SERIOUSLY 1 LB!!!!????
Replies
-
Im not an expert I started not long ago but I do know you want to stick to one scale all scales are different 2 to 6 lbs off, I have heard being on you period gives u extra lbs, look up one pound of meat you will be glad u lost it and not gained it
its all about baby steps 0 -
10lbs first week is normal.. it starts slowing down after the excess water is leaving your body and now you are burning fat. Be patient. it took you years to put it on, it will take time to remove it. 1lb a week is great! I haven't lost 1 lb in a month at this point. Inches.. yes.. lbs no.0
-
I think you are using a skewed starting point since your digital scale and dr. office scale were not calibrated the same. 1lb a week is excellent and a lot of work. More importantly, it's safe. My doctor's office weight is never less than 6-7lbs different than my home scale and my home scale is usually a couple of lbs off of my gym scale. Stick with one and use it as a barometer.
this^^^^^0 -
Haha! Take a deep breath! Like someone else said, you weighed in on two scales which are probably not calibrated. But it probably was a huge loss in that first week. You're not likely to have huge losses every week. Did you expect that you would lose all the weight you want in a matter of weeks? Not going to happen. Just take it one week at a time. That "ONLY one pound" is actually huge...it's one more pound down. So....hold your head high. You can do this! :flowerforyou:0
-
My first thought would be, what did you weigh on your scale the day you went to the Dr's office? The difference between two scales can be huge.
Also, your weight can change as much as 5 or more lbs during the course of a day, so weighing yourself at the same time (I usually weigh in the mornings because that's usually when you'll be the lightest) is a good practice.
Water weight plays a pretty big role as well, and since you've started your period, that's going to play a major role in how your body is going to react to things.
1 lb = 1 lb and that's 1 lb gone. If you're expecting 10 lbs a week or every 2 weeks then you're going to be mad a lot. If you don't expect this to happen really fast, then you won't get disappointed at yourself and give up. It's a process, and like all processes, it will take as long as it needs to happen, but it WILL happen! Smile, you're doing GREAT!!0 -
1lb is absolutely fine! Its what you should be aiming for! 1-2lbs a week is a healthy rate of loss. The reason your first loss was so much is probably down to your body shedding water weight etc. There may be some weeks you will only lose 0.5lbs or maybe even none at all but that is just the nature of this journey. Stick with it, don't be mad or upset/disheartened when you see a lower number than you expected on the scale. Any loss is still a loss regardless of how little it is.
My advice would be weigh yourself only once a week- in the morning before you eat or drink and after you've been to the bathroom. I do this every Monday but you can pick whatever day suits you. Also try and weigh on a hard floor if you can. Try and pay more attention to how your clothes are fitting etc than what it says on the scale. You can end up really torturing yourself over the numbers. Take progress photos throughout your journey and have a look at my forum post from earlier "Clothing Comparisons for Perspective". There are lots more ways to see your weight loss rather than the scales.
Good luck and well done!
Jx0 -
Few things..
One...
Start with one scale. Write down that number and use that. I'd suggest your home scale.
Two...
Realize that one pound a week is a good loss....expecting huge numbers unless you are expending huge amounts of calories is just unrealistic.
Three...
You're going to have gains, little losses, no losses and all sorts of fun along the way...accept them and move on. The body is complex.
Four...
Please accept now that during your period, everything fluctuates..your weight..your mood...possibly your cravings..it's not the end of the world and your body will regulate again the following week.
Five...
GOOD LUCK!
excellent post
and we can't see your food diary, it is not public.0 -
My digital scale is always 5 lbs off from my Dr, so u should have weighed yourself on your digital the first day also to get your starting weight if that's the scale you are going to continue to go by. next, the first week of weight loss I have found is generally going to be higher because you lose a lot of water weight when you change your diet (lower sodium and such), so the following weeks are generally not going to produce as high of a loss, finally - Yes, during the TOM you generally retain water and will be heavier - I steer clear of the scale this week :-)0
-
you have 100 lbs to loose? One pound a week is a good healthy loss.0
-
My first thought would be, what did you weigh on your scale the day you went to the Dr's office? The difference between two scales can be huge.
