The Scale
reallymyBEST
Posts: 242 Member
So, yesterday, I posted my weight, which was up significantly. I wanted to follow-up on that today w/ a real-life example of what a fickle b**** the scale can be. If you 've been doing this for a while, like me, you probably already know. If you're newer, maybe this will help.
Last Tues = 192.5#
Monday = 198.2#
Yesterday = 196#
Today = 194#
I know that part of my bump up in the recent week was just bad form. My schedule was challenging last week and the weather has been terrible here in MN. I am an outdoor runner and missed the whole week. I did not replace that activity with anything else. That's the part I CAN control. I did not try hard enough and I know that. I expected not to lose and to probably gain because of that.
I also mentioned that TOM started on Mon and it usually take a few days, sometimes a week, to drop the water. That's the part I can't control. I also had quite a salty meal (Bacon - mmmmm!) and that can stick around for a day or two. Most of that water weight is gone. I was over my calories yesterday by a couple hundred. Today, I am still down 2#.
See, the scale can make you crazy, if you let it. You can't take it as the final word on where you're at. Good to have a goal, good to use it to sort of gauge how close you are to that goal - but the be all end all??? NO way!
If you let one (really!) bad number affect you too much, cause you to think it's not worth it, I can't do it, etc, etc, you'll keep going round and round in the same cycle. I've done it a million times, but have finally gotten out of that all or nothing thinking. That has taken a long time and lot of practice as I am a perfectionist and anything worth doing must be done perfectly. That kind of thinking just doesn't work in the world of weight loss.
The ups and downs of the scale are part of the battle and getting used to it is part of the process. That's not to say that we should just accept what it says and not respond to it. Getting used to it can be a bad thing, too, and make us complacent. We should use it to try to do better, but realize that the # on the scale is only one measure of how it is going. What's going on between your ears in the most important.
I'm not sure if I explained that the best, but I think you can see what I mean and I hope it helps when you have your own "bad week". Don't let it throw you! Accept it, learn from it (what you could have done better and what was going to happen despite your best efforts), commit to keep going, and then keep going!!!
Now, hoping to stay away from the scale til next Tues and focus on eating well and moving and it will say what it says. Cheers!
Last Tues = 192.5#
Monday = 198.2#
Yesterday = 196#
Today = 194#
I know that part of my bump up in the recent week was just bad form. My schedule was challenging last week and the weather has been terrible here in MN. I am an outdoor runner and missed the whole week. I did not replace that activity with anything else. That's the part I CAN control. I did not try hard enough and I know that. I expected not to lose and to probably gain because of that.
I also mentioned that TOM started on Mon and it usually take a few days, sometimes a week, to drop the water. That's the part I can't control. I also had quite a salty meal (Bacon - mmmmm!) and that can stick around for a day or two. Most of that water weight is gone. I was over my calories yesterday by a couple hundred. Today, I am still down 2#.
See, the scale can make you crazy, if you let it. You can't take it as the final word on where you're at. Good to have a goal, good to use it to sort of gauge how close you are to that goal - but the be all end all??? NO way!
If you let one (really!) bad number affect you too much, cause you to think it's not worth it, I can't do it, etc, etc, you'll keep going round and round in the same cycle. I've done it a million times, but have finally gotten out of that all or nothing thinking. That has taken a long time and lot of practice as I am a perfectionist and anything worth doing must be done perfectly. That kind of thinking just doesn't work in the world of weight loss.
The ups and downs of the scale are part of the battle and getting used to it is part of the process. That's not to say that we should just accept what it says and not respond to it. Getting used to it can be a bad thing, too, and make us complacent. We should use it to try to do better, but realize that the # on the scale is only one measure of how it is going. What's going on between your ears in the most important.
I'm not sure if I explained that the best, but I think you can see what I mean and I hope it helps when you have your own "bad week". Don't let it throw you! Accept it, learn from it (what you could have done better and what was going to happen despite your best efforts), commit to keep going, and then keep going!!!
Now, hoping to stay away from the scale til next Tues and focus on eating well and moving and it will say what it says. Cheers!
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Replies
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This is great, reallymyBEST. You're so right, and you explained it so well. The scale can be so tempting to step on after a good day - and then so frustrating if it doesn't reflect what you were hoping for. It's a complicated relationship!
I am trying only to get on once a week to gauge my overall direction. Though my last week wasn't what I had hoped, it is still moving in the right direction. I'm trying to work on my patience and not get too frustrated with the slowness of it all. I'm starting to think that my age (42) may be impacting the loss as well as my body starts to slow down (all the more reason to exercise and eat well!).
Thanks for these thoughts - you're so right about the battle in our heads.0 -
The same stuff happens to me!! Awesome of you to post it and let everyone know it's totally normal and the stupid scale doesnt always show your work!0
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Ditto!!!!
If i work out and eat right, yet the next day the scale goes up - BAM.
License to eat. It does not work so may as well eat.
I am trying to reprogram my brain to have a WEEKLY deficit and let the daily fluctuations happen.
Great post!!!!!0 -
That's a good post Our weight will fluctuate with the water we retain. Usually it's worst around TOM, if you ate lots of carbs or salty foods! Since I have been back at the weight loss journey, when the scale goes up I always blame water retention :laugh: UNLESS, I've eaten really bad for while, then I must be honest with myself and accept the thruth... That bad eating need to stop! It won't bring me the results I want 0
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I'm glad that was helpful. It was very good for me to write it as it has taken a LONG time for me to get used to some of the ups and downs not being a reflection of the work I've done. Still, it's difficult to see a big increase like that and not immediately feel liked I failed, esp when I'm not on the top of my game.0
