Totally demoralized

[Britt1975]

So - I got back on the wagon almost two weeks ago and I'm doing great. I feel good, have lots of energy - I'm not struggling with cravings or food choices - the induction flu was actually a breeze compared to previous attempts.

So everything should be fabulous - but it's not.

I took my weight on my home scale the day I started, and then weighed myself again at the end of the first week. I was down 11 pounds and I was super excited. Then yesterday I hopped on the doctors scale at our office to find that it was 20lbs higher than my home scale. Came home and asked my husband to weigh himself (he regularly weighs at the gym on a doctors scale) and he confirmed that our scale is off by at least 20 pounds.

I'm so bummed out now... not just that I'm twenty pounds higher than I started at, but that my home scale is so far off. Now I don't know what I started at, or if I've made any progress since I started. I would like to say that the scale is just off and those eleven pounds are accurate even if the scale isn't - but I tested the scale several times today and it ranged a 75 lb difference in 4 different attempts.

What a piece of crap scale!!!

Just bummed. Added to that, I've recently begun tracking my food in a food tracker, and I've discovered that I'm eating at least 10 more carbs per day than I thought - and my Splenda sweetened tea has to go! I thought I was doing so good.

Back to the drawing board!

[Geekin' in Utah]

Finding your scale is under-reporting sucks (I think the scale manufacturers do it on purpose ), but it doesn't mean it's useless. Just use your scale as a guide. Five pounds down will be five pounds down, either way (+/- an ounce or two).

I know my scale reads 8 pounds less than my doctor's, so I just add 8 pounds whenever I weigh myself.

[greybb1]

No matter what you really weigh, you feel great, have lots of energy, everything IS fabulous! The number isn't the only thing you should consider when you're losing weight.

How do you feel? How are your clothes fitting?

It's not all about the number! You are losing weight, I promise!

[brimmy]

a 75 pound difference seems like a defective scale. If you're super reliant on the scale (like I am) your first matter of business should be to replace it. When I was around 17 years old i would weigh on my parents scale and it would clock in around 300 pounds, but then one day I went to the doctor and found out i weighed 335. It turns out the scale wouldn't GO higher than 300 pounds (even though it showed that it did). Now THAT was a shocker. The problem though is that it's just a number, if you're feeling so much better in every other way, then you're already ahead and it shouldn't matter if you've lost a pound or 20. It's also a good idea to also keep measurements since even with a super accurate scale (which i use), your weight can fluctuate quite a bit from day to day based on salt consumption, water consumption, natural body fluctuations, etc...

Keep it up, get a tape measure, a new quality scale, and keep on feeling great!

[watcher513]

If your scale is under 10 yrs. old, contact the company that produced it. Some companies have a 10 year 'guarantee'. I had one that was 4-6 years old that the lcd's quit working properly. Just for the heck of it I emailed the company and found out about the warranty. They sent me a brand new one to replace the one that went bad and I sent the old one back. Now, this one is notoriously around 3-4 lbs. higher than the doctor's scale but I know that and that's not That bad (far off).

[Biochic]

20 lbs!! Ugh how fruatrating but perhaps it was consistently 20 lbs off? I'd give myself those 11 lbs and then go out and buy a reliable scale.

[Trigger828]

That does stink. to be ready to go to find out that number is so way off. ugh.


but just get a brand new scale. good one! start over. you were going to lose the weight away, are in a great place, doing well, feel wonderful, just take it for what it is...a pain in the butt situation that ticked ya off, but keep on going!

[BigRunner]

You FEEL great and most assuredly lost something.
You found/fixed an issue with the scale.
You are addressing too many carbs.
You are addressing your splenda needs.

Sounds fabulous. Don't let the gravity-o-meter slow your momentum.

Onward and Updward!!! Keep it up.

[creseis]

yeah that would make me really sad too!!! I recommend taking the broken scale outside and beating the crap out of it to teach it a lesson!

[princessmommy]

That would be Very frustrating and disheartening! I always weigh more on my Drs scales then at home but that's to be expected since at Home I weigh first thing in the morning in my jammies same way every morning. Do Not let this get you down. You are losing, More energy etc and that is Awesome! Get a more dependable scale and keep going! You Can and Will do this! We all have faith in you!

[Britt1975]

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement and helpful suggestions. I'm just going to keep on keeping on.

My scale is a health o' meter digital weight tracking model that is less than 5 years old. I'm obsessive about saving manuals and warranty information, so I'm going to look that up today and see if I can get any satisfaction that way - if not, I'm taking Creseis' suggestion of taking it outside and beating the crap out of it. :-)

I'm not letting this set me back - I'm just bummed that not only do I not know where I started from... I'm heavier than I thought I was two weeks ago. Having done this before, I know that I see my biggest losses in those first two weeks, and it makes me sad that I missed out on getting to see that loss. Oh well! Onward and downward!

[jennbeingme]

If it's and digital scale- it might just need a new battery-

[wannalose]

I was just going to say that!!! Mine gets completely wonky when it needs a battery - reminder mine probably does soon! try changing batteries.

[avid]

Don't ya just hate when that happens? LOL
Your crap scale may not weigh you accurately but it did show you losing.
that made you happy.
Stay focused on that rather than the actual weight...
Your doing great!!!> Rejoice!!
(oh and buy a new scale) LOLOL

[clackley]

OK, I get that that must be a bit of a shock but really, it is just one piece of information and it was wrong but now you have it right and you still lost weight. I would chalk up 10lbs. and move on. But really the more important measures of success are things like 'how do you feel'? I am willing to bet that you are feeling a lot better on many things that have nothing to do with the scale.