Also, your weight can change as much as 5 or more lbs during the course of a day, so weighing yourself at the same time (I usually weigh in the mornings because that's usually when you'll be the lightest) is a good practice.
Water weight plays a pretty big role as well, and since you've started your period, that's going to play a major role in how your body is going to react to things.
1 lb = 1 lb and that's 1 lb gone. If you're expecting 10 lbs a week or every 2 weeks then you're going to be mad a lot. If you don't expect this to happen really fast, then you won't get disappointed at yourself and give up. It's a process, and like all processes, it will take as long as it needs to happen, but it WILL happen! Smile, you're doing GREAT!!
I agree, did you weigh yourself immediately at home after you weighed on the dr.s scale? Honestly, I would start with that 1lb and go from here forward on your scale at home.0 -
One lb a week loss is healthy, sustainable,, more is just gravy
same scale
same clothes ( or lack there of )
same time of day
OK now you can weigh in.
can you weigh in just once a month ??? ( not me )
bye......later0 -
I agree that you shouldn't use your Dr's scale as your starting point and then start weighing yourself at home moving forward.
Also, 1 lb weight loss in one week is nothing to be upset about. A loss is a loss. I have been at this since May. And for the last 3 weigh ins (I weigh every Friday), I haven't lost a single ounce. But I kept working out and eating right & didn't get discouraged. If nothing else, I'm getting healthier and stronger even if the scale doesn't show a difference. And finally today- I lost .4 lbs and I'm thrilled with that.
So 1 lb a week sounds great to me.
Also if it says you're not eating enough, then that is something that you should look into further.0 -
The only thing wrong is your expectations.
Some weeks you'll have big drops. Some weeks little drops. Some weeks no drops at all and some weeks you might gain. That's the way it happens.
If I recorded my weight every day, it would look like an ECG chart instead of a diagonal downward line. :laugh:0 -
I think you are using a skewed starting point since your digital scale and dr. office scale were not calibrated the same. 1lb a week is excellent and a lot of work. More importantly, it's safe. My doctor's office weight is never less than 6-7lbs different than my home scale and my home scale is usually a couple of lbs off of my gym scale. Stick with one and use it as a barometer.
^^^ This
Plus you've only been doing this for 10 days. Give it some time0 -
"I just wanted to post something about what to expect during the phases of weight loss.
Overview (why I'm posting this)
Over the course of about 7 months on here, I have seen many people suceed, I have also seen some drop off the map. I expect this is because some succumb to the demon that is temptation, and some to the devil that is dissapointment. I wanted to give a few "heads up"s to both new commers and vetrans to the site. Some may know already, some may not. But either way, if this helps anyone to set more realistic goals in their own head, I feel like it has done it's job.
Phase 1. The start of a brand new day! (or week, or month, or year)
Expectations are sky high, usually so is motivation and intentions. This is where most people lose the most weight. At the start it's not uncommon to see 4 to 8 lb losses per week. The reasons for this are mostly (sorry to disappoint) water weight. You drop excess water quickly, and you can have up to 5 lbs of water weight. The next biggest reason is the fat that is right next to the blood vessels, the stuff that you put on in the last month or three, it will melt like butter usually.
Phase 2. Reality setting in.
At about week 3 to a month or so, people suddenly realize that they are no longer dropping 8, 6, or even 4 lbs a week. This is a crutial phase in your journey. Expect this, it is natural. You have shocked your body by changing both eating habits and exercise routine. Now it has had a little while to become used to the new lifestyle, it's going to compensate. Your body still doesn't believe it's permenant yet, so it will still try to store some fat, so now that it knows how to regulate it's new metabolic levels, it tryies to store fat in earnest. It's not uncommon for people to hit a wall here, no loss for weeks. Expect this as well.
Phase 3. The routine.
