weigh in day...

Today's only my 6th day back on plan, but Monday's always been my weigh-in day, so I decided to weigh at my doctors today to see the difference between there scale and my home scale. I've been weighing once a day at home since starting back on plan (my councilor actually told me to do this, weigh once, record it and then ignore the scale- to avoid obsessive-compulsive scale behaviors) I've been really happy with what my home scale said, now I'm shocked by what the doctor's scale said. Yesterday morning, at home, MY scale said I weighed 364.7. Today at the doctors I weighed 407.8!! OMG! Seeing a number above 400 again just about gave me a panic attack, and I went and weighed on a different scale and it said the same thing...which means my home scale is 43.1lbs lower...I like my home scale better!!!

The last time I weighed at my doctors I was 388 lbs and that was about a 1 1/2 mths ago. Is it possible to gain 19.8 lbs in that time??? (I WAS off plan and eating alot of junk...) I'm hoping that I'm just retaining water, My legs arnt' as swollen as they were, but are still really puffy. The thing is after 5 whole days on plan, eating low-carb almost-Atkins I FEEL better, smaller, less swollen. So does that mean I weighed even MORE than 407.8 5 days ago??? 

I'm trying not to let me get this down, I'm hoping next monday shows better numbers at my doctors, and I think I'm just gonna ignore my home scale-or buy a new one!!  Thanks for listening...

Oh Heather, my heart just dropped for ya.  I could feel your pain as I read that.  By all means, don't weigh on your home scale anymore!  Either that or go home and figure out why it's doing that.  Is the surface flat, etc.  

I do believe you can gain that fast.  I know when I'm on a specific diet and I stop working it, especially low carb, the weight just comes right back on me....and fast.   It's hard isn't it!  Hang in there girl, you can't change what has happened, you can only learn from it now.  I swear we will continue learning more about our weight than we want too know, through out our lives! :)

 

 Heather, I just read your post and like Holly my heart just sank , I feel your pain! the only one's who truley know how hard this is are the ones who have struggled with weight issues for a long time, most of here I think! I would love to talk with you more but I am headed out the door for work, know that you are being thought of today sweetie! 

Hey Toots, I'm working out in the yard, but I just wanted to pop in and offer some support.

Let's do the math.  1 1/2 months ago you weighed 388 on your doc's scale.  What did you weigh on your scale at the time?  Is it possible to gain 19.8 pounds in that time?  You bet your sweet toockuss it is.  I hate to say this about big girls, but it's a fact that we retain more water than the average dieter.  You mentioned your legs are still really puffy after six days on almost-Atkins.  No way that is fat, it's all water.  Getting off of the sugar and starch and processed foods has a diuretic effect.  When you start eating them wholesale again, there is a severe rebound effect and big girls will put on twenty pounds of fluid in a heartbeat.  Especially if you carry weight in your thighs.  Sad thing is that it takes longer to get rid of it than it is for us to put it on. 

I'm at least glad to hear that you are feeling better, smaller and less swollen after six days back on plan.  I've been there and done that and less swollen is worth alla the hassle!

As for doctor's scales, they get used a lot and unfortunately they don't always get callibrated regularly.  I went to a hospital lab for blood work and I weighed 18 pounds LESS on their scale.  I asked the tech if that scale was right and she said that they have them callibrated all of the time because they use them to weigh patients who are going under anesthesia and they have to know the correct weight to know how much anesthesia to administer.  My point is...all scales with flat out lie to your face!    They're Evil.

  Feel better, this won't last forever,

Mary    

Ok, I decided I didn't want to depend on just the scale to determine how my progress is going. Last time I weighed at my doctors (when I weighed 388) I came home and measured myself (both arms, neck, chest, waist, hips, both thighs, both knees, and both calves). The total number of inches on 3/9/09 was 415.255. I just finished measuring myself and even though the measurements were higher for my waist and hips, the total measurment was 413.25!!  Which means I've LOST 2.005 inches!!  I'm not sure what that means, how I can GAIN 19.8lbs in 43 days but LOOSE 2 inches! Can anyone explain this to me??? I'm definantly feeling more positive, I've always heard that it's inches that are more important than wieght, because muscle weighs more than fat.

Hey Heather:

I'm so sorry to hear about your disappointing encounter with the scale but you have a great attitude about it!  I don't imagine it's all fat but probably mostly fluid.

Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat - e.g, 5 lbs of muscle weighs 5 lbs; 5 lbs of fat weighs 5 lbs but muscle is more dense so 5 lbs of muscle occupies less space than 5 lbs of fat, hence the reason very muscular people look lean.

I'm glad to see you back!  Best wishes on your plan!

BTW, I saw your post where you referred to your daughter as "Jordy"; that's what my best friend calls me.

Kim

I've been weighing myself once a month on a digital scale, and I'm finding it a pain in the neck!  It says something different every time I step on it, so I'm going back to our regular scale now that I'm down to 263.5.  That scale didn't to 300 pounds, so I stopped using it.  My husband and I weighed ourselves on a very large scale at Marc's, and we weighed less on that than my digital scale, even with clothes on.

Does anybody know what is the best scale to use on a once a month weighing?  I'm tired of "guessing" what I weigh on the digital scale.  If I start weighing myself more than once a month, I start getting obsessed about my weight and how much I'm losing.

Denise Phares/kitties4

 I have heard wonderful things about the Tanita scale, their are many different models but the pricey ones are of course the best, they not only measure your weight but also measure body fat % and even bone density and hydration levels! when I can afford one I am deffinatley investing in one! so good to know that if your weight is up if it is really fat or lean muscle that you have gained, or water weight or what? I think they have a web site its www.tanita.com  hope this helps!

Michelle

Yikes, what a nightmare. Hopefully you can use this to help get you back on track and eating properly. I know that my scale is about 10 pounds lighter than my Dr's. so I mentally prepare myself when I'm getting weighed in the office. Time of day and what you are wearing can account for a couple of pounds. Hopefully next time you get weighed you'll be happier with the result.

Skylar

No baby...don't look back. It is a number, yes, an important one to take note of.

If anything, wipe those tears and get snake-eyed about what you deserve in life! Don't be sad, get focused.

Please listen to Miz Mary - her post was dead on for you - she's walked it.

Her plan does seem to be what you need right now. ((((Heather)))))