I took a sledgehammer to my scales today

[queenpooch]

After THREE weeks on strict Induction - yes, "by the book" - if not better (not even sugar-free jello or lemon juice) I weighed for the first time today. Although my clothes have been fitting better and I've been losing inches, it was still very discouraging to have only lost SEVEN lbs. I even started to cry. When you're in the 240 lb range, 7 lbs seems like a drop in the bucket. Why OH WHY did I weigh myself????

Well, I lost it. The first thing I did was open the bathroom window, pick up that scale, push open the screen and slide that sucker right through to crash onto the driveway below. (My "workout" bathroom in on the 3rd floor of my house. Don't worry, I made sure no one was below.) It was very satisfying to hear the crash, but I wasn't finished yet. I ran downstairs to the garage, grabbed my husband's sledgehammer, and proceeded to smash the evil thing to bits. I know ya'll probably think I'm nuts, but it made me feel so good, and I even ended up laughing. I just hope none of my neighbors caught any of that, especially the maniacal laughter.

I guess the past 21 days finally caught up with me. I've had a difficult time with Atkins. For one thing, the Induction Flu has stayed with me the entire time. I never had that burst of energy everyone talks about. Granted, I'm not hungry and I sleep well at night, but I have had a big problem with fatigue, muscle weakness and major irritability (which probably explains the scale incident.) I've tried everything - upped my carbs to more spinach and vegies and I take extra potassium, chromium, all the supplements plus some. Lord knows I've been eating enough carb-free calories! I even tried OWL, but then the lipolysis strip didn't even turn a color. I have always been a big water drinker, and I even cut out the Splenda in my herbal tea. I don't drink any type of soda or caffeine. All this is just too restrictive and doesn't feel right. Not even sugar-free jello? Give me a break!

The exercise has been the hardest part. When you're big like me, with size double F boobs, it's almost impossible to exercise much anyway, much less when you're feeling weak and shaky all the time. Still, I have worked out with my weights, walked at night and even played a few holes of golf with my husband - no cart! All this has required a tremendous amount of effort though.

Just for the record, I had a full physical in May with complete bloodwork done, etc. I don't have diabetes or even hypoglycemia - according to the doc anyway. In fact, he told me I was the healthiest obese lady he's ever seen! (Gee...thanks) Of course, when I mentioned going on Atkins, he just shook his head and told me to go to Weight Watchers instead. If I go to WW though, I'll have to face another scale, and I can't hide that sledgehammer in my purse.

Maybe if I were to do OWL for a while, I'd at least feel better. What good is losing inches if you feel like poop all the time? I sure wish I could figure out how to get that energy boost. I'm definitely due.

Any words of encouragement or insight would be most welcome at this point.

46 yr old F 5'8"
SW: 246 CW: Let's not go there GW: Rather not think about that either

[Sheshy]

Hey Queen,

I'm sorry you're having a tough time, but actually throwing the scales out the window and smashing it was probably very therapeutic!

I can understand your frustration with the pace, but do hang in there and the weight will come off! I mean really, isn't the 'not being hungry' part worth it? It is to me...whenever I feel weak, I remind myself of the out-of-control feeling carbs cause in me...and I don't want that again.

7 pounds isn't anything to sneeze at, you should be proud of yourself!! But a personal question though, could you be close to TTOM? I know I'll always gain some poundage before and during.

You're doing great!! Keep going!

[RunAwayMichelle]

Hello Queen,

Any chance you are in peri-menopause? or have you started any new medications? either of these events may cause you to feel rotten and have no energy.

I hope you feel better soon.

[californiacasey]

Hey Queenie! Join the slow losers club. I'm in it that's for sure. We're really close in weight and I too am a "healthy" obese person (with the exception of PCOS which I was recently diagnosed with.)

It is really hard, I know! But maybe think of it this way, you LOST 7 lbs instead of gaining! That in itself is fantastic. Don't beat yourself up, we don't want you going on a cheat because you're frustrated (which is what I would do).

Do you keep a food journal? An exercise journal? Maybe you're not getting enough caolories? Have you checked what your basal metabolism is? Are you in ketosis?

Re-evaulate what you are doing. Do you eat salty foods, meats that are causing you to retain water? Are you drinking enough water? Taking vitamins? Medications?

Really go through everything and re-evaulate what may be the cause. Re-read DANDR...he talks about food allergies, maybe you have some.

Anyway, go through that and know that 7 lbs in 3 weeks is still really great! And you didn't gain! Keep your chin up!

[jystmekathie]

Just wanted to add some ((hugs)) and let you know this is tough for many of us. As you can see in my sig line, I weigh 100lbs more than you. It's not going whooshie fast for me either, but I just don't care right now. I hate going on a diet and failing because I'm hungry and I've done it all too many times. And the exercise... I hate that too.. lol. But as hard as it is...what is my alternative? Do I want to be wheelchair bound? Do I want to be bed ridden? NO. I just want to move freely even if I'm slower than all the rest. So 3x a week, as much as I don't like to, I do it. I started out walking for 2 min a day. That was all I could do. Seriously, I was in that bad of shape. I'm up to a big 20 minutes of exercise now... wooo.. lol, but to me, it's an amazing turn of events.

