First Post - Help, no scale

Seagazer

I've been logging in for 25 days now, and found lots of the posts really helpful.
I've slowly but surely gained 2 dress sizes from 2002-2010, and in the past year, having survived a rare brain virus, gone up a further 3 - mainly due to the medication.

Since October I have relearned how to walk and progressed from a, wheelchair to a zimmer to a stick (that I only really need when I am tired), and am now walking for a good hour a day. My co ordination has improved so much that I have finally got back on a bike. (The brain virus had a massive effect on my motoric,among many other things).
Decembers visit to the consultant I was 100 K (1m 72cm), and March I was 105 K ! I couldn't get my head around that as I had started back part time at work, and was walking every day, but the consultant said that it was highly likely to be due to the Gabapentin that I was taking for the residuals. So over Easter I weaned myself off it, but carried on with my usual diet.
In May I bought some new clothes, and was horrified that size 22 was comfortable. It still took until mid July for me to start counting calories, and start logging what I was eating.

I don't have scales, so used the March consultants visit as my start weight. I've certainly lost 3 inches since I started logging, and the size 22 trouser actually fell down the other day as I was walking downstairs, so I must have lost something already - is it OK to carry on at the same amount of daily calories? Or should I reduce it?

I really don't want to buy scales, I live in an old house, with not one level floor...and I can tell by my clothes and the fact that I work in front of full length mirrors every day - I ll know when I look and feel ok!!

I'd be grateful for your input

Seagazer

AngDTw

Most grocery stores have a scale in them. Just weigh yourself there once in a while. They are pretty accurate for the most part too.

vibrant80

1. No, you don't need a scale. it sounds like you're doing awesome without it!

2. Personally, I think you'll be okay at your current calorie goal for a while yet.

jkleman79

Personally I wouldnt even worry about what you weigh just how you feel and look. The weight thing is just another number that will constantly trouble you as it surely has already. If you feel good and look good that is what counts. Take pictures of yourself and track it that way so you can look back to see the small differences. Like myself I have only lost 20 pounds in 7 months but dropped 12% of body fat which shows up big time. Just a suggestion.

Congrats on your recovery! That is amazing and it takes strong will to want to keep going and get it all back. I was only uanble to walk for 4 months due to a shattered leg, but it was an eternity so I can only imagine your journey..

FlashBang

Use your old clothes as a guide. Find something that is tight and watch yourself shrink into it, adjust accordingly depending on how you shrink. If you follow the calorie recommendations you should lose.

Morglem

I agree with the others. Go by how your clothes feel, take pictures every month or so and also take your measuraments waist, thighs, hips, biceps. It sounds like you are doing great already! Keep up the good work and congrats on beating your illness it sure takes a lot of will power for that.

MandaLee8908

Just use your weights from the dr office. Or you can just do measurements once or twice a month. Measure your hips, waist, chest, and whatever else you want to track. I personally use my arms and thighs as well. You're doing well with what you have been dealt! Keep going!

gritgirl

I actually find the clothing indicator a far better measure of my progress. Weight can fluctuate due to body water content and muscle weight that you gain as you exercise. So for me since I'm exercising a lot more, the scale hasn't dropped as much as I thought it would, but my previously tight pants are feeling much better. Measuring with a measure tape is also a good indicator and MFP has that as one of the check ins.

I'm so sorry you had to go through that illness but bravo for your incredible recovery. I have a friend with Guillame Barre who is now wheel chair bound and I am always impressed by her spirit and how she just lives life in spite of. Sounds like you are cut from the same wonderful cloth. Wow!

jennor8or

i'm honestly not sure about whether or not you should reduce your calorie intake but i would recommend that if you want a more "numeric" tracking system and dont want to buy a scale, you could purchase a tape measurer (the type used for sewing) and begin taking ur measurements every 2-4 weeks ...that way even if you dont drop a pants size on your waist you'll still know that you lost 1/4" from your thigh-

Seagazer

Thank you for all the replies and encouragement.
After surviving meningoencephalitis everything else is a bonus - and the vast majority of my residuals are slowly improving. Even my sense of smell and taste are slowly returning.

I am definitely noticing a difference in clothes, and I own about 50 tape measures so no problems there!

If I were to put a new weight in, I thought the amount of calories allowed would be altered in relationship to the new weight ...I don't know if this is the way it works, I just presumed! So if I don't know how much I have lost, the site can't calculate how many calories I should be consuming?


I'm not explaining this very well.

@Gritgirl Guillame Barre symptoms are very similar to the residuals I was left with, luckily for the main part, most of that is behind me. I am really lucky as I am an ex ballet dancer, and used a lot of my previous training to help me recover and re-hone my co ordination, I only saw a physio twice although I was in hospital for 61/2 weeks. The consultant was amazed at my progress, but I just plodded on, no great plan, just didn't occur to me to do it any differently. Glad to hear your friend is positive, illnesses like this are so sobering - and make you appreciate what you have, though at times you do despair at what you have lost.

OnMyWay2STay

I think everyone was so impressed with your success :bigsmile: that they missed the real question in your post!

So, if I understand correctly, you know that you have lost weight. You don't know how much, so you can't put a weight in and have mfp calculate new caloric goals for you. Oh, and yes, it definitely works that way!

If you can find a scale somewhere like the gym, or grocery store (I've never seen one) I'd use that. If not, maybe you could go to your doctors' office and ask to use the scale? Assuming you know how to do it yourself, I bet the nurses would be happy to let you.

Otherwise, you could leave the goals alone as long as you are still losing. If you hit a standstill, then you will need to recalculate. One way to recalculate would be to change your weight loss goal. For instance, if you have it set at the recommended 1 lb week, just increase it to 1 1/2 lbs per week.

You could also estimate your loss based on your goal. For instance, you've been using the program for 8 weeks with a 1 lb per week goal, so just assume you've met that goal. Adjust your weight by 8 pounds.

You're doing awesome!

Seagazer

Personally I wouldnt even worry about what you weigh just how you feel and look. The weight thing is just another number that will constantly trouble you as it surely has already. If you feel good and look good that is what counts. Take pictures of yourself and track it that way so you can look back to see the small differences. Like myself I have only lost 20 pounds in 7 months but dropped 12% of body fat which shows up big time. Just a suggestion.

Congrats on your recovery! That is amazing and it takes strong will to want to keep going and get it all back. I was only uanble to walk for 4 months due to a shattered leg, but it was an eternity so I can only imagine your journey..

I think I was lucky, as it wasn't anything wrong with my legs, the bones, muscles and cartilage didn't need to heal - it was my brain unable to send the right messages. Sometimes, in the early days, I looked like a cross between a drunkard and a long distance walker at the end of a marathon, as I slalomed back and forth - into bushes, walls, fences - but thankfully not into the road!

txmike64

You can borrow Target's scales, or Bed, Bath, and Beyond's scales...just long as you're consistent about visiting.

Amazon has a Sunbeam Scale....$9.99. I haven't even looked Ebay for a used one yet...

Seagazer

Massive thanks again to all of you who commented and gave me advice. I wish I could get to a Target, as it would mean I was on holiday in the States, as it is I am on the rainy, but very beautiful East Coast of the UK.

I'm going to stick with the measuring, and watching clothes get roomier for the time being. If I can make to to a UK size 16 without scales, then I may invest - although in this rickety old old house, with its sloping floors, how accurate the reading will be?
Still, I'm not brave enough to weigh myself in public at the moment!

Bowled over by the friend requests and DM's.

It may take til tomorrow to reply, as I can only look at the screen for a while each day - but I will get there

Many thanks :happy: