Motivation or license?

Philtex

Do you have either of these reactions to a good weigh-in - motivation to continue doing the things that led to the good WI, or, license to eat more and go off the wagon a bit? Is this different now for those maintaining as opposed to when you were losing?

Jimb376

Good phrasing. My WI a week ago today was a HUGE -5# ! I will find out TODAY if I used it as a "License to Kill" my success. I did go off a little on a road trip with grandson to Redskins training camp. I had a SMALL milk shake at Chic filet>>>>>>28 SPs!

I usually DO NOT celebrate a weight loss with food, it makes no sense to me to reward myself and sabotage myself with the same action.

jbrack381us

When not in WL mode, any sort of WL would cause me to use that license to eat whatever I wanted, even though the loss was not part of any conscious process.

Right now, while I am on my WLJ, any "going off the wagon" is more just trying to MTBC out of a situation for a particular meal or situation.

steve0mania

I have actively tried to dissociate weigh-ins from rewards, with varying success. I'm in a mini-weight-loss mode now (trying to take off the 10-13 extra pounds I've been carrying for a few years now), and the "good weigh-ins" (with losses) have motivated me to keep up my focus, rather than reward myself. At least, this is how it's working at the moment.

The other quick point to make is that I'm weighing myself every day (and trying to remember to enter those data on MFP). Thus, it's hard to get too excited about any single weigh-in, since there is so much day-to-day fluctuation anyway.

If I were to reward myself, I'd more than likely be rewarding myself for having a large BM, or being a bit dehydrated, or something!

countcurt

Ditto, Steve-0.


That said, a higher than desired weigh-in is much more likely to lead to [positive] changes in behavior. The 'maintenance' differentiator, that I can detect, is the much less emotional response to the data provided by the scale.

spospo1

A good WI motivates me but a fellow GoaD member advised "don't be a slave to the scale". That counts for good and not so good WI's. Wise words but I must constantly remind myself of of that statement and think long term.

Philtex

Thanks for the responses. I'm presently between my official goal and where I would prefer to be. I think that in my case, eating some extra snacks after losing a couple is more a feeling that I've got some leeway than it is a reward. That is likely due to me not being totally committed to doing what it takes to get to my preferred weight.

Rachel0778

I did that a bit last weekend. I had a good loss last week so I went out for bar pizza and drinks Saturday...and since my body retains water for forever I still feel kinda bloated. It's a good reminder to not let success lull us into a sense of complacency

podkey

Kinda like Steve-o. No license to eat in the Tom Jones licentious manner. OK I guess it was mostly fruit in the movie where sex=food and vice versa.
No motivation either whether to lose or whatever.
I also weigh daily but look at my average weight. I have stopped doing the excel spread sheet of average weight but can easily add up weights for a week and figure out the average.

I am a bit worried as my weight has drifted up maybe 4 lb average weight since Feb. True I was a bit on the light side and some of it may be muscle as I have gotten stronger. Still paying attention as I really don't want to go higher than I am right now (close to 157 LB).

Calvin2008Brian

I'm definitely in the "license" camp, which explains why for past several years I've been very good at hovering at 182lbs (+/- 2) and very bad at getting down to the 170-172 where I'd prefer to be. Something to think about, for sure. I don't recall ever consciously thinking "Oh boy, I'm down a pound so now I can eat whatever I want." It's a more subtle, less conscious thing for me.

Mindless eating is possible even when tracking, btw.

misterhub

“Eating crappy food isn't a reward -- it's a punishment.” -Drew Carey

I try to keep that in mind after every successful weigh-in.

linmueller

I am motivated by a loss, and especially consistent losses. What messes me up is when I have a big loss. There's rarely a reason for that (since I basically eat the same every week when I'm OP), so I don't 'trust it'. That confuses me, and I get worried that I'll have a gain the next week and that's discouraging, even though I know it's just balancing things out. Like I said, it messes me up! I prefer slow and steady!

88olds

I'm in the green zone. Just had a big cookie.

Jim48322

Happy to report I gained only .6 at my WW WI today. So I did not celebrate my new lower weight in 230s.

minimyzeme

Weigh-in has always been a blip for me. It's a number for that moment in time. While I didn't weigh at home while I was losing, I do now maintaining. I pay closer attention now--more to the trend than to the daily weight. I use it as the bumpers on the bowling lane to help keep me out of trouble and so far, it's worked.

I was talking to a friend today who rejoined WW after having been on it originally on the previous Points Plus plan. She said that it didn't work for her last time around because she would constantly work the system by doing and taking credit / eating her points for physical activity. As discussed in the previous iteration of GOAD, I heeded the advice not to do that. Trying to lose weight, then eating points earned with activity seemed counter-productive even if it was 'legal'. So does going off the wagon with a good weigh-in. Of course, your mileage may vary...