So I confess, I'm a scale whore. I weigh myself each and every morning. For me, daily weigh-ins have provided some important insight into the way my eating affects my weight. Thus, I weigh. And I happily use the scale to chart my progress. Until now, I haven't had any major scale-related frustrations. Using the scale has served me well, though I know some 3FC members avoid the scale because of it's inconsistent readings and sensitivity to minor bloating.

Right now, however, I'm a few hundred miles away from my trusty, high-tech digital scale with all of its gadgets and multiple readouts. And not having any way to objectively track my progress is frustrating for me. I'm back in Cleveland for a two-week visit, where I'm completely surrounded by food 24/7. My parents have missed me, so all they want to do is stuff me like a sausage casing (Croatian people are like that). So I need a way to stay on track.

Today I stopped by Target and picked up a basic lithium-powered scale. As soon as I got home I ripped open the packaging and stepped on. It read 199.5, which would be a pound and a half less than I was on Sunday. I thought to myself, that couldn't possibly be right... I've been eating nothing but my mom's goulash since I got here. So I stepped off and back on again. 199.5. Well, shoot.

So here's my dilemma. I realize that different scales give different readings. This one may just be calibrated to give a lower number than my fancy shmancy scale back home. But...

IT SAYS I'M 199.5, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT NUMBER IN 15 YEARS.

Can I trust these numbers? Can I celebrate? The thought of having to wait two weeks to verify that I hit onederland is making me crazy!

Well...

There's no way to know how this scale matches up to your home scale. I would totally celebrate, but know that when you get home, you might have to pause the celebration for a week to get to that number.

You could use it as a motivation to stay 100% on plan while you're away from home, even...staying OP so that, when you get home, your home scale will verify your temporary scale's good news!

either way.

If it were me, I'd jump around a bit in a slightly restrained manner and feel very happy.... and save my seriously-all-out-crazy celebration until I weighed on my regular scale.

Either way, you either ARE 199.5 or you are VERY CLOSE to being 199.5 and that is worth celebrating all night and into tomorrow!

I'm going to go ahead and say CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU!

Hi Drina,

I think in this situation, your guess is as good as mine. But knowing how different the numbers can be from one scale to another, you should just use the current one for monitoring your weight while staying with your parents. That it, monitoring if you are going down, staying the same or God forbid, going up.
If I was in your shoes, as impatient as I am, I would try to wait until I can weigh myself on the trusted scale at home. But that's just me.

Meanwhile, enjoy your visit and all the goodies. Have you had any of your dad's sausages you told me about?

Stay strong!

So maybe just a wee little celebration, restrained of course! Only one of these guys

Not yet, but he promises me they'll be ready soon. He's got about a hundred large links hanging in the cellar to dry. I love his sausage, but I have a feeling that if I indulge too much I won't be in onederland when I get back to Vermont!

HECK YES, CELEBRATE! You get way more than just one silly carrot! !


Ps - I ADORE Croatia! I lived in Sarajevo for two years, and we went to Dubrovnik and Zagreb alllllllll the time. Oh my word, the food is the greatest. Good luck staying on plan with all of that deliciousness!

Either way, it's really exciting!! congratulations!!!!!

Thanks everyone! This morning I weighed in at 199.0, which means I'm staying on track, despite all of the delicious food in the house. I think I really am in onederland now, but I'll wait until I get back to Vermont to change my ticker and post pictures in the mini-goal album.

Wow, Eskimo, lucky you! I get to visit every couple of years, but only for a few weeks at a time. Croatian food is amazing in its own right, but I also grew up on it, so there's another element driving me to eat!

Jewish folks stuff ya too... and Irish.. and sweedish, and chinese, and italian i think it's a parent thing...

deep sigh... i do not know what to tell you about the scale.

I am a daily weigher and I do not celebrate anything not on my scale in my bedroom at home. EVER.

Yeah, I had a feeling it isn't just Croatian people... but all Croatian people are like that. Even though my family knows I've changed my eating habits they still want to feed me. The cupboards are full of all of my favorite stuff... including several boxes of Napolitanke cookies. Oy.