Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Healthy but not cheap

I paid $20 for a digital scale yesterday. Yep.

Apparently the $2 bathroom scale I've been using has been 20 pounds off. While flattering, a 20 pound error is not in my favor.

I could have used the scale at the YMCA without cost, but I want the kids to see my progress in big black digital glory. Plus, all the charting is good for their math skills, right?

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I need to lose some weight myself. A couple years ago my dr. said my cholesterol was borderline high. I decided to give up icecream and over a number of months not only brought the cholesterol down but lost several pounds in the process. I am convinced that changing bad habits, not "dieting" is the way for me to go. I need to change another habit or two now.
Nice digital scale and nice little "truth inspectors" who can do the math for you. :-)
Vicky

3beansalad said...

Where did you buy it? I need a new scale, but wasn't sure where the best price would be (ie Bed Beth and Beyond with coupon vs Target, Walmart, etc.)

I'm at a healthy weight, but I try to weight myself ~1x a week to help spot and thwart off any upward trends!

BTW- thanks for the comment on my blog!

Shannon said...

I've been thinking of getting the kids in on my weight loss thing. We were talking about the story of Daniel and how he obeyed God with what he ate not to long ago and Levi really got into it - he's called me on the occasional junk food purchase. I think he'd be a great motivator:)

TJ said...

I tell everyone to check out SparkPeople.com (you can link from my blog) for free help in weight loss. It's a healthy lifestyle site that has a wonderful 4 stage program and nutrition and exercise trackers. It helped me lose the baby weight after my son.

Not only will the kids learn charting, but also the benefits of a healthy lifestyle!

My husband actually ruined my scale by weighing car parts. It was about 15 lbs off, which was crushing to my post-partum, wanting to be skinny again, ego at the time.

Anonymous said...

I really don't think that children should be weight conscious. If they are feed a healthy diet then weight should not be anything they should think about. I would be afraid that they would think something was "wrong" with a "fat" mommy. When my neice interviewed for preschool, the only word they gave her that she did not know the meaning of was "fat" because it is not a term used in their home and I think it was a very good thing that she "missed" that question.

Anonymous said...

Well, I think it helps kids to see an adult tackle a difficult problem. Fat isn't really something one can hide.

My kids know they are healthy and fit. They know (through my bad example) that eating too much and not exercising enough can make you not healthy.

The only way I can turn that bad example on its head is to show them the hard work it takes. That's not something that can be done solely in gym while they play in the toy room.

I'm not putting the weight loss burden on my kids, but I don't want them to carry the burden of my fat, either.

Meredith said...

I bought my scale at Big Lots because I didn't have time or gas to shop around.

I probably should have ordered it online, but it was one of those now-or-never moments for me!

frugalmom said...

I recently discovered that our scale was off about 15 lbs--how depressing!

Good luck in your weight-loss efforts!

Anonymous said...

A good scale is worth the money. I have lost a lot of weight. More than 200 pounds. I 'cheated' by having gastric bypass surgery. Best thing I ever did for myself. I am sure it saved my life. Not that you need that kind of 'help' by any means, the pictures I have seen of you You look beautiful. Now I have many many sags, lots of loose skin, and my arms look like I have wings. (that is what my grandsons say)
I think that you are right to share your weight issues with the children. Children learn from what they see US (the adults in their life)do. If they see you tackle the issue head on with exercise, diet, and commitment that is what they learn.
Thanks for sharing. Roxie

Anonymous said...

Good for you, Meredith! I am very goal-oriented, and a chart and a scales would be inspiring for me too :)
Perhaps I should consider this approach after baby #2 is born in May. I've never owned a scales - just went by how my clothes fit and what my energy level was (higher if I was fit). I've read that muscle is heavier than fat, but I don't know if this makes a difference in our small-time weight loss, or if that's something that professional athletes and bodybuilders pay more attention to.

Edi said...

