The day that you don't lose weight

Hanfordrose

After a week of losing weight...ranging from 0.2 to 1.2 pounds every day, I am fianlly on one of those 'no weight loss' days.

Yes, I am a scale junkie. I look for my 'fix' every morning.

Do I let the scale determine my mood? Hmm? Maybe a little. I certainly get happy, when I see the numbers going down; and I can't wait to get onto MFP and put that new number on my wall.

Then, there are days like today, when the scale won't budge, even if I get back on it 2 or 3 times. I used to feel a bit sad, when I didn't see a loss...at least a small one. Then, I would begin to question myself, "What did I do wrong?" "Should I change what I am eating...lower my calorie count...maybe not eat at all today?" Fortunately, I didn't let myself follow that kind of thinking for very long, because I realized that I was doing everything right.

I am still doing everything that I must do to lose weight. I am faithful to my food plan and my calorie limit. I don't do 'free days or weekends', because I am determined to keep losing...with no days off for good behavior. That might be okay for others, but I am anxious to get the pounds off as soon as possible. I have something important waiting for me...a new set of knees.

I am also faithful to my exercises, 30 minutes every day...except Sunday. I give that day to God and thank Him for my blessings, including those lost pounds.

However, there will still be times, when my body just takes a break from losing weight...for about a day or two. The longest break was about a week, followed by a good, big drop. I have noticed that these rest periods happen about twice a month. I'm getting used to it now and realize that it is normal 'for me'...for my body.

Some of you will probably be thinking or even posting things, like:

1. I don't go near the scale. I let my clothes tell me how I am doing.
2. Only weigh yourself once each month, week or...never.
3. The scale is evil. Throw it away. :noway: :laugh:

As for me, I know that I will remain a scale junkie. No matter how many clothing sizes I go down, I will continue to answer the siren call of the scale each morning. I will anxiously look for that next drop in weight, no matter how small the amount. I will still feel joy at the loss of even a tenth of a pound and rush to post that fraction of a pound on MFP.

I will also accept that some days my scale will not move downward; and I will still be grateful for my blessings, including my friends on MFP who understand this crazy, old lady and her addiction to the scale.

I know that I am not alone in my addiction. How many of you are also scale junkies? Do also have days, when the scale doesn't move? Can you handle the good days along with the no loss days and still keep going?

dorthymcconnel

I don't have a scale at home, because the house is too wonky everywhere to get a decent reading, my son would kill it one way or another, and... I'd probably be on it every day driving myself crazier than I already am. :laugh:

That being said, I'm still a wee bit obsessive about being weighed. I currently use the health monitor at Wally World to keep track of both blood pressure and weight. Usually once a week, or every two weeks, we go to get stuff done and I head over to that contraption like a homing pigeon. If it shows a gain (water retention for various reasons mostly), I get grouchy and a little disappointed, but thankfully I have a husband who reminds me it's a temporary setback and I'm still benefitting from the exercise and eating better. Oh, but the rejoicing when I see a loss! The happy dances that come when there is a loss is addicting. :happy:

JenRunTriHappyGirl

I am too a scale junkie! I had to get myself under control though and now I only weigh once a week, same day and time every week. Because of my schedule, it is hard for me to have the same routine everyday (even though I tend to eat the same things everyday) and that makes my weight flucuate (sp?) a little more. Because of that, I would let days where my weight went up or didn't budge really effect me and I would make bad choices either up or down. For me, I stay healthier if I do not allow myself to get on the scale... even for a peek! But I appreciate a scale junkie who owns it and can stay mentally healthy while the weight flucuates some! Good for you!

onwarddownward

I weigh in almost every day. I bought the fitbit aria scale, so I feel like it's more accurate.

I have this cool PMS thing that happens to me, I get an itchy scalp, I've always been that way. So once that happens, I stop weighing in until my period passes and a coup,e of days for the water weight to resolve. This helps my sanity.

On days when I am up, I look at my MFP and assess what I've been doing. I do take measurements and photos. So that gives me other resources to know what's going on.

