Weight: 143.2 (-0.3 lb)
Weigh-In day again, and for the second week in a row I'm not really happy with what I'm seeing. But. I know I'm better off than today's weigh-in would seem to indicate.
Normally I post a daily summary (during the week anyway) including my weight for the day, and my meal plans. When I was doing my morning workouts, I also posted those, but since I switched to evening workouts I haven't been including that. I will try to start posting my planned workouts as well. I'm getting off-track here.
This week I wasn't posting those summaries because I was feeling under the weather and not really in the weight-loss mind set. But I was still stepping on the scale most mornings. And this is what I was seeing:
Mon - 142.7 lb
Tues - 142.2 lb
Wed - forgot
Thurs - 142.1 lb
Those numbers are more in line with what I had been seeing up to the previous week when I had that unexpected gain. I was feeling pretty good about the scale, even if the rest of me was not feeling great. Then this morning I am suddenly 143.2. Yeah, I was kind of irritated. But I also know that Moon and I went out to dinner last night, and I ate what I wanted to eat and didn't worry about dieting. That's a choice I consciously made and I am okay with that. Having seen the lower numbers all week, I can be fairly certain that today was just a temporary blip, and next week I will be down where I should be again (you know, assuming I do the right stuff for food and exercise).
This is why I am a fan of the daily weigh-in.
On the WeightWatchers.ca forums, I often see posters "confessing" or "admitting" that they weigh in every day, or that they "peeked" at the scale on a day that was not their weigh-in day. They say this as if they had misbehaved somehow. I think that's such a shame.
I know that many weight-loss programs, Weight Watchers included, recommend weekly weigh-ins. And that makes sense to me. It takes time to lose body fat. I do think it's good to have one official weigh-in day to track your progress over time. I also know that daily weigh-ins are not good for some people.
For me it works. I know that daily fluctuations can happen for a variety of reasons. I usually don't let that get to me. I find the daily weigh-in keeps me focussed and it makes the official weigh-in easier to take because I have some idea of what the result is going to be.
To those who weigh-in even less often than once a week, or who eschew the scale altogether - good for you. I've tried it and it does not work for me at all. For me, the pounds do not come off easily; I have to work hard at it. It's all very well to say that one should not "obsess about the numbers" but that is what it's about. I am trying to get that number to be within the healthy range for my height. Plain and simple. If I'm not seeing the numbers, if I'm not getting that constant reminder, I start to relax which sadly can lead to the numbers creeping up instead of down.
So, that's why I do the daily-weigh in thing. It works for me.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Weighing In
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6 comments:
i've done the weekly weigh-ins for years but have also tried the daily ones - it was interesting to see just how much your body can change in the blink of an eye... but i'm happy with once a week and though i complain sometimes about a gain here or a maintain there, i know it will balance out in the end... i hope anyway... :o)
The Bag Lady has used the Scarsdale Diet several times, and it recommends a daily weigh-in. When you stick faithfully to that particular diet, you see the scale drop dramatically - every day! It can be a real incentive to stay on the diet when that happens. Using that diet has trained the Bag Lady to weigh herself every day when she is trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, without the stringent diet, weighing herself every day can cause some distress, because her weight fluctuates wildly for some reason. She is starting to think she should go back on the Scarsdale Diet, unhealthy as it is, because it is so depressing to not be losing as fast as she would like.
You are doing all the right things, and the weight loss will come. Just keep going, and don't beat yourself up for a teensy tiny gain. You're allowed to go out for supper and enjoy yourself. As long as you are doing the right things most of the time, a little indulgence periodically is okay. You have to enjoy life, too! **climbing off soapbox now**
Jodi - I'm sure that your efforts will pay off! And I'm glad the weekly weigh-ins work for you. I just don't think that there is only one right way to do it. If a person wants to weigh in once a day, they shouldn't have to feel guilty about it. I guess that's what I was trying to say. Gee, I could have saved myself a lot of typing...
Bag Lady - Thanks for the encouraging words. And I think that you should stick with slow and steady rather than going on an unhealthy diet. Believe me, I know it's hard to be patient...But those very strict diets are too hard to stick to and most of the time don't lead to lasting results. Fluctuations are normal. But if it frustrates you too much, that would be a good reason to only step on the scale once a week. Hang in there!
I weigh myself daily because my weight fluctuates from day to day, going up and down faster than a floozy's knickers. I can gain and lose 6 pounds in a week.
What I do is weigh daily, then average the week's weight to see whether I've gained or lost for that week. Otherwise I'd go insane trying to second guess why I gained several pounds that week.
I agree, do whatever works for you. Forget guilt, it only weighs you down.
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For me it works. I know that daily fluctuations can happen for a variety of reasons. I usually don't let that get to me. I find the daily weigh-in keeps me focussed and it makes the official weigh-in easier to take because I have some idea of what the result is going to be.
wow! this was totally my own mindset when i used to weigh-in everyday. i don't really see any harm in weighing yourself daily so long as you know about fluctuations and are realistic about things. for me, it let me know if what i was eating was enough and if my exercise was sufficient. i think when you have those feelings of shame and guilt such as the members on the ww board have, that's when it becomes a problem.
anyway, i know your persistence at this will pay off for you! i think you've done good thus far :)
merry - I used to average my weight over the week as well. I've become kinda lazy I guess. I guess the main thing is being able to see that downward trend.
fitt girl - I think a realistic attitude is the key. One needs to have an understanding of how the body works and why weight fluctuations can happen. Otherwise I could see how the ups and downs might drive you crazy!
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