Weight loss denial?

yungibear

I don't know how weird this experience will sound; I hope that maybe others on here might be able to relate. I have this problem with being in denial about the amount of weight I lose, especially if it's just 1 pound. See, I have gone through such a long period of yoyoing around the same 5 pounds that unless I break that threshold, I will not think of my current weight loss as true weight loss (even if my pictures say otherwise).

Whenever I step on that scale and it tells me that I weigh 132 pounds instead of the 133 pounds I was at last week, I instantly find myself thinking, "Eh, I probably dropped water weight. It isn't real." It shouldn't be water weight, as I drink a lot of water everyday and I generally stick to my food goals. Even if it doesn't make sense, logically, I end up believing these thoughts. It's not something I do intentionally -- it just happens. I find it hard to tell myself, "Yes, I've really lost 8 pounds."

Does anyone else experience this?

Edmond_Dantes

Yes, I have thought the same things. Even when I drop a couple pounds over several days consistently, I think to myself: am I dehydrated, is my bowel just really empty, etc. Weird.

heybales

Losing water weight doesn't have anything to do with drinking or not plenty of water.

If you had a big cardio workout day before weighing, and didn't eat a big meal afterwards no replenish used carbs, just a snack perhaps, you'd be lower on stored carbs than normal. Carbs store with water.
False weight loss due to less normally stored water.

That's why only valid weigh-in day to minimize false gain and loss is morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout.

Because being sore would easily mean retained water in the stored muscles used for repair.

And even on valid weigh-in days, I'll do what you mentioned, thinking I'm still perhaps sore from Thu workout, so no loss because of that. Or it went down more than it should have, was I lighter on sodium yesterday than normal.

yungibear

Losing water weight doesn't have anything to do with drinking or not plenty of water.

If you had a big cardio workout day before weighing, and didn't eat a big meal afterwards no replenish used carbs, just a snack perhaps, you'd be lower on stored carbs than normal. Carbs store with water.
False weight loss due to less normally stored water.

That's why only valid weigh-in day to minimize false gain and loss is morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout.

Because being sore would easily mean retained water in the stored muscles used for repair.

And even on valid weigh-in days, I'll do what you mentioned, thinking I'm still perhaps sore from Thu workout, so no loss because of that. Or it went down more than it should have, was I lighter on sodium yesterday than normal.

Oh, I see. Thanks for letting me know! It's interesting that you mention all this information. It actually helps me with this feeling of uncertainty. I had been consistently taking it easier and focusing on eating normally the day before the weighing in.

writer190

I definitely do this, and it's reassuring to hear that I'm not alone in it. I guess that's where patience pays off, because (hopefully) it'll be impossible to deny a loss that sticks around over several weeks!

StaciMarie1974

I'm the opposite. If I get on the scale and it shows a higher # than what it did before, I know its from something like sodium/hormones/etc. and I don't worry about it. I'm doing the right things, the scale will eventually catch on.