Here comes another weekend ... I dread the weekends dieting. Its next to impossible to "plan" my weekends and my routine gets way out of whack. It takes me a few days to recover from the weekends.

Last weekend, dispite doing my darnest to behave and not over indulge, I only had one faulter on Saturday night by going out to dinner, yet the scale reflected it all week.

This weekend I get TOM too. So, this whole week has been the whole pms thing. Not only am I tired, grumpy, bloated, but its hot, humid and miserable out too.

I think I'm just skipping this week for the weigh in and hope that after the weekend passes and TOM passes that I'll see the scale move some more.

My only saving grace this week is I received a few compliments from friends and I've worn three pairs of pants this week that were tight a few weeks ago.

Good luck. I know it can be tough when the scale isn't moving, but that's when we have to dig in a little more and be tough! If I were you, I wouldn't weigh myself, but definitely don't give in to temptation. It takes the body about 3 days to rid itself of the sodium, etc. that we eat, so you will have some bloating and weight gain (especially with TOM).

Think positive, you can make it.

Hope you have some fun this weekend so that you can boost your mood. And I find it easier to stay on plan when I'm enjoying myself & not focusing on food.

Feel better. Hugs.

Dhani

Maybe you haven't see the scale move but you are wearing pants that were tighter a few weeks ago so it is possible you lost inches. Keep up the good work.

Skipping the scale can be helpful for the ego and mental state of mind, I do it sometimes (especially durning TOM), but make sure that because you're skipping the scale you don't give yourself permission to overindulge. I'm not sure what you're eating plan is, but maybe it should be restructured to plan for all the weekend overindulging. For example, I zig zag my calories so they are lower durning the week with a higher day on Saturaday to allow for a little more wiggle room.

I agree with ncuneo. Sounds to me as if you need that scale more than ever. Knowing I've got to face that scale helps me to know that what I eat has consequences - 365 days a year.

You mentioned a slip up Saturday night and how difficult your weekends are and how you're now paying the price for that restaurant trip. Somehow, some way you've GOT to make it your business to stay on plan THROUGH the weekends, restaurants included - or you're just going to be back and forth the same few pounds. It's doable, really, it is and you too CAN do it.

Yea, I wouldn't worry about scale. Gosh your BMI is only 25.2, just .3 off from being "normal". I'd keep doing what you are doing. You'll eventually get to your goal...sometime.

Personally, and I can only speak for what works for me, I know there are a trillion and one approaches to weight loss that all work, but I would give myself a break week, but I would NOT skip the scale.

I have had a few meals, days, weekends, and I'm about to have a whole two weeks (trip) where I relax on my calorie counting. Don't get me wrong, I don't go overboard, I simply give myself a break from counting, planning, recording every bite I eat. I don't always make the best choices, a few weeks ago I totally splurged at a Chinese buffet. I did not feel guilty in the least...it was a once in awhile treat. BUT, I still get on the scale every single morning. Guilt does not run my life, but reality does. I face the music every morning. I personally have no problem getting back on plan after these "relaxed" days. I've simply never had a problem with it. And I think a lot of that comes from forcing myself to face the consequences everyday. I don't guilt trip myself, I don't say "oh woe is me, I've ruined everything, might as well screw up today too!" I look at the scale, if it's up, I say "well that sucks, I can't wait to get back on plan today!"

I'm willing to bet that taking a week to relax on the lose-lose-lose! mentality isn't going to affect your progress in the long run. In fact, it'll probably refresh you, if you're anything like me, and you'll be ready to get back at it full force. If you trust yourself to jump right back on plan, I see no harm (again, this is quite contrary to what many others suggest). BUT, if it were me, I would still get on the scale. If I allowed myself to have a cheat week and excused myself from weighing because it was a cheat week, I could easily fall into the habit of not weighing every time I cheated. It would be like excusing it, like it wouldn't count simply because I didn't weigh. "I can eat like crazy this weekend, no biggie, I just won't weigh on Monday." Your weight will still be up regardless if you weigh or not. Facing reality and seeing what kind of damage you're dealing with is personal accountability, and it's also a good feeling to remember next time you feel like cheating.

But again, everyone is wired differently. Do what you think is best for your morale

I'm with Mkendrick. Any time I had success, I was weighing myself faithfully. If I stop weighing, my small slip ups turn into major sidetracks and then I give up.

I don't have a link to the specific studies, but I have read that people who weigh daily are more successful in keeping off weight.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15234322...and_nutrition/

Found it!!

I don't know, because I've never had just 20 pounds to lose, (until the last 20 I lost after already losing 170 pounds), but I'm guessing that the urgency to get it off isn't nearly as strong as it is for someone with 50 to 200 like many of us here.

When I read posts from people with smaller amounts to lose (5 to 30ish) openly admitting they blow it on weekends and they don't really care to weigh in and not giving it a priority, I get the impression that they are really not all that desperate to get to goal...more of just a hobby vs life and death. So that is why I say to the OP, forget the scale. Because we all know, if she really WANTED to stay on plan over the weekend, it is totally possible, and doable, and obtainable. MAny have done it for weeks, months and years to get to goal.

Yes, it's true.

But, about twenty five years ago - a physician specializing in weight loss and eating disorders told me that my daily weighing was a huge part of my disordered eating. However, weekly weighing can be be disordered too for me.

So, I am trying to weigh daily or several times a week and get used to the daily fluctuations. I am really doing this because I was told by my PHD- eating disorders friend - that daily weighing does help people who have lost all their weight, maintain it. This is very very hard for me.

I must say about weighing - people should what works BEST FOR THEMSELVES.

As for weekends. There are 104 weekend days - so I am trying to treat them as much like a weekday as I can. But it takes me to plan, plan, and plan some more.

Unfortunately, we don't always KNOW what's best for ourselves. Or we fool ourselves, or we're not honest with ourselves, etc. You have to be OPEN to *reading* yourself and looking at your history and be open to change. "The definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result".

Back to those weekends, LoriBell makes a good point, as usual.. You have to want to get the weight off, get to *goal* very badly. No beating around the bush. But I do think that could happen regardless of where you came from. Like LoriBell I never (well not for 25+ years) needed to lose *just* 20 pounds, until it was my LAST 20 pounds. But I wanted them off just as badly as the first 20. I made getting to a healthy weight my mission and wasn't settling for anything less.

When you know want, when it is a PRIORITY for you, you are than WILLING to do what's necessary to make it happen. NO MATTER WHAT. NO MATTE WHAT!!! The circumstances may change (holidays, stress, weekends, whatever), but the requirements DON'T. You do what you've got to do to get it done.

Or you don't do it and than it doesn't get done.

"If you want it badly enough you'll find a way, if not you'll find an excuse."

Keep that desire strong. Keep it with you at all times. Challenge yourself. Push yourself. Strive. Reach. Grow. PROSPER. Make miracles happen. Discover who you were meant to be.

If you want to and you're willing.

Robin - I agree most people don't know what's best for themselves. This is so true - finding out what is best for each person and each situation. What works for one person doesn't always work for another person.

When I went to weekly weighing twentyfive or so years ago it was because it was part of recovering from my bulemic eating disorder. It was part of my breaking my addiction to the scale. Thankfulling - weekly weighing was part of a complete recovery from purging. Purging never crosses my mind now, never ever. (it hasn't about 25 years) I think that's why I have resisted daily weighing all these years.

But, now I am weighing almost every day and recording it. (three weeks now) It's hard to do something I was told never to do again. I am grateful I can try this. Hoping it might be a good piece of recovering from my long lasting disordered eating. Time will tell..