I'm just wondering how many of you use the "get out of weigh-in free pass" (or whatever it's called), and how often. I joined WW in late September, weighed in the next week even though I'd just had minor surgery and was wearing a surgical boot on my foot, and the scale showed a 5 pound gain! Since then I've been a little scale-shy if I know I have gained in the previous week.

So I skipped weigh-in a couple times since then and I am really tempted to tonight, my first meeting after the holidays. (It wouldn't be so bad, but it's my TOM too and I cannot get rid of the water weight). But I really need to do this, right? Kick my butt and tell me to get on the scale and be accountable. I need encouragement!

Well... I haven't used a no-weigh pass yet since I've only been to my first official weigh in, but here are my thoughts on being afraid of the scale:

The scale is only ONE measure of how successful you've been from week to week or month to month. You have tons of other factors to consider -- if you've been eating cleaner than you used to, if you're moving more, if you've dropped a size in pants, if you can run a mile without stopping, or maybe .25 of an inch has dropped from your right bicep... All these and more are indicators of turning your life around for the better. The number on the scale is so finicky, with water weight and TOM and muscle mass and sodium and just daily fluctuations, that you will drive yourself crazy if it's the only thing you rely on to track your progress.

You SHOULD definitely go to your meeting, no matter what! As for weighing in, I know you were looking for someone to kick you in the pants, but I think if you feel that weighing is going to make you feel defeated, like you're making backwards progress, or if it's going to depress you, definitely stay away from it. You know how you're doing overall, and if you don't want the scale to reflect what might only amount to water weight due to TOM, stay off. I don't think there's a problem with that at all.

Go to the meeting!!!! It will help to get you motivated. If you're ticker is correct, it looks like you and I are close to the same weight. I'm also 5'4" and from the midwest too! Maybe we can kick each other's butts! I just started last week. The past 24 hrs hasn't been the easiest for me, but I'm trying. I'm only on Day 6! Look at you! You've made your 10% goal already and you're well on your way to your ultimate goal. Don't quit now! Go! Go! Go!

If *I* can stay on this anyone can. I use to eat dessert ALL day long. Heck, I didn't even know if I could make it through one day!

You can do it! Keep going!

Sometimes, when you want to skip a weigh-in, that's when you really need it the most. I never skip a weigh-in, even when I KNOW i'll be up. I just go and get it over with, and then I know that I'll do better next week. Hiding from the scale does not make the weight go away. and at least by weighing-in, you'll know where you stand and you can resolve to make good choices this week. And, who knows, maybe you'll find you're not as bad off as you thought! :O) Good luck

Thanks for the input. I was planning to go to the meeting, I just hate having to skip the scale (I walk shamefully by...).

So I think I will go and I will get weighed. I actually weighed myself this morning so I know it's not good (but still not near where I started), but I've been drinking extra water all day to try to push out some of this water weight. You're right though, next week will just be better, and it's good to know my official starting point for 2008. I KNOW how to lose weight, I've done it before, so I'm essentially paying for accountability...might as well use it.

You can do it! As much as I can relate to what you are saying, I can honestly say that you will probably feel BETTER once you face the scale. It's too easy to fall of the wagon. Even if the scale proved that I hadn't followed the plan very well, I still felt like I had a clean slate for a new week.




Kimberly

I think you have the right idea, looking at a fresh starting point for 2008.

That's what I'm doing, leaving my big behind in the past... I hate looking at my ticker and seeing 0 lbs. lost ('til tomorrow ) but I feel I need some extra motivation to lose this next 25.

I feel pretty darn good, having lost 25, but I don't want to get complacent and stop here, I really want to get back to goal and stay there.

I'm glad you've decided to go. Every time I've skipped a meeting in the past, I've skipped the next one, and the next, and the next. There are times when it might be necessary -- you're going out of town, or you're really really sick -- but if you're skipping it because you're afraid of what the scale says, then the next week will be just as hard.

I'm also glad you decided to go! I've never skipped a weigh in. For me, it ws more productive to have to face that I went up a pound or whatever and deal with it. The not knowing was harder for me than facing the scale. There have been times when I've been tempted to skip....TOM usually ups my weight by at least 3 pounds, and even if it is water weight, it's still an eye opening experience.

Oh guys, you'll be so mad at me. As I was leaving work on Monday and heading to my meeting, my boss stopped me and asked (ha!) if I could go to a meeting in another city from Tuesday through Saturday. Well, here I am in the hotel room. As I left work I was still planning to go to the meeting, but then I realized how much stuff I had to do if I was going to travel the next day.

And so here I am. I skipped my meeting again this week AND since I've been on the road, you can bet I've been eating poorly. But I have decided to recommit as soon as I get back home, and I've even decided to try a different meeting. I wasn't getting much out of my last meetings, so maybe a different group will be more inspiring.

But I promise, when I finally go back I will weigh in!

Thanks for all the encouragement and kicks in the butt!

Amy

I'm really glad you came back and told us! That took as much courage as going to a meeting I really hope you do go back, but at least your head has been on plan! Please let us know how you do, and good luck.

You COULD go online to find out if there's a meeting you could go to tomorrow morning... LOL I would do that when I had to travel for work (in my former life). I thought it was pretty neat to check out how other meetings ran.

Kimberly

Good idea to look for another meeting, I've had to switch meetings a time or two. Luckily, there's a WW meeting every night in a town not too far away. Sometimes it's the leader, sometimes it's just the mix of people, but it's better to try and find the right meeting than to give up on WW.

Pull out your 10% keychain and do the best you can 'til you find your meeting.

have a safe trip!