Sil:
The scale!!! I was the same way!!!
LOL
My daughter hated me. We would go to the store and I would have my little scale there weighing EVERYTHING! The woman at REI got into it when we were looking for after hiking sandals. She was weighing all the options to try and find one that weighed less than the running shoes we had.
Yes, get a scale, digital if you can afford it, and weigh it all. You can usually save a pound just in your everyday items by looking for lighter versions.
Consider:
My Nalgene bottle weighed 2 ounces more than an empty gatorade bottle of the same volume
Saved one ounce by using a lighter contacts case
Found a travel sized deodorant that saved an ounce over a regular size small
saved two ounces carrying the clips you use for ID tags instead of wooden clothes pins (we couldn't find the plastic ones in the States)
That is half a pound right there. weigh shirts, pants, everything. And if you can save a kilo on the pack and 500kg on your sleeping bag, you will be in good shape.
My daughter's pack was 12lbs (5.5kg) and mine was 19lbs (8.62kg). I carried all the first aid, footcare, laundry, and maps/guides.
Rambler