HOWEVER. I was up for three weeks. I was frustrated. Then BOOM, I lost about six lbs. sometimes the body takes time to shift things around and inflammation can cause weight gain. Inflammation can come from overworking it.

Just have patience. Or patients --- if you're a doctor.

retiree2006

I usually jump on the scale daily, if I remember...just to see that I'm maintaining or staying within a pound or two. I realize, like you, that there are lots of factors that are involved and sometimes no loss just means the body is adjusting. You're goal of being able to get those new knees is one that all of us who are following your "saga" keeps us cheering you on!

By the way, love the new picture. You can really see the loss in your face...and your spirit is wonderful, too! Looking forward to the next episode.

Hanfordrose

water weight...

Just have patience. Or patients --- if you're a doctor.

Water weight and the mention of the doctor reminded me of something funny that happen just today.

My hubbie had an appointment with his doctor this morning. He was looking forward to getting on the scale, because he actually has lost enough that he only weighed 199.4 pounds just a couple of days ago. Yep, he made it to Onederland. He wanted to impress his doctor with his success.

When he got on the doctor's scale, it showed 204 pounds; and he was so disappointed. He didn't think about the fact that he was NAKED, when he weighed himself at home. Silly man.

Anyhow, he asked the doctor, "Could I be retaining water?"

The doctor's classic response was, "No. You're retaining food." Actually, his doctor is very pleased with Ed's weight loss. He is down from 236 pounds, since December.

When he told me about this encounter with the doctor, he added, "Mama, I have gone back to the DARK SIDE."

The Dark Side? Yep...back into the 200's. Gotta love him! My hubbie Ed (aka Special Ed) keeps me laughing.

likitisplit

I have the "Happy Scale" app, which smooths out my spikes and dips to show average progress. Weighing every day keeps me sane with all the crazy things my weight does in a week or a month.

dwalt15110

Sue, as you know, I am not a scale junkie. I like to see large number losses appear. However, your situation is much different from mine. While non-scale victories are wonderful, your doctors are not going to be impressed with inches. They want to see the numbers. If I was the one waiting to get new knees, I'd be on that scale multiple times a day. I know it.

I think that just as we sometimes need to take a breather when exercising because we are expending energy, the body is doing that losing weight and needs to take a bit of a break. In a day or two you will see a loss and a good one. You are on track and doing everything right. You have found what works for you and you are working that plan.

You are a model for anyone who wants to lose weight. You preplan and follow that plan. Most of us eat and log. It takes real organization and dedication to do what you do.

As for your scale. He has known to be a little bit problematic in the past. Sometimes seemingly having a mind of his own. Maybe try again later and see if he has come to his senses.

MissLady03

I am also a scale junkie. The only time I don't weigh myself is when I haven't been eating well or exercising and I don't want to know what evil number the scale will glare at me. The past two weeks (since I seriously started MFP), my scale has been going down slowly but surely. It would remain the same number for about three days and then go down again. But, then yesterday, the scale went up 0.6 lbs. Say what! :noway:

I'll admit, that put me in a grumpy mood the rest of the morning. It didn't matter that my jeans fit beautifully... I gained 0.6 lbs!! What a chubby chubby person I am! (Ironically, this was the morning after my husband and I were discussing how weight is just a number and isn't the be all and end all to health.)

:huh: Well, I got myself to realize how ridiculous I was being for letting an inanimate object rule my mood. I weighed myself this morning, still had that 0.6 lb, but I measured myself and had lost some inches all over my body. Silly scale... silly me. I will always be a scale junkie, it happens. The trick that I'm still learning is to not let the scale dictate my mood. Did I gain 0.6 lbs? Yes. Have I been letting Jillian Michaels kick my butt the past 2 weeks? Yes. Do I feel good about myself and my food intake? Yes. So then what does a number have to do with anything??

jennynewbury

When I was trying (rather desperately!) to fit into my wedding dress I used to weigh myself every day and my mood for the day was completely dependent on what the scale said. It also used to keep me more focused on what I was doing - if the scale dropped I was more motivated to carry on and if it went up it renewed my determination to make it move the right way.

