Wow - it seems like the
QOTD should be
How often do you weigh, why and how does it make you feel? The following answers all apply to me (I weigh daily):
Like
pintobean (Anjuli) - it's hard to see the scale's numbers unchanged . . .
Like
tkglenn (Tawny) - I'm frustrated with the scale . . .
Like
me_amarie (Amarie) - the scale is doing a little dance around the same number day after day . . .
However, I take heart in what these gals said:
Jillybean (Jill) - "we're in it for the long haul. . ."
girlygirlsebas (Rhonda) - "Use the scales as a tool. They are a fickle friend."
suitejudyblueeyes (Jamie) - "Our bodies are compicated mechanisms, very prone to fluctuations."
Here's an article that should encourage you scale watchers (like me):
Exercise program can
result in quick weight gain
This time of year, many people get serious about fitness and vigorously jump into various types of exercise programs. Typically, t
heir immediate expectation is weight loss. However,
a new exercise program can cause immediate weight gain, even if done right. This experience has probably curtailed the best fitness intentions for millions of people every year.
Take the case of a person starting up a new strength-training program with weight lifting. Their muscles are not accustomed to this type of exercise and they can become very sore during the days following the workout. Exercise physiologists call this phenomenon delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.
This type of soreness is thought to be caused by a variety of factors, including physical damage or minute tears in muscle tissue. In addition, the
muscle tissue becomes inflamed and slightly swollen by fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid
can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few days of the workout.
Most people are motivated enough to put up with muscle soreness, but if they are
watching the scale go up, they can grow discouraged. Understanding that this is a normal and temporary phenomenon can help to maintain motivation. This is one reason many fitness experts recommend starting up an exercise program gradually, allowing your body to adapt to the new stresses. If you experience a significant amount of soreness, you are starting your exercise program with too much intensity.
After a couple weeks of strength training, some
increase in muscle size will typically take place. Of course, this
can show up as weight gain even though body fat is being lost.
Muscle is heavier than fat, so a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat.
Consequently,
muscle development can mask fat loss if you are watching the scale. Yet, your waist, hips and thighs can be shrinking in size and your clothes will fit better. Also, an increase in muscle tissue results in increased calorie needs, even at rest.
A quick start-up to an aerobic exercise program can also result in immediate weight gain, partly related to the fluid retention of delayed-onset muscle soreness. But another natural phenomenon can increase the water content (and weight) of muscles even more.
As a person adapts to an aerobic exercise program, their muscles get better at storing carbohydrate in a form called glycogen. To muscles, glycogen is the storage form of high-octane fuel. During exercise, muscles break down glycogen to a high-energy source called glucose. A steady supply of glucose is essential for maintaining moderate- to high-intensity exercise.
So far, so good.
But here's the rub: Along with each additional gram of glycogen stored in the muscles, about 3 grams of water are stored, resulting in a weight gain of as much as 2 to 4 pounds.
The increased storage of glycogen is important to the training program. It means extra carbohydrate calories from the diet are more likely to be stored as glycogen instead of fat. In the long run, this immediate weight gain will prove advantageous for the loss of body fat and maintenance of the loss. Increased glycogen storage also provides more of the high-octane fuel needed to maintain a quality training program that enhances overall health. If you start up a new exercise regimen,
ignore the scale for at least a month and
rest assured that you are doing the right thing for your body.
Dora
"Just Beachy" Blue Team Chat #3
I went ahead and closed the other thread cause I wouldn't be online to catch it before it went past 500 posts 
Today it's been raining. Otherwise during summer it can go up to 100 degrees. NYC is about 4-5 hours drive from here. Sorry can't tell you much about the Naval Academy or military housing. But I'm sure it's similar to other areas. Ocean City, MD is about 3 hours drive. Like Chellez mentioned the Baltimore Aquarium is really nice and now they've added Australian side to it. Inner Harbor downtown Baltimore is great...Fells Point is pretty popular happening place in Baltimore. DC is close by again lots of stuff to do in DC depending on your interests. The harbor in Annapolis is also supposed to be nice but I haven't had a chance to go there yet. Annapolis mall is cool, there's a huge Outlet Mall in Hagerstown... 
let me know if you have any more questions!
Why don't we just have a big party here in Georgia? It's sorta midway for a lot of us Bluesers.
Here's to all of us that are looking or wishing finding jobs that don't suck!
(???) I wrote a story called "Into The Sun" about my days as a hippie in Hollywood. There's some steamy stuff in there, and mind-pictures of the period. 
``Kind of a fun trip. 
