When do you count a mini-whoosh?
 

I've mentioned that my weight loss is going super slow. I was stuck in the 180s for a LONG time. Sunday I finally hit 179.6. Then on Tuesday my scale was at 177.6. I'm excited :carrot: yet kind of afraid to celebrate just yet (the 177 gets me to 20 pounds lost). When do you believe a whoosh? This morning's weight was 177.4. Does this mean it's likely to stick? Can I start celebrating?

Personally, I think you should celebrate any day where you feel well, and eat healthy, no matter what the scale says. But since it is just so durn fun to see those numbers drop, I say stop whatever you are doing, do the happy dance, and live it up!

I'm glad you brought this up, I've been meaning to ask about it too.

I step on the scale daily, and each day it fluctuates up and down, then I finally see a lower number than usual, I immediately do the happy dance. Followed by Debbie Downer's voice in my head, "that can't be a true weight, that can't be right, etc. etc." Then I wait until the next day and if it's still that low number, I believe it!

Why do I have to see it 2 days in a row before I believe it?:dizzy:

I agree, anytime you feel wonderful, celebrate! There'll be other days like this in your future, too!

The split-second those numbers flash across my digital scale. I take it, and run with it!

Saturdays are my "official" WI day, and I will change my ticker down, even if that's the first day I'm at a new low. I usually also change it back up, if I'm more than 1 lb higher than ticker weight.

In between usually depends on my mood. If I hit a milestone that is significant to me, sometimes I change it right away and sometimes I wait to see if it sticks - if I've been on a good trend, I'm usually more likely to have faith it will stick.

But I think my outlook is a little different than a lot of people, I find it frustrating to see my ticker weight lower than my real weight - it's like it's taunting me! lol! I can allow for a small amount of normal fluctuations (esp. since I'm a daily weigher, so I have to!) but I like to look at my ticker and know that it's accurate or even high - that's what motivates me the best.

If you see a new low on the scale, that is real. Yes, your weight may and likely will go back up—it will always fluctuate—but the fact that it got to that new low even one day in the week says something. It says you are doing the right things. So, yes: celebrate! Be careful: remember that a new low doesn't mean you can get lax, because if you do you won't see that number again any time soon. But if you stay on plan, it will reappear soon enough, even if your weight goes up due to normal fluctuations the next day.

When I was losing, I always took the appearance of a new low as a sign that I was on track, even if I didn't see that number again for a few days. So it always counted.

I'm with roxmysox - i only need to see it for a second and it counts in my book!

I am totally with roxmysox! sometimes runningwith that number is the only exercise I'm gonna get that day!

Ive been having a few mini whooshies <--lol lately. I'm always nervous about celebrating too soon, and half the time I do gain a little the next day or Im stuck there for a while. UGH, very annoying. When I gain though, it doesn't last too long and I'll drop the weight within the nest couple days. On days I do have that big jump in the scale I except it as it is, I'm ***lbs for that day, yay! lol

OK. You've all convinced me. Since I've seen 177 something the last couple of days, I will go ahead and celebrate my 20 pounds down!!! Woo hoo!! :carrot:

@PeanutsMom704, I wasn't talking about changing my ticker just yet. I'm like you in that way. Mondays are my official weigh-in, so I only change the ticker then.

Thanks, everyone! Time for me to do my dance around the house!

Peanut's Mom and I have had this conversation before. ;) She and I are opposite, which just goes to show that everyone is different and it depends on whatever YOU are most comfortable with and what motivates you the most.

I personally count it the day I see it and change my ticker accordingly. Then I may spend a couple days getting back to my ticker weight. But whatever my ticker weight is, as long as I am on plan, I consider THAT my weight loss. So if someone asks, I tell them I've lost whatever weight my ticker says I've lost. :D

I'm a daily weigher also. I don't really consider my weight as any one specific number (except Monday mornings which are my recorded WI day), but I develop a good idea for the range. I know what my high fluctuation number is, and I know what my low fluctuation number is. I just assume I'm somewhere in the middle. Especially since I've been losing much slower as I transition into maintenance and am so close to goal, the scale moves pretty dang slow for me. Right now, I've been seeing lows as low as 137.0 like this morning and highs as high as 139.5. I know that I'm headed in the right direction when I see new lows (like this morning, 137.0 was a new low) instead of new highs. I'd be slightly concerned if I saw 141 or something, unless I knew my stomach was full or I had a good reason for retaining water.

I also know my body's routine pretty well. Ever since I've gotten closer to maintenance, I've followed this routine:
- Week before TOM: Slightly high fluctuation and no change for the week
- Week of TOM: High fluctuation on the day it starts, then drop off a 1-2.5lbs in the next few days
- Two between weeks: Not too much change, daily fluctuation, and maybe a 1-1.5 net loss for the two weeks.

So, I'm currently in the week of TOM, so I'm expecting a whoosh downward and therefor I'm pretty confident in that new low that I saw (137.0).

My weight drops steadily, so I count a new number when I see it. Maybe that will change when I get to goal, I don't know.

I do go through times where my weight goes up, but only when I've had binges. I have PCOS so I don't really deal with weight gain during TOM.

This is pretty much what I do, too. I weigh daily, but only "count" Saturday's weigh-in, with regard to changing my ticker. The only other times I change it is when I hit a milestone - 50, 55, 60 lbs etc. Then I want to change my avatar ASAP :lol:

Sure, go for it! Every little 1/2 number counts for me and I change it on my side bar daily (til I can graduate and get my ticker), whether up or down. I now do a daily weigh that I started this month, mainly because I'm a little impatient as it drops off. After this mornings weigh, I went to weigh myself this afternoon, it read 1 lb less and stepped on it a few times to make sure it was right. See, I have issues, lol, so very impatient.