These days, not so much - probably because I have switched more into maintenance mode rather than loss mode. After I took up running I found the scale went a bit wibbly in terms of reflecting an accurate wait due to water retention and its gotten every more 'wibbly' since I took up weight lifting. It shows me at about the weight I was last June when I got married but I'm nearly 2 dress sizes down from that.

Hanfordrose

You're goal of being able to get those new knees is one that all of us who are following your "saga" keeps us cheering you on!

I am so grateful for my many MFP sisters and brothers who are praying and rooting for me, as I slowly move toward my knee replacement surgeries and freedom from my wheelchair at last. I wish that my surgeries were going to be tomorrow; but unfortunately, this is a slow process.

The first step was entirely up to me...lose 70 pounds to qualify. Then, my name will go on the waiting list for a surgery date, which will be another 2 or 3 months later. I will also have to be evaluated by a pre-op team for any other health issues and get set up with physical therapist. If that wasn't enough delays, I can only have one knee done at a time with several months in between the surgeries.

Oh, well. I didn't ruin my knees overnight; and I have already got myself this far in only 6 months. My surgeon and doctor are confident that I should be getting my first knee...the right one...done maybe as early as October. Last October, I was a mess at more than 280 pounds and in constant pain, standing or sitting. At least, today I can use my walker for short periods; and the pain is only an occasional episode, when I am standing or sleeping. I will take that any day over how I felt last year.

By the way, love the new picture. You can really see the loss in your face...and your spirit is wonderful, too! Looking forward to the next episode.

Thanks. Ed took that photo a couple of weeks ago, just before we were leaving for church.

smantha32

If you're going to weigh every day expect fluctuation.
weight loss every day is common if you have a lot to lose, but the lower you go, the more the scale is just going to sit there, or go up.

rassha01

I weigh in almost every day. I bought the fitbit aria scale, so I feel like it's more accurate.

I have this cool PMS thing that happens to me, I get an itchy scalp, I've always been that way. So once that happens, I stop weighing in until my period passes and a coup,e of days for the water weight to resolve. This helps my sanity.

On days when I am up, I look at my MFP and assess what I've been doing. I do take measurements and photos. So that gives me other resources to know what's going on.

HOWEVER. I was up for three weeks. I was frustrated. Then BOOM, I lost about six lbs. sometimes the body takes time to shift things around and inflammation can cause weight gain. Inflammation can come from overworking it.

Just have patience. Or patients --- if you're a doctor.

^^^ This exactly for me, without the whole PMS thing!!

pippywillow

I weigh myself every day too. Well every day I work, I do it there. I understand wanting a "fix." I feel the same way, it just feels so good to see the number go down. But when it goes up as it occasionally does I just remind myself that it will be a bigger loss next time. It will make me a little sad when I get to a lower weight and the numbers don't change as fast.

berriboobear

I am definitely a scale junkie, I don't really let it get to my moods everyday though. Except when there's a loss, it puts a bounce in my step. I think more often if there's a fluctuation/gain (even during TOM), I take it as a challenge or further motivation to keep working and stay focused. But yes, I definitely have my doubts at times as well ><

bigmike1974

http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/signalnoise.html

Log your results daily with something that calculates a moving average, you will always be losing weight then

Scale junkie here as well but until I knew the difference between the noise and the signal non losing days used to send me into a tailspin

Good luck!

akp4Him

used to weigh myself every morning...then someone suggested weighing at different times during the day to see how the weight fluctuates. I was amazed! I would weigh 6 pounds more after drinking my water and eating breakfast! I only eat around 300 to 350 for breakfast. I was surprised at the different weights during the day. So now it is a bit of an annoying habit. I weigh at least in the morning and sometimes I will weigh myself whenever I'm in the bathroom. I record my weights...I think it is just a small obsession. Keeps me honest!

