I can handle the scale not moving for weeks but I've been jumping back and forth from 258 to 248 since the beginning of the year . . . so yeah, I tell myself it's just a number, but given that it represents my progress it's been downright depressing.
Last edited by Elladorine; 04-18-2010 at 08:27 PM.
I get depressed if the scale does not move. That is why right now I am only weighing in monthly. I do not want the scale to dictate the rest of my day. And so far, I have seen a loss each month.
I am not opposed to sneaking in a quick waist measurement every couple of weeks though!
No, it doesn't affect my mood in an adverse way, but when it's down, I do feel more confident. I am really sensitive to even minor increases in sodium, we did Sunday dinner at my dads house today, I need 2 gallons of water to balance out the amount of salt he and his wife not only cook with, but sprinkle on the food before serving. I know I'll be up tomorrow, but I also know overall I'm OP, and doing what I'm doing and it'll balance back out a day or so from now. Funnily enough before I even roll out of bed, I feel the difference in my body, literally, I feel how much smaller my belly is, how it takes up alot less room in the bed, how my hips have become more bony, prominent landmarks and alot less hidden in the fat. Those are the best indicators for me.
When I weighed weekly, the scale would get me down for the whole day. Now it takes a couple days of no movement to get me down. After a week or so I'll start to get frustrated. But one day of a pound's gain amuses me more than anything.
Not right now I can't be. It's 100 times better than seeing it go up, but not going down when I'm doing everything in my power to have it go down is frustrating. Now, if I can get down to 170 something, I may be able to be happy just staying put for a while.
BUT, I have become the Norman Vincent Peale of self-talk.
When I step on the scale and it's down, I'm happy, but if it's up, I immediately start barraging myself with mini-pep talks.
I tell myself stuff like "it's temporariy, it'll definitely move soon, I MUST be due for a whoosh... etc...." somehow I've trained myself not to respond to the number.
But part of that is that I pretty much always stay OP. In previous weight loss attempts, I didn't really understand how much daily fluctuation there really is-- I'd get frustrated by a few on plan fluctuations, then I'd go marginally off plan and the bounce up would represent the beginning of me not being on plan anymore.
Not any more. Now, I know I've been on plan and then number is just the number-- but I do get frustrated when I bounce up for no reason and then STAY THERE for a while-- after about 4 days, that gets frustrating.
Yes it does but I have noticed I really just lose weight 2 weeks a month then I stay that weight within 2-3 pounds depending on sodium levels and TOM for 2 weeks. I am averaging 4 or 5 pounds a month. I know I am doing what I can live with. I am doing bootcamp 3 times a week and cardio 2-3 other days. My eating is pretty good but real life lifestyle too. So yes it annoys me but I am seeing a pattern with my body.
It occasionally used to, but more and more I just don't care, pregnant or not. What I do with my food and exercise is entirely under my control, but what the scale does is NOT a factor I can control.
I am only going to worry about my end of it, the random number generator will do what it will.
Unfortunately, the scale has entirely too much power over me. If I'm up or the same, I'm instantly cranky and depressed — sometimes even to the point that I'll go back to sleep after weighing in because I don't feel like getting up anymore if I'm up a pound or two. It's really, really unhealthy, but what can I say?
I am definitely very happy when I get a good number. When there is no change or it goes up, it sort of depends. If I know it's because I haven't been as strictly on plan as I should be, it doesn't upset me too much. I mean, I briefly wish I was one of those people I see post sometimes about how they always lose weight if they go off plan. But I'm not one of them, if I go off plan, my weight goes up. (btw, I used to be one of those people - I definitely remember in my 30s, being on WW or the equivalent, and when I was really OP for a couple of weeks and then went out to a restaurant, I would almost always see a dramatic loss after, like a couple of lbs. But now, at 48, I don't have that happen any more, so I do believe it happens, but I think it's very much a function of age and general metabolism).
But back to the present, I have not had an experience so far where I've been OP for an extended period of time with no scale movement down. I know it will bother me if/when that happens, but I'm hoping my innate stubborness will make me decide to stick to my plan even hard, just so I can show the scale who is the boss around here! We'll see, but that's the mental attitude I'm trying to cultivate.
Also, Eliana mentioned this too, but daily weigh ins do seem to make it easier for me, at least at this point. I see all the ups and downs but they carry a little less weight (pun intended!!) when I know from my own experience and everyone else posting on that thread just how normal this pattern is.
I try to only weigh once a week. I do get frustrated if the scale isn't moving the way I want it to. I have to remind my self that I am eating right and getting exercise, the scale will have to move eventually. Now if the scale shows something I want to see, then I am on cloud nine for the rest of the day, sometimes for a few days.
Also, Eliana mentioned this too, but daily weigh ins do seem to make it easier for me, at least at this point. I see all the ups and downs but they carry a little less weight (pun intended!!) when I know from my own experience and everyone else posting on that thread just how normal this pattern is.
Yup, this is me too, and I've noticed that weighing daily for about ten months now has me very attuned to my body. I am almost never surprised by the weight on the scale-- I "know" when I'm retaining a little water, bloated for TOM, due for a BM etc.... I can predict the pattern leading up to a loss... I've noticed that I'm very cyclical and tend to stay flat for a long time then lose two or three pounds all at once, then stay flat for a while...
It makes the whole thing so much easier to handle for me.
Sometimes I think that this is the number one reason I have always gained my weight loss back (+ more) in past weight loss attempts. Something I have learned is there comes a point when you HAVE to keep doing all the work, and the scale will hopefully stay the same for the rest of your life. I do physical work from basically sun up to sun down, I still eat healthy, and chop and slice and dice pounds of veggies each week. I still plan ahead, shop for and prepare fresh delicious, nutricious whole foods. I still (most always) avoid all junk food and crap. I still plant a big garden, and work my body daily...BUT guess what? The scale stays the same. It has basically stayed the same for 9 months, (+/- a few pounds here and there) and even though I'm working my program to it's fullest, 95% of the time the scale does not move!
My point is, wether you are in maintaince, or a self induced maintaince, (because a real honest to goodness plateau when you are PERFECTLY ON PLAN is pretty rare), you need to get over the scale obsessing mentality. If you want to keep off the weight, you just gotta keep doing what you are doing FOREVER. Once you hit maintaince, the goal is for the scale to stop moving, so it's really time to get into practice at dealing with this sort of thing for the long haul. KWIM?