I guess what I'm saying, is I really do understand your frustration. We'd all love for it to go away as quickly & painlessly as possible. But...we know in the back of our minds, this is not realistic either. If we want it, we have to work for this. We don't get paid for doing nothing, so to get a reward/paycheck we must work.

If you're ever looking for someone to chat with, feel free to pm or email me. And everything I said in my post is said with a smile & a hug, and never meant to be condescending. I just understand. ((Hugs))

[spirittalker]

Is it possible you have a yeast overgrowth? Have you taken the spit test? Also some of us have found foods that make it hard for us to lose. For instance I love cheese but it's a no no for me. Try some experimentation and see if maybe it's not something you are eating that is causing all of the problems.

[determined2succeed]

I bet you are retaining water. I bet a day or two ago you were really down like 12 or 13 lbs but since you weighed today for the FIRST time you might be retaining water and therefor showing only a 7lb loss. I bet you $ that's what it is! Don't worry, you've come this far, keep doing it. What's the worst that can happen? You have lost weight. That in itelf means something. 7 lbs is not a little bit of weight, it's just the beginning. I bet in less than a week that 7 will turn into 14 lbs loss. Keep us posted. It will happen.

[Mary-chan]

7 pounds in 3 weeks is great!!! That's more then 2 pounds a week. If you can lose that consistently, it's just a matter of patience and waiting it out before you get to goal! I loved kathie's post and agree with everything she says. We've all felt that same frustration. Throwing the scale out was probably a great idea. Try not to get discouraged, you're doing great and you're going to be feeling better soon! Try to hang in there

[island reina]

I've recently found out that cheese stalls my weight loss also. I put my scale under my bed, so that I don't have the urge to step on it..I only weigh one time a week

[queenpooch]

Gosh ya'll...I wasn't expecting such a show of support or such great advice! I was afraid I'd get banned from the site for a senseless act of violence toward a bathroom scale.

I'm actually feeling a renewed sense of resolve about this dang diet now.. oops, I mean...WOE! I needed to hear from you "veterans".

You know, you wonderful women may be on to something with the cheese and yeast. Spirittalker (cool name!) I have been suspicious of candida (yeast overgrowth) since researching the symptoms a few weeks ago and doing a spit test (ewww!) I even bought a "yeast de-tox" kit and used it. I bet you're right - it might be the cheese. (Great. My favorite thing!) Reina, what do you snack on instead of cheese?

Anyway, for several of you to suggest food allergies makes me wonder about the cheese.

Mary Chan and determined2, you are so sweet and it is VERY encouraging to see your little weight tickers. Thank you.

Kathie, you are absolutely right and I am inspired by you. Sometimes I feel like I'm all alone in my struggle to lose weight and exercise, especially since all the women who live around me look like models and effortlessly jog around the neighborhood every morning! (That's part of the reason I walk at night when no one can see me and the construction workers won't yell stuff.) You are a wise woman. I need to keep this in perspective and take baby steps with the exercise. And you're also right about not being hungry. That is the ONLY reason I am where I am now. Hunger. The kind that wakes you up in the middle of the night and screams "Chips Ahoy!" and then you feel like crap the next day, and just give up. I haven't had any of those screams in the middle of the night recently though. Not on Atkins. Oh, and by the way, I didn't take what you said as condescending at all. It came across just like you meant it - kind and supportive.
back atcha!

Casey, you might be right about the salt. Sheesh, I didn't even think about that. Everything else, I do by the book. No meds. All the supplements. And as long as I keep the carbs around 25 gms a day, my strip is dark maroon. It's just this darn fatigue! But I'm going to cut out the cheese and see what happens. I don't know about you, but when I have gone to the doctor and received a clean bill of health, I'm almost disappointed! ("You mean there's nothing wrong with me? You can't give me a pill or something??") That's silly I know. By the way, what is PCOS?

Finally, like Sheshy and Michelle mentioned, my hormones are definitely screwed up, or they were. Although I had a hysterectomy 4 yrs ago, my doc left my ovaries, and I started having some menopause symptoms a couple of years ago. I did start natural progesterone cream and special supplements this past winter, and I had gotten a lot of relief from fatigue until I started Atkins. Gotta be the cheese. Also, like you say Sheshy, not being hungry is SO worth it. I guess ya'll are right - I must be doing OK after all.

Thank you and bless you all,

46 yr old F 5'8"
SW 246 CW 239 GW 140

"I wish I was a bear. Then everyone would expect me to be big and grumpy with hairy legs."