257_Lag

Scale junkie here! Love it! Every morning. Log it daily good or bad and learn from the trends. Sometimes I weight at night right before going to bed but this is just out of curiosity. Where does 2 pounds go when you sleep?

Hanfordrose

http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/signalnoise.html

Fun and fascinating read. Thanks for sharing it.

My MFP charts for my weight loss show my 'signal' rather than 'noise' too. That's why I like to visit them regularly to remind myself of how far I have come.

MySlimGoals

You sweat it out while you sleep

I weigh every day, but usually I only see the scale move one day during the week. Then it's standing still every day until then again. I'm used to waiting on the same number for 5 days or so.

bwogilvie

The scale is a great tool, if you know how to use it. Every day we take in, on average, 2.5 lbs. of food, 9.2 lbs. of water, and 1.8 lbs. of oxygen. We eliminate 0.3 lbs. of solids, 11 lbs. of water, and 2.2 lbs. of carbon dioxide. As you can see, the biggest thing coming in and going out is water (much of it in food). If you retain even 10% of the water one day, that's over a pound.

John Walker's "The Hacker's Diet" (free online at http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/) discusses how to use daily scale readings sensibly: by comparing them with a weighted average that represents your trend. As long as your daily weights are mostly below the trend, you're losing weight; if they're mostly above the trend, you're gaining weight. The chapters on "The Rubber Bag" and "Signal and Noise" explain the problem and the solution elegantly.

ELENA01

You are not alone. I also check the scale daily and am grateful for everyday, if I lose weight or not. I just keep on trying, knowing that eventually it will drop. I feel great with what I have accomplished thus far and it is a bonus to continue to drop.

kkclif

When I weighed myself every day I found myself getting discouraged when the scale didnt budge. It would ruin my entire mood! Have you taken your measurements? On the days you find the scale did not move maybe you have still lost inches. If you are doing strength training with your workout you could be gaining muscle affecting the scale.

ashivnc

I try and check the scale every day.. I want to... I like to. I know there are many factors but it helps me keep on track. And if I lose, boy do I feel rewarded and even more motivated. Lately the scale hasn't really budged, even though I've been back on track more than ever. Working out a LOT, keeping within my calorie goal (to create a deficit), sleeping well, all that. I tend to give up at this point because I get frustrated, but I'm committed to sticking with it - telling myself that my good work will pay off and that yes, like many of you are saying, it might take a while for the body to adjust and things to start happening. I'm definitely working out a lot more than I used to so it might just be some inflammation?

Texasopa

I weigh the 1st of every month. I eat right 95% of the time and am upset with myself if I don't go to the gym at least 5 X a week. I really like to go every day. When I'm traveling I can't. So I decided not to worry a lot about the weight. If I keep doing what I have been, Then I have to lose weight. I have a long way to go. Looks like you and Ed have done great and Congratulations,:drinker:

maryhansenbfegypt

I guess you already KNOW I cannot keep off the scale first thing in the morning...but I have to wait till 9 a.m. cause I always weigh less at 9 a.m.; I am not sure why! But I weigh before breakfast, of course!!!! Like you....I can't help it!!! I have to know...even if it's two ounces, that's better than nothing!!!!! Get bummed out when it's nothing! as you know!!!!

WDA4655

Wow! There is a wealth of info. and encouragement and discovery here. I have come to enjoy reaching for my laptop at the end of the day to sit and read all or most of the post. I have learned, been encouraged mightily, discovered and have come to rest in knowing that I'm not alone in this. I am humbled and grateful for all my new friends here on MFP. Thank you all!

As for the scale, I weigh myself daily too. Funny thing, when we lived in NJ (1 1/2 yrs. ago) I only weighed myself once a week, but when we moved to Florida and I came out of the pit I was in, and I started to way in every morning. For a short time I would way a few times a day, but that did not last long because I felt myself getting kind of overly crazy, so I put a stop to that. I am determined to stay the course and not let the little things ambush me.

