Weighed myself (sort of)
 

I haven't weighed my self in a year and I'm certain I've moved the needle over 200 lbs. I'm just barely a Clyde in any event and can't compare my situation to the inspirational threads that appear in this forum. Nevertheless, I'm a senior (mini) Clyde and I really want to be able to climb faster.

A few days ago getting my truck and trailer weighed at the dump I stepped off the scale and the weight changed by exactly 200 lbs. Now I know the scale only reads to 20 lbs and it's likely I'm closer to 220 than 200, but the "incident" has motivated me to get on the scale every day; today will be the first day once I figure out the strategy for getting the lowest possible reading.

Just get on the scale, don't worry about trying to get the "best" number, get a real number and own it. The way I look at it myself is, it's my weight, it's my fault, and it's up to me to fix it. It is better to be honest with yourself and, whatever the scale tells you, look at what is causing it, and make a plan to fix it.

Just a tip, you can't cheat the scale. Ultimately, your going to weigh what you weigh! I weigh myself once a week in the same outfit every week(do it at weight watxhers). 20# is a very doable weight to loose.

I'm with them... Don't be afraid of the scale. I weigh myself every sunday morning about 6ish after my workout and shower. The scale goes in the same place each time. If I lose, I'm happy. If I gain, I try to figure out if something happened to make me gain. Honestly, to me it's just a number. It's all about feeling better and being around for my kids. Of course, at 5'8", I'm pretty sure I'll never be under 200# simply because of the way I'm built, yet all the charts say I'm supposed to be 176.

I know what a big deal weighing is after such a long time away from the scale . . . thoughts are with you.

me and the scale is a mind game. lately, I can only weigh myself when I believe I have lost weight or am dehydrated after a workout, ie. when it is likely the scale will give me good news, ie. a low number or low-ER number. I get discouraged after a week of hard effort training and seemingly conscious eating, but then the number does not budge. Sometimes, I think the digital scale is stuck on a number. Then I have to pick up a heavy object to see if it really will record the weight change. Then weigh again without the object. On and on and on. Yeah, welcome to my life. It's all about managing expectations, if the number is below expectation, I am happy. I envy those of you who can treat the whole thing objectively, like "it's just a number" . . . I can't do that. There is great emotional investment in this number.

What are your expectations after only a week of training and conscious eating? More than 1-2 lbs and I'd suggest to set a different goal. Look at trends over time.
Use the 'does my shirt or pants fit better' method after 2 weeks.

yesterday I was able to complete my "eating light" routine which is . . . 1) breakfast: eat 3 eggs, veggie sausage with mixed veggies pan scram, 2) lunch: salad of greens, feta, walnuts, craisins with balsamic vinagrette, 3) dinner: branch chain amino acids, any veggies laying around, veggie juice homemade from juicer, eg. kale and pineapple. Plus I am working out like a maniac, morning 20 minute high intensity bike trainer, and evening 20 minute light jog. So . . . I've been stuck at 201.2 for the past several weeks, despite conscious eating, though I usually caved and ate chips at night, but I had kept the rigorous bike routine. Anyway . . . stepped on the scale this morning after the workout and . . . 95.8 lb. Whaaaaaaaat? I almost had a cow. There is no way, I dropped 5+ lbs in a couple days. So weighed on the doctor scale in the basement and got 89 kilos = 196.2 so I started to believe it. My new theory is that the digital scale that was reading 201.2 for several weeks was actually stuck on that weight, and I had been gradually losing over the past couple weeks on the rigorous training with conscious eating plus nightly quasi binge. That digital scale has been wacky before. So "scale error" is another factor to consider when weighing oneself . . . along with time of day, clothing and hydration level.

i have a love/hate relationship with digital scales. I have two and one constantly reads 3lbs heavier than the other. Its difficult to get a true weight (unclothed) when the numbers are all over the place like for me. I'd almost go back to the old fashioned 'needle' type scale but how to know if that is correct.

Many digital scales are easily fooled. Move your feet farther apart or closer together, put your weight on your toes or on your heels and you will find the weight may change as much as a couple of pounds. Most bathroom scales don't have a great level of precision, they are only intended to give you a general idea. Even very expensive scales require periodic calibration to make sure they are accurate. Try not to get too caught up on one or two pounds in a days time you can vary that much depending on how much, water, sleep, salt, food you have had that day. Weight is just a number and often a very inaccurate one. Try to focus on long term goals, how your clothes are fitting, and how you feel. That will tell you more than any scale.

that's good advice; but the 200 lb barrier is the arbitrary threshold for the Clyde definition, even found in the title of the thread, and I tend to hover above and below that line, so that is what tortures me, I guess it shouldn't, why not choose 210+ or 100kg+ . . . nevertheless, I feel good about myself when I see a number below 200 and terrible if 200+ . . . so I have a lot of emotional investment in seeing the actual number.

my wife thinks the one-day 5 lb drop was real because I had been late night binging on salty carbs (blue corn tortilla chips with black bean salsa), sounds healthy, but I ate nearly an entire bag, a whole pound of big fat fluffy water soaking-up carbs and salt, then the one night I was good and did not eat the carbs, next morning five pounds lighter, well also after the 20 min intense hot workout, after which I was dripping wet with sweat. So with that combo, could have been a real water weight loss. this morning I am at 194.8, down about .6 from the big drop. probably that is within some margin of error . . . I need to stop weighing myself! driving me batty. but as long as I see the numbers dropping, I am super-motivated. the problem will happen when I get the random uptick in weight, that will suck and hurt my motivation during the day . . . so I need to just STOP WEIGHING for a week. I'm a measurement-addict . . .

ps--have to add that even if it was water weight, I feel much much better five pounds lighter, I can tell just walking around and up stairs, hydration is good, but don't need all that water sloshing around in my cells. !

at the LBS for UPS shipping estimates we use a bathroom scale ,

same sort of subtraction step on holding the box , set down the box and subtract.

whole boxed bikes are a different challenge..

then someone reads the scale while the other guy balances the carton by an end corner..

You should feel good. I guess that is what I am getting at. You are doing something very positive for yourself, getting in better shape and making better choices for your life. Don't let something that can change over a few hours turn it into a negative experience for you. Try to stay positive, this is a long journey don't let the small bumps in the road upset your apple cart.