Everyday Systems

I am looking to purchase a new scale prior to starting NO S. I work in a tax office & I think April 17th is the perfect day to start! Can anyone recommend a certain brand or type of scale I should consider? Also, how often DO YOU weigh yourself?

My advice? Forget the scale and concentrate on the habits. If you absolutely must weigh -- no more often than monthly.

The reason behind this is that we really don't have much control over how much we lose, but we have control over what we do. Why obsess over something you can't control?

i weigh myself once a week although sometimes i forget. the less often the better. that way even if the scale doesn't move i get sad only once a week. not every day. also, it is much less likely to happen. if you do it once a week it simply has to move. and i remember that when i started exercising and getting muscles, the scale didn't go down at all but my dress size got smaller. muscle takes up much less space than fat

Honestly as a recovering scale addict, I would say "Don't Buy One!".

If you want a starting weight go to your doctor and get them to weigh you. Then you can go back in a year and impress your doctor, but you won't have the temptation at home.

The habits are really the most important aspect of this plan. If you get the habits for N days down pat and even with 'busy' S days you will see the benefit.

If you want to track something, get a tape measure and do monthly measurements - they are far more accurate.

MerryKat wrote:If you want to track something, get a tape measure and do monthly measurements - they are far more accurate.

I'd recommend that too.

Or don't measure anything at all. You will notice when your clothes are getting too big.

Just focus on building good habits.

Just thought I'd share my highly unscientific method of measuring progress:

1) Muffin top squidginess
2) Belly squidginess
3) Zip fastenability
4) Bra looseness (not applicable to the guys I guess )
5) Ye olde skinny jeans test

I do occasionally weigh myself but find that either:

a) I'm really pleased because the scale says I've lost 3 kgs in the past week

b) I want to throw the thing out the window because it says I've put on 3 kgs in the past week

On a more serious note, I'd say MerryKat's tape measure suggestion is a much better guide than scales (also, if your exercising and building up muscle, you may lose fat but not necessarily weight). Weighing yourself at a doctor's office may also give better results as they tend to have more accurate scales.

I'm just about to hide our scale somewhere, otherwise, I get tempted to use it most times before taking a shower and then go through the proccess Bonnie goes and it's getting exhausting.

I would rather see how my clothes fit than measure with a tape, because I would think that as easily as one picks up the habit of stepping on the scale, one would pick the habit of measuring oneself at every possible opportunity (naked, about to take a shower, which is when you step on the scale).
With clothes, though, unless you go through a "See What Fits Marathon", which you only do when you are confident that you will fit into something smaller, it is a much more casual affair, you just wear what you've been wearing lately and suddenly, oh, there you go!, they are looser and without fuss or muss, you know you lost some weight.
Eventually, you'll know those are far too loose and without fuss or muss, you move onto smaller clothes.
Naturally, stress free.

...Yeah, I'm ditching my scale, today!.

I have been weighing every morning and the scales goes up 3lbs the next day down 1lb just up and down all the time Someone had suggested
to take a calender and mark your N days with green marker and your S days with yellow That is what I have started doing and It shows that I am on track and doing everything the right way This is my 3rd week on the No S

Someone had suggested
to take a calender and mark your N days with green marker and your S days with yellow That is what I have started doing and It shows that I am on track and doing everything the right way

lindalou,

I am doing that too on the Habit Cal program. I love to see all the little boxes colored in,

Blueskighs

I don't own a scale. I weigh myself once a month at the gym. (Those scales are more accurate anyway.) I also measure bodyfat with a tape measure once a month and record my results on my monthly card.

Everyone should just take a shovelglove to their scale! *SMASH*

Blueskighs

I was using a paper calendar But went in and set up the habit cal. I also like seeing the boxes turn green We had a goodie day at work for some people that were leaving which made us all sad because our plant let about 250 people go so there was a lot of good food I stay away from the sweets .

lindalou,

sad about letting those people go, huh?
well you stayed away from the sweets ... YAY YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have not been on no S for so long, but one time this worked for me, they had some sweets in a class and I took two and wrapped in a paper towel, then got home and put them in a zip loc. I used them for a treat on the next S day.

of course, I would only do that with a treat I really wanted ...
otherwise that no thank you works great...
Again YAY YOU!

Blueskighs

MerryKat wrote:If you want a starting weight go to your doctor and get them to weigh you. Then you can go back in a year and impress your doctor, but you won't have the temptation at home.

This is really good advice. I used to visit my local nurse and get weighed, blood pressure, and a quick chat. There's something about getting an actual health professional taking the readings and recording it in your medical records that makes it a serious goalpost.

I'd go back every 2-3months. I should start again...