At about 2 months or so, your routine is pretty much set, your body is beginning to believe that you really want to STAY the way you are going now. You will start to see more consistant (but lower, usually 1 to 2 lbs a week) loss, also, you should start seeing some muscle tone (depending on how much you had to lose in the first place). If you stop to think, you should realize that you have improved dramatically in your exercise levels. If you do cardio, you should notice how much longer and harder you can work. This is important to realize as it is just as big of an indicator as weight loss. Also, by now you may notice that your clothes no longer fit right. This is also very important. The weight may not be falling off anymore, but you are becomming a smaller person. Weight is arbitrary, if you are building muscle (which your body is doing at a furious pace by now) you won't notice huge losses, but you will notice wholesale changes in the mirror!
Phase 4. Really digging in.
This is where the second wall can happen. You're probably at between 3 and 4 months by now, and if you have gone this far, you feel like you have already suceeded. This is where many people stumble. they are tired of the routine, tired of eating different things from all their friends, limiting their alcohol intake. Basically the shine has worn off. this is when your really need to plant your feet. Maybe change up your exercise routine, make a concentrated effort to find different, but still nutritional food. Talk to people. And examine how far you have come. At this point, no matter how much external motivation you receive, it's all about believing in yourself!
Phase 5. End game.
5 or 6 months in you are probably working on that "last 10 pounds". This can be discouraging for many as it is a slow burn. Remember, your body probably feels like it is where it needs to be, your brain might think you need to lose 10 more, but your body is quite proud of itself now, it feels like it has "Done enough" and it wants to stay RIGHT HERE. The body LIKES to have a little fat around just in case, especially for the ladies (sorry girls, it's just human physiology). If you feel like you still need to lose it, prepare yourself for some guerrila warfare against your body. Design an exercise regimen that is very dynamic, forget the "same thing every day". Make a plan that challenges you both physically and mentally. Make sure you give yourself a day off here and there to just veg. And by all means, remember, muscle burns fat at rest. So get some weight or resistance training involved.
The last 10 may take 3 to 6 months to lose. I know nobody wants to hear that, but it's true. And forget the idea of increasing your calorie deficite, healthy bodies need good nutrition, your body no longer has the fat reserves to handle the large deficites you could when you were 30 40 or 50 pounds overweight. Better to make it a 3 or 400 calorie deficite (NET, please count your exercise calories too!). It may take a bit longer, but your body will like you for it. Plus it feeds those new muscles and keeps them burning fat, keeps your skin healthy (elasticity is important when you want those places that were stretched out to "snap back") and keeps you from getting head aches and depressed.
Conclusion:
This is what I have learned, not just from my journey, but from others as well on here. It saddens me sometimes to see people hit one of these stages and not recognize it for what it is, a part of the process. If we all can have realistic expectations, then we are more prone to win the fight and stay healthy in the long run. Note that some people will hit these stages harder then others, some may take longer, but for the most part, this is the rule that the exceptions will come from."0 -
<<< And yes this picture is really me and I'm not a fitness model and I achieved my success without a coach or personal trainer.On 09/10/12 I weighed in at 241 lbs at the Dr's office. I started using MFP, counting calories and logging in my excercises. Then on 09/14/12 I weighed in at 231 lbs! on my digital scale at home. 10 lbs in a matter of days!! cool, whos not going to be happy about that? it is a little dramatic though. Any way my weekly weigh ins are on Fridays so today I get on my scale and it reads 230 lbs. 1 lb! THATS IT!!!???? >:/ I was hoping for at least 3-4 lbs. I have no idea what happend haven't changed anything. Do you think it could be that I started my period this week? and also MFP has been telling me that I'm consuming too few calories, do you think maybe my body is in starvation mode? or maybe the 10 lbs was way too much weight to lose in such little amount of time that my body is saying to slow down. IDK but that was depressing and it made me mad. What do you all think and has this happened to you?
You body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.
Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You can not make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.
The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.
