Quote:
Originally Posted by Gypsydancer
At the beginning, I think that's what is the biggest motivator--the nice losses.
All I can say is that that is exactly what everyone thinks, what I used to think -- that I had to stay "motivated" to see it through, and that the only way to stay motivated was to see the scale go down. NOT weighing was what cured me of that.
The thing to realize is that motivation comes and goes. You have to make the transition from operating based on emotion (which is what motivation is, an emotion) to operating based on logic. I know it sounds like I'm some sort of automaton, which is far from the case! I DO feel motivated most of the time, and I DO get jazzed when I've lost a lot, etc. What I'm saying, though, is that most people don't realize that motivation DOES NOT LAST, and that when it disappears you have to hang on and do what's right anyway. That was one of the very hardest lessons for me to learn, but I was determined to hang on and grit my teeth and keep going. And, one day I woke up and the gloom had passed. I am convinced that that down period came along much later in my progress than it would have if I had watched the scale -- I would have pouted and second-guessed myself after my first weigh-in during my period, and it would have been downhill from there, which is exactly what happened every other time I tried to lose weight.
So, again, I'm not saying everyone needs to do what I did. It's funny, though, that every time I mention this, the response is, "I see what you mean but I couldn't do that, it's the only thing that keeps me motivated," when that is precisely the pitfall that this strategy can help you avoid.
I can see that you have the right idea, and everyone has to do what works for them. There is some value to tracking losses over time because you can sometimes find patterns about how your body behaves that can be useful info. But, I would just leave you with this thought: When the scale stops motivating you, or it actually discourages you, then it's time to rethink using it. So much of what we take for granted as standard operating procedure in losing weight isn't -- it's just what everybody does because it's what everybody does. Don't hesitate to think outside of the box and use your powers of observation about yourself to notice problems and challenges and find creative solutions. I've been successful precisely because I took nothing for granted and rethought the entire process from top to bottom. My mantra is "Whatever works," so if something's not working, change it!