A good scale is a good investment. We've had ours for a few years now - have to change batteries, maybe once a yr which is an added cost - but well worth it.

One thing you can do from time to time to check that your scale is set right - is get something you know the weight of and pop it on the scale.

I don't mind if my scale is giving me a higher weight - just don't want it the other way around!

Janel said...

Good for you! :)

My mom's 40yo wedding present scale is +/- 12 pounds, give or take the day, humidity and fussiness. Insanity I say, insanity.

Anonymous said...

We bought ours a few years ago at Sam's Club (the analog scale we had was also off by several pounds and we never got the same read twice or even four times for that matter), and we also found that our scale is very accurate, usually matching what the dr's office scale read.

Anonymous said...

Welcome to the healthy mommy bandwagon! Early last fall I realized that it wasn't exactly accurate to call what I was carrying around on my person 'baby' weight considering my daughter was almost two! And with diabetes in the family, I had to nip it in the bud!

I did a version of Weight Watchers' points system without joining (not in budget); there is so much available on the web regarding points values and recipes. The formula for calculating points is out there too, but it helps that I was a math major. I weigh myself every month or so at the chiropractor. By Christmas I had achieved my goal of being able to wear my pre-baby jeans, regardless of the number the scale said. The best thing about the system is that it teaches you relatively quickly to consider the nutritional value of what's crossing your lips and how to make good food choices regardless of the setting. It only took a few weeks to get into good habits!

On the mother-daughter weight loss issue, I think it's important for kids to see their parents making healthy choices and modeling/encouraging them to do the same. Talk of being 'fat' or 'unattractive' or 'gross' definitely has an influence. I started dieting at 12 because mom thought I was chunky, and since she was about to embark on her millionth diet, she invited me to join. I love my mom dearly, but her scrutiny of herself and me did me no favors growing up. It took me many years to get those negative influences out. Please be very careful with the message your weight loss sends; I know you will!


Grace in Nashville

Shannon said...

I think letting my daughter see me lose weight is going to be excellent for her. For one thing, I want her to grow up taking care of her body which means eating enough, but not too much. With her family history, there is a good chance that she will have to work harder as an adult to maintain a healthy weight. But it shouldn't be about how we look, at least not when we're talking to kids. It should be about being healthy. After all, obesity can be just as unhealthy as bulemia.
I also think that my kids need to see me respond when I feel like God is calling me to change something in my life. They need to see me walk away from the chips because He says so, not so I can wear a smaller size.

Baleboosteh said...

20 pounds off! That is scary! I too need a new scale. I've been using one bought from a charity shop too many years ago to remember. When my sister returned to Australia recently we used it to weigh her suitcase - the actual figure at the airport was 11 pounds higher. Time for the truth, I think.

Renee said...

Had to comment on TJ's comment about her dh using the scale for car parts, lol!

Well I found out last week my scale is way off too.After having to get on the scale with my almost 2 yr. old daughter at a checkup (scale phobia I think). It floored me so much how much I weighed, I about passed out.
Looks like the down ol'fashioned cooking is making this mama look for something else to whip up in the kitchen. Dh will not be happy about that. I guess I will just take advice from this skinny girl that said I might actally look better if I lost a few lbs. but only if I ate egg whites for breakfast, salad with no dressing for lunch, and fish with lemon only for dinner with diet soda. Lol! I never took her advice. She's probably wondering....
Renee :)

Mrs. Darling said...

Maybe the new scale is the one thats off!

Anonymous said...

My scale is off, too...only 3 pounds, though. My dad used to call scales that didn't register quite right (on the low side, that is) "women's scales". I think about him every time I weigh myself!

Brenda

Kelly @ The Barefoot Mama said...

LOL about the math! When I used to teach Kindergarten, we calculated how many dimes were in the $1.73 that I paid for my Dunkin Donuts coffee each day, haha. :o) There's math all over the place!

Eek to the scale, though...mine threatens me in the bathroom every morning. :o)