If you have a lot of body fat reserves you would be surprised at how little you can eat (unless you have emotional eating issues or disorders). The leaner you get the less your body has to draw from and then you have to taper up your calories. There is no such thing as starvation mode for woman over 12% body fat or men over 6% body fat. I pretty much proved that for myself by staying strong and building muscle and doing what I did. I'm the leanest, most muscular, and most fit that I have ever been in my life at almost 52 years old.
Seperating out the the two things worked for me:
1) Eat less to lose fat.
2) Exercise to gain or maintain lean body mass.
Ignore exercise calories because it's insignificant when you don't have to worry about starvation mode anymore and it's highly over rated. Of course you burn energy, but not nearly what any of the devices say you do.
I did it and it worked. So did a bunch of other people. My full story here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout0 -
Don't set yourself up for disappointment by having unrealistic goals or ideas. Some people lose a lot of weight quickly - others don't. You have lost 11 lbs in 2 weeks - in my book that is fantastic. I have been on MFP since March - following a good healthy eating plan - so far I have lost 28 lbs it is not a huge amount but it is a loss all the same. I have weeks when I lose nothing and a lot of my MFP friends have the same experience. Just enjoy what is happening to you - look to the long term future - you have the rest of your life to get into shape so just relax, enjoy and don't be too anxious about it.0
-
Never be discouraged by a loss!! I think all of your theories could be correct. It's likely that your body is just adapting to the rapid loss and like others have said, in the beginning a lot of it is water weight, not true fat loss. TOM (time of the month) is a big culprit, many gain a few pounds or at least stay the same that week. If you're not tracking sodium, add that to your diary because the same concept applies - too much sodium and you'll be retaining water and either lose very little or stay the same. And, yes, although starvation mode is technically not correct, your metolism will slow, and you may experience other health affects, if you're not feeding your body enough consistently. It's ok to go over or under now and then but try to net at least 1200 calories regularly. A calorie goal closer to your BMR would be even better.
If you haven't already done so, start taking body measurements and/or weekly progress pictures as sometimes when the scale doesn't show a loss, your body still may be shedding inches. Pay attention to how your clothes are fitting too.
Keep track of your losses and average them by week any time you think you're not doing well. You've lost a total of 11 pounds in a little under 2 weeks and that's definitely nothing to be disappointed at!! Weight loss isn't linear...
If you've started exercising recently, or have recently increased the intensity this could affect your weigh ins as well. A lot of people mistake this for muscle gain but it's actually a result of your muscles retaining water and glycogen as part of the natural healing process. Basically any time you're sore, you should expect this affect. Think of it like when you twist your ankle and it swells - same healing process, just not as obvious as it's spread out over a larger area.0 -
Haha it's so normal. At first you always loose the most, it gets harder when your body notices that you're dieting. It also get's harder when you get slimmer. Get used to loosing weight slowly and remember: every 0.5 pound is great. if you loose only 0.5 pounds a week, in a year you'll be 26 pounds down, and that's a lot.0
-
"I just wanted to post something about what to expect during the phases of weight loss.
Overview (why I'm posting this)
Over the course of about 7 months on here, I have seen many people suceed, I have also seen some drop off the map. I expect this is because some succumb to the demon that is temptation, and some to the devil that is dissapointment. I wanted to give a few "heads up"s to both new commers and vetrans to the site. Some may know already, some may not. But either way, if this helps anyone to set more realistic goals in their own head, I feel like it has done it's job.
Phase 1. The start of a brand new day! (or week, or month, or year)
Expectations are sky high, usually so is motivation and intentions. This is where most people lose the most weight. At the start it's not uncommon to see 4 to 8 lb losses per week. The reasons for this are mostly (sorry to disappoint) water weight. You drop excess water quickly, and you can have up to 5 lbs of water weight. The next biggest reason is the fat that is right next to the blood vessels, the stuff that you put on in the last month or three, it will melt like butter usually.
Phase 2. Reality setting in.
