to a friend or neighbor and just "use" it once a week to check your progress. I dont think weighing yourself 5 times a day does anything but make you feel awful! Your weight fluctuates so much that it simply isnt fair to put that much pressure on your body. Have you taken your measurements? That would be a better way of checking progress because sometimes the scale might not move but you are still losing fat. As long as you are sticking to the Atkins rung that you are on and arent cheating, you should be doing fine. Even Dr. A says to only weigh once a week... Maybe you can make that a goal for yourself Take care and be healthy!

[IrishMom82]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

I agree. If weighting yourself is such a problem (which I think I'm starting to have the problem) get rid of your scale. Swear off not weighting yourself for a while, get rid of the scale. Good luck!

[Keetje]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

Hi Lacey and Irish,

Thanks for your kind replies. I am very grateful.

Lacey, I think that making not weighing myself one of my goals is a really good idea! Maybe weigh in about once every two weeks at the chemist's or doctor's instead. My doctor offers a weight loss clinic where the nurse will weigh people and give a bit of advice.

Irish, the scales have been banned to an inaccessible place, those around me will just have to be a bit understanding for now.

Thank you both for your support.

Keetje
(day 1 of staying off the bathroom scales)

[OzLover]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

Great advice from Irish & Lacey! I don't have my book handy to direct you to the pages but Dr. A does address weighing 4-5 times a day & how our weight fluctuates throughout the day.

There are many ways to measure your success. Use the tape measure to keep track of inches lost. How are your clothes fitting? What is your energy level? How are you sleeping?

Good luck in your journey!

[Keetje]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

Dear Ozlover,

Thanks for the reply. I feel rather foolish about how obsessed I get with the scales, I really thought I was older and wiser this time, but obviously not!

Regarding the questions...I am sleeping far better, my energy levels have zoomed up a (everyone I know has commented on it) and the inches are melting away. So the scales are staying out of sight and out of mind - let's see how long I can go without weighing myself.

Thank you again,

Keetje

[chinadoll]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

Keetje,

Because you had issues with the scale before, the act of weighing in may be bringing back more baggage along with it--the insecurities may be buried but often times they aren't far from the surface. I think the idea of only weighing in at the doctors office is best. In fact, I would even consider giving the scale away to a relative for awhile so it isn't even in the house. In your head you know that weight fluctuates but that doesn't make seeing crummy numbers from ruining your day. Same goes for inches. Drink a glass of water and you'll gain in inches so do it once a week or every two weeks and leave it at that. Best of luck with this. I know it must be incredibly frustrating. (hug)

[Keetje]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

Dear Jill,

Thanks for your kind reply - it has been a very frustrating time, especially as all those issues came back to haunt me.

However, as you mention the Doctor's office - I did actually visit there today for some advice. He agrees with the advice given and said that I can weigh in once a week at the office so that 1. the nurse can advise and 2. if I get a 'negative' reading on the scales, the nurse can talk with me about it and stop me from going into a downward spiral.

He then weighed me and I had lost another 2 pounds (small thrill of delight!!!) - was very encouraging about the 21 pound weight loss so far. He pointed out that I had not been this weight in over two years.

He is not madly approving of the ANA, but would like to take some blood samples in a couple of weeks to see what my cholesterol is like.

For a british doctor, this is progress - most of them prefer people to live on shredded wheat, skimmed milk and apples *shudder*. A slight exaggeration, but they do tend to prefer the low fat approach.

Keetje

[charks1]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

Hi....Please don't think your alone on the scale issue...I was just freaking out in my journal a few days ago that I had gotten on my scale and was up a few pounds!!!

after a good rant I was o.k. but alot of us refer to them as the METAL MONSTER!!!
I was so bad .....like you it was 5-6 times a day...in the morning ,afternoon...dressed..undressed holding my breath...lol..anything to lose a pound on the damn scale.
We had a don't weigh in challenge a few months back were we actually hid our scale...mine I took the battery out of and threw the darn thing in the garbage..I was almost to the point of hunting for that battery in a huge demo dumpster..how sad is that...lollll.so you are NOT alone girl
also welcome aboard!!!!
Char

[Keetje]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

Hello Char,

Thank you so much for posting and sharing your experience! Seems like I am not the only one - I am still grinning about the metal monster name.

I was really concerned that I had gone stark staring bonkers and that I was back on the path to all that silliness I was involved with when younger. As Chinadoll pointed out, I don't think that they will ever go away.

I was smiling at the thought of you rummaging in the huge dumpster trying to find that battery, yep! that would be me too.

Anyway, I now have my regular weigh-ins with nursey at the doctor's surgery - she will be around to say soothing things if the news that particular week is not good.

The National Health Service is a wonderful thing!

Thanks again,

Keetje

[chinadoll]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

Keetje, be prepared just in case your cholesterol numbers go up. Sometimes people will have a temporary increase in the first 3-6 months on the WOE before the sugar-insulin triggers give up. After that, with exercise, the cholesterol numbers usually drop. Mine are the best ever, although I credit it to exercise as much as the WOE. Also, you may want to check the thread in the main forum about the study done at Stanford Univsersity. It is always nice to have some legitimate bona fide ammunition to take to the doc with you.

[booklady]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

That is a brilliant idea, so what a great solution to your problem. I have never weighed myself throughout the day , I know I have a few times, my first time or two on plan but never that much, I am very content with my every morning weigh in. The funny thing is, I cannot weight myself without someone to read it because if I lean forward to read it, it goes up, lol. It has to be my hubby because I prefer to be undressed, so that keeps me in line anyway, lol !!!
If I ever felt the scale was a problem, I would toss it in a minute too.
I am so happy for you that you found a great solution where you can get support when you weigh in, which is so much better than alone in your bathroom.
Great job solving the issue !!
Stephie

[Keetje]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

Dear Jill and Stephie,

Thanks for your advice and observations - Jill, I shall read those threads straight away so that I can read my figures with a knowledgeable eye! I actually think that my doctor is so delighted I have finally started to get to grips with the weight that perhaps he indulging me a little in the hopes of 'converting' me to his way of seeing things a little bit along the line.

Stephie, I have to admit I am very impressed with the way that the doctor's surgery have dealt with this - and also rather impressed with myself for going to ask for a little assistance rather than supposedly being brave and soldiering on without support.

I had a bit of a smile about you not daring to look down when you get on the scales - that sounds like me too!

Thank you both for your support and suggestions.

Keetje

[tacfla]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

Keetje,
I think when weight loss, weight gain, heck weight issues in general have been such a part of our lifes. Certain things tend to become obsessive. I know for a while when I was first starting to lose weight on Atkins. I was on the scale all the time. As time progressed and the weight came off, it became less important to weigh my self. I still do but not to the degree I did in the begining. I think you should get rid of the scale or weigh at the office. Hang in there we all have been where you are from one degree or another. I think your on the right track.
Robin

[Keetje]

Re: HELP!! Scale issues

Dear Robin,

Thank you so much for taking the trouble to reply. I am very touched with how kind you have all been.

My weight (for a while) was the centre of my life, but then after becoming quite a mess about it, I decided to ignore it completely - so I gained and gained. I suppose, like most things in life, it's about reaching a happy medium!

Thanks again,

Keetje