[Trigger828]

yea weak battery and my digital goes wonky fast also.

[Britt1975]

Thanks for those suggestions - I actually put in fresh batteries immediately before I weighed the first time. Changed the batteries, reset the time and date and recalibrated with a 10lb weight (which weighs correctly btw). Stupid machine.

Thanks Clackley - you are right (and have such an adorable avatar) I do feel better and the loss is obvious (if only to me) in other ways. My pants are a little looser and my wedding ring will now spin freely on my finger.

Y'all are all awesome!

[reddarin]

Get a tape measure and measure yourself. That will keep you sane even when you have an accurate scale that says you gained 2 pounds when your tape measure says you lost 1/2 an inch here or there.

[baileygirl3]

Ya want me to beat up that old mean scale for ya? Don't ya hate it when that happens? You think its your friend then bam, it turns on ya. Well, you seemed to have started out with the right attitude so don't let this one little thing get you down. You can do this!

[blauby]

Several of you mention Splenda in a bad light. What is wrong with Splenda? I have been lcing for 2 weeks and have not lost a pound.

[batlou]

You need to get gangsta on that thing!

Office Space - Printer Scene (from the movie) - YouTube

[jmc305]

Originally Posted by blauby

Several of you mention Splenda in a bad light. What is wrong with Splenda? I have been lcing for 2 weeks and have not lost a pound.

Granular splenda (powder) is bulked up with maltodextrin, which is a form of sugar. In the US, it's legal for the manufacturer to put "0 grams of carbs" on the label if it's actually less than .5. So "zero" is actually more like .4. Use a cup or 2 in a recipe or a pitcher of tea, and boy, it adds up. Most people on here have switched to liquid splenda that doesn't have the added sugar. Diet sodas are the same way. Hidden carbs will getcha. I had to learn this the hard way myself. I speak from experience.

[Britt1975]

Originally Posted by jmc305

Granular splenda (powder) is bulked up with maltodextrin, which is a form of sugar. In the US, it's legal for the manufacturer to put "0 grams of carbs" on the label if it's actually less than .5. So "zero" is actually more like .4. Use a cup or 2 in a recipe or a pitcher of tea, and boy, it adds up. Most people on here have switched to liquid splenda that doesn't have the added sugar. Diet sodas are the same way. Hidden carbs will getcha. I had to learn this the hard way myself. I speak from experience.

I was guilty of three cups of Splenda per 1 gallon of tea! Which ended up being about 2 carbs per oz of tea. What a mess!!!

[avid]

Originally Posted by batlou

You need to get gangsta on that thing!

Office Space - Printer Scene (from the movie) - YouTube

LOL funny clip.

[jmc305]

Originally Posted by Britt1975

I was guilty of three cups of Splenda per 1 gallon of tea! Which ended up being about 2 carbs per oz of tea. What a mess!!!

I take it that you REALLY like sweets . I used to use 2 cups and thought that was a ton. I recommend some EZ sweetz or liquid stevia. Also, have you tried L-glutamine or gymnema sylvestre? They don't totally kill my cravings, but I believe they do take the edge off and make it bearable. They're worth a try...

[Mobear]

If the fresh batteries don't help, and the company won't replace it - I would definitely take a hammer to it

On the issue of splenda, I no longer use the powder (or any of the pink, yellow, or blue packets in restaurants) because of the maltodextrin they are cut with which increases the carb count. I've been using ez-sweetz with no problem and put it in coffee, tea, and a lot of recipes.

[Britt1975]

Originally Posted by jmc305

I take it that you REALLY like sweets . I used to use 2 cups and thought that was a ton. I recommend some EZ sweetz or liquid stevia. Also, have you tried L-glutamine or gymnema sylvestre? They don't totally kill my cravings, but I believe they do take the edge off and make it bearable. They're worth a try...

Not to point fingers at anyone - but it's not actually me. I'm fine with just one packet of splenda per glass of tea - but my lovely DD and DH prefer the tea 'presweetend' in the pitcher and insist that Splenda just doesn't taste as good as sugar, and it took 3 cups of sweetness before they would like it.

I'm actually not a sweet tooth person - I'm a savory person - so this WOE is perfect for me. I'm just going to have to transition to EZ Sweetz for their tea because I refuse to allow them to binge on soft drinks. Regular or diet, they are all bad in my opinion.

[CindyCRNA]

I'm not sure why you are demoralized?? You still lost 11 pounds! You weigh more than you thought but you still lost 11 pounds! Your diet is working! Blow it off and say, "Yeah for me!!"

[stardustshadow]

Wow, that is awful! But yeah, scales are strange and poorly calibrated sometimes. Luckily mine is congruent with the doctors...but my in-laws makes you look 8-10 lbs heavier!! I trust mine since it matches the doctors and will NOT weigh myself at their house again! Also, what surface is your scale on? If you have an uneven floor, or for example, a tile floor in the bathroom, it can be way off. In my old place, the scale would read differently if it was in different places, because the wood floors were old and a little slanted. Now I have a tile floor in the bathroom, so I have to make sure the tiles are even, otherwise the readings are not consistent...and carpet simply does not work with a scale!

[reddarin]

Originally Posted by stardustshadow

Also, what surface is your scale on? If you have an uneven floor, or for example, a tile floor in the bathroom, it can be way off. In my old place, the scale would read differently if it was in different places, because the wood floors were old and a little slanted. Now I have a tile floor in the bathroom, so I have to make sure the tiles are even, otherwise the readings are not consistent...and carpet simply does not work with a scale!

That is so true. My bathroom floor is whacky like that too. It reads a few pounds higher if I put it on the wrong spot.