At about week 3 to a month or so, people suddenly realize that they are no longer dropping 8, 6, or even 4 lbs a week. This is a crutial phase in your journey. Expect this, it is natural. You have shocked your body by changing both eating habits and exercise routine. Now it has had a little while to become used to the new lifestyle, it's going to compensate. Your body still doesn't believe it's permenant yet, so it will still try to store some fat, so now that it knows how to regulate it's new metabolic levels, it tryies to store fat in earnest. It's not uncommon for people to hit a wall here, no loss for weeks. Expect this as well.
Phase 3. The routine.
At about 2 months or so, your routine is pretty much set, your body is beginning to believe that you really want to STAY the way you are going now. You will start to see more consistant (but lower, usually 1 to 2 lbs a week) loss, also, you should start seeing some muscle tone (depending on how much you had to lose in the first place). If you stop to think, you should realize that you have improved dramatically in your exercise levels. If you do cardio, you should notice how much longer and harder you can work. This is important to realize as it is just as big of an indicator as weight loss. Also, by now you may notice that your clothes no longer fit right. This is also very important. The weight may not be falling off anymore, but you are becomming a smaller person. Weight is arbitrary, if you are building muscle (which your body is doing at a furious pace by now) you won't notice huge losses, but you will notice wholesale changes in the mirror!
Phase 4. Really digging in.
This is where the second wall can happen. You're probably at between 3 and 4 months by now, and if you have gone this far, you feel like you have already suceeded. This is where many people stumble. they are tired of the routine, tired of eating different things from all their friends, limiting their alcohol intake. Basically the shine has worn off. this is when your really need to plant your feet. Maybe change up your exercise routine, make a concentrated effort to find different, but still nutritional food. Talk to people. And examine how far you have come. At this point, no matter how much external motivation you receive, it's all about believing in yourself!
Phase 5. End game.
5 or 6 months in you are probably working on that "last 10 pounds". This can be discouraging for many as it is a slow burn. Remember, your body probably feels like it is where it needs to be, your brain might think you need to lose 10 more, but your body is quite proud of itself now, it feels like it has "Done enough" and it wants to stay RIGHT HERE. The body LIKES to have a little fat around just in case, especially for the ladies (sorry girls, it's just human physiology). If you feel like you still need to lose it, prepare yourself for some guerrila warfare against your body. Design an exercise regimen that is very dynamic, forget the "same thing every day". Make a plan that challenges you both physically and mentally. Make sure you give yourself a day off here and there to just veg. And by all means, remember, muscle burns fat at rest. So get some weight or resistance training involved.
The last 10 may take 3 to 6 months to lose. I know nobody wants to hear that, but it's true. And forget the idea of increasing your calorie deficite, healthy bodies need good nutrition, your body no longer has the fat reserves to handle the large deficites you could when you were 30 40 or 50 pounds overweight. Better to make it a 3 or 400 calorie deficite (NET, please count your exercise calories too!). It may take a bit longer, but your body will like you for it. Plus it feeds those new muscles and keeps them burning fat, keeps your skin healthy (elasticity is important when you want those places that were stretched out to "snap back") and keeps you from getting head aches and depressed.
Conclusion:
This is what I have learned, not just from my journey, but from others as well on here. It saddens me sometimes to see people hit one of these stages and not recognize it for what it is, a part of the process. If we all can have realistic expectations, then we are more prone to win the fight and stay healthy in the long run. Note that some people will hit these stages harder then others, some may take longer, but for the most part, this is the rule that the exceptions will come from."
VERYY VERYY HELPFUL.0 -
I feel like the Biggest Loser was warped our brains into thinking 1lb loss is not significant. 1 lb is great. Good for you, and keep up the great work… and yes, hormones play a huge role in what number pops up on the scale.0
-
Usually the first week of any lifestyle change is water weight lost! Plus the difference in scales. ... I agree with previous posters ... pick a scale and only go by those numbers. I check my weight on 3 different scales and they are always so different. I do it more for amusement purposes but my official weigh in is always done off of the same scale, at the same time, on the same day every week ... Monday mornings. 0
-
1 pound of fat is as big as 3 grapefruit!! That is huge in inches!!! Be happy for where you've gotten too rather than how far you have to go!