Rosie, I am not a outward person when it comes to things that deal with my weight, I have always been selfconcous because people can and have been cruel to me, even close family members. But I have learned from you and others that in sharing it brings strength. And now, my eyes are tearing up because of the friends I have here that share their deep secrets, lonely moments, their frustrations, the physical ills, their funny stories, their victories, their defeats, and their daily lives. What a fantastic group of loving and caring people God has placed by my side to journey with me.

Hanfordrose

Rosie, I am not a outward person when it comes to things that deal with my weight, I have always been selfconcous because people can and have been cruel to me, even close family members. But I have learned from you and others that in sharing it brings strength. And now, my eyes are tearing up because of the friends I have here that share their deep secrets, lonely moments, their frustrations, the physical ills, their funny stories, their victories, their defeats, and their daily lives. What a fantastic group of loving and caring people God has placed by my side to journey with me.

I am so happy that you asked me to become your first friend on MFP. You and I both have a long way to go; but together, we are capable seniors with the desire and commitment to make it all the way...together.

Love ya, Sis.

jljshoe1979

The scale is a great tool, if you know how to use it. Every day we take in, on average, 2.5 lbs. of food, 9.2 lbs. of water, and 1.8 lbs. of oxygen. We eliminate 0.3 lbs. of solids, 11 lbs. of water, and 2.2 lbs. of carbon dioxide. As you can see, the biggest thing coming in and going out is water (much of it in food). If you retain even 10% of the water one day, that's over a pound.

John Walker's "The Hacker's Diet" (free online at http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/) discusses how to use daily scale readings sensibly: by comparing them with a weighted average that represents your trend. As long as your daily weights are mostly below the trend, you're losing weight; if they're mostly above the trend, you're gaining weight. The chapters on "The Rubber Bag" and "Signal and Noise" explain the problem and the solution elegantly.

Thanks for sharing these stats...I'm gonna check the web out tomorrow.

I weigh daily too, but I don't think I'm a scale #'s junkie so much as OCD (weighing is part my routine)...The number doesn't bother me so much, but I have to weigh. I do like to look at the trendline that is created under the reports section of MFP, so maybe you should check that out (it's cool to see it go down) for some motivation.

Also, I gain every time I do strength training (supposed to be water retention from where the muscles are repairing themselves), but it goes away in a few days. Perhaps when you weigh and go up after a particularly hard day you could say "oh look, I gained X amount of water from the workout." Maybe changing your mindset of where the weight comes from could help (water is way better than fat).

Hanfordrose

Also, I gain every time I do strength training (supposed to be water retention from where the muscles are repairing themselves), but it goes away in a few days. Perhaps when you weigh and go up after a particularly hard day you could say "oh look, I gained X amount of water from the workout." Maybe changing your mindset of where the weight comes from could help (water is way better than fat).

That's something that I didn't know. I am in wheelchair; but I have been working out, using a Sit And Fit program. About a week ago, I stepped up from baby weights (one pounders) to 3 pound weights that have made lifting a bit more difficult...even painful at times.

I am an old lady with arthritis in my knees, hands and apparently in my shoulders as well. My left arm is especially sore tonight after my workout this afternoon. Several MFP friends recommended that I go back to the smaller weights, at least until my left shoulder stop hurting.

Maybe the increased weights during the past few workouts did some 'damage' (? Is that the right word?) to my muscles in the left arm. Would that make me retain water in my system? I usually drink about a gallon of water each day, but I am on Lasix (a strong diarrhetic) for swelling in my legs. So, I do have some medical issues that could be factoring in to my 'no loss days'.

Either way...muscle repair or not...I am determined to keep up with my exercise routine.

alisonlynn1976

I weigh myself every day. If it's the same as the day before, I think, "Great, it's stabilizing, that means this weight loss is permanent!" If it goes up a little, sure, that's a bummer, but I don't report my weight on here as having gone up, I just leave it and wait until it goes back down. And it always does.