Umm... What? Maybe 5 pounds could be compared to 3 grapefruit, but you aren't going to see such a large difference in losing 1 pound.0 -
Okay; first of all if you should use one scale always to mark your weight loss. If you weighed yourself on your doctor's scale...you might not have lost 10 lbs. But don't be discourage. 1-2 lb loss in a week is NORMAL; 3-4 lbs in a week NOT NORMAL...if you do lose that much..it is water not weight. Just FYI.
Let's put it into perspective; to lose weight you have to consume fewer calories than you take in. 1 lb = 3500 calories. To lose 10 lbs of actual body weight you had to consume 3500 * 10 or 35,000 calories fewer than burned. Let's be realistic...that is NOT realistic. To lose 5 lbs in a week you had to consume 3500 * 5 or 17,500 calories fewer than you burned (or looking at it another way; you had to burn 17,500 more calories than you consumed)
To lose 1 lb you only have to burn 3500 calories in a week more than you consume or for 2 lbs 7000 more calories burned than you consume.
If you lost a pound, be happy; it's one less pound you have to lose. But remember you should try to weight yourself at the same time, same day and same way on the same scale to really gauge your changes. Also, take a picture of the before and take your measurements (bust, waist, hips, bicep, thigh, calf); you can do the minimum (ie. smallest part of your waist) and the maximum (ie. largest part of your waist) of each body part to get an even better picture of your changes. Then re-take measurements every 4-6 weeks to see your results.0 -
Its normal. One thing is to use the same scale to weigh-in. Scales can be calibrated differently so stick to using the same scale. Everything else is normal. Some weeks will result in greater weigh loss than another week. The key is to stay focused and continue your journey. A loss on the scale is a loss on the scale. Celebrate ALL of you accomplishment great and small!0
-
i know where your coming from, just remember all scales read differently. to be accurate use the same scale every time you weigh in.0
-
On 09/10/12 I weighed in at 241 lbs at the Dr's office. I started using MFP, counting calories and logging in my excercises. Then on 09/14/12 I weighed in at 231 lbs! on my digital scale at home. 10 lbs in a matter of days!! cool, whos not going to be happy about that? it is a little dramatic though. Any way my weekly weigh ins are on Fridays so today I get on my scale and it reads 230 lbs. 1 lb! THATS IT!!!???? >:/ I was hoping for at least 3-4 lbs. I have no idea what happend haven't changed anything. Do you think it could be that I started my period this week? and also MFP has been telling me that I'm consuming too few calories, do you think maybe my body is in starvation mode? or maybe the 10 lbs was way too much weight to lose in such little amount of time that my body is saying to slow down. IDK but that was depressing and it made me mad. What do you all think and has this happened to you?
Dont beat yourself up. The dr. office scale always is more then what my digital one is at home. you have to eat atleast 1200 calories a day or MFP will tell you that you eating to few. It also depends on what you are eating. you can stay within your calorie goal but if you are eating unhealthy food at all times that can slow the process down too. just keep working at it and you will do great. i have been in your shoes not to long ago and trust me i still get discouraged when i dont see the scale drop what i thought it would or even at all. Your peiod could have some stuff to do with it as well. I have seen many people on my friends list have that problem.0 -
Usually the first week of any lifestyle change is water weight lost! Plus the difference in scales. ... I agree with previous posters ... pick a scale and only go by those numbers. I check my weight on 3 different scales and they are always so different. I do it more for amusement purposes but my official weigh in is always done off of the same scale, at the same time, on the same day every week ... Monday mornings. 0
-
Probably just water weight, lost and gained0
-
Usually the first week of any lifestyle change is water weight lost! Plus the difference in scales. ... I agree with previous posters ... pick a scale and only go by those numbers. I check my weight on 3 different scales and they are always so different. I do it more for amusement purposes but my official weigh in is always done off of the same scale, at the same time, on the same day every week ... Monday mornings.
^this0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions