The scale is going to reflect lots of pieces of information. I'm working with a coach/conselor and I record daily weight which I send to her each week. The hardest part was detaching that information from any emotions, and looking at it as just data.
As data, it tells me if I've had too much salt. I record salt and there is always a spike in my weight on days when my sodium is over 2 grams. This is useful info, but no reflection on any fat #"s. The scale also tells on me when I don't drink all my water. I aim for 120-150 ounces a day. If I'm less than 100, it shows up the next morning. Again, useful, but has nothing to do with fat.
The morning after a tough weights workout (usually legs, cause the rest of my body doesn't cause as dramatic a reaction), I'll also show a blip. Muscles that have been broken down by weight lifting, need to repair themselves. They use lots of fluid to do this. Again, useful info, but not fat related.
If I've been out in the sun, I'll show a blip up. Again, the body needs to heal itself, and uses fluids in the process. Same for any injury. All that swelling from a buise...it's fluids and it will show up on the scale.
So, if you are weighing in ocassionally, don't bother with the scale. You won't know if it's telling you to put on more sunscreen, drink more water, or if you are gaining/losing fat. Go by the tape measure, and the pants-o-meter.
I know you don't know me but I hope you'll listen to this post....
TRUST THE PROGRAM. Just stick with it. Now, what are you going to lose if you go 12 weeks of eating super healthy and working out and getting strong? Opportunities to be lazy and eat chocolate all day? You have goals and you NEED goals to get where you want to be. But don't go by just the scale. Use your pantsometer. And GOOD JOB taking your measurements. I lost about 16 inches in the first 7 weeks of my first BFL challenge and I only lost like 9 pounds. Now, in week 12, I am losing 2-3 pounds per week, which is delightful. But it took a long time of trusting this program.
And even if I weigh 250 pounds if I'm a size 12 I am not going to be unhappy about it!!!
Hang in there, keep on keepin on and post here - we'll help you!
I have an evil scale at my house too. Sometimes it will say a wonderful number...something I didn't expect and then, when I step on it again to make sure it's true, poof....it's up two lbs....it drives me nuts and this is a new digital scale too.
I weigh everyday which, I know, a lot of people frown upon....I just like to know what I'm dealing with and I recored the weight along with my calorie intake everyday. I look for trends and compare the weight to the average calories I intake during a 14 day period. Not an exact science but I'm figuring out that I need to stick in the 1400 to 1600 range to continue a slow loss.
I need to go work on the Solo-flex and treadmil....yes, I'm procrastinating this morning.
OK Robin, the scale ain't evil. It's a piece of metal and plastic that sits on the floor. That's it. It can be a tool if used wisely but it doesn't have a personality!
You need a very strong grain of salt to take one tool (the scale) and decide 100 conclusions off that one piece of information. It's similar to walking outside and seeing one single cloud and making the conclusion that it's gonna rain. It's not very accurate at all. You need to know the air pressure, moisture content, density and type of cloud, elevation etc to make the decision accurately. See my point??
Great posts, Audrey and JC! It's all about getting to know your body and how YOU react -- to foods, exercise, sodium, TOM etc. The scale is just a measurement tool, just like a tape measure or calipers or pants.
Believe me, I have the same hang-ups about what the scale says but I'm working on not letting it affect my mood or worse, letting it sabotage my eating. (you know, scale down = happy, scale up = to **** with it!)
I think a lot of it is a cultural thing -- we're bombarded with all the media glitz about celebrities and models who weigh 102 pounds and we look at that number on the scale and think we're enormous. But we LWL need to remember that much of our body weight is muscle and that we can be smaller than someone who weighs much less (and has a higher BF %).
I think we all have to come to our own terms with the scale. For some people, it works best not to weigh (or only rarely) and to use something else as a guide, like pants. For others (moi ), it's every morning, first thing. Just try to keep it in perspective. Like JC said -- it's just an inanimate piece of metal and plastic.
i wouldn't trust the scale if you're planning to build muscle.
muscle is smaller than fat, but it weighs more.
also, most people gain weight throughout the day. i am usually 5lbs heavier in the evening than i am in the morning. i am also 5lbs heavier during that time of the month.
anyway, you're probably much better off judging your progress by measurements and how you're clothes are fitting.
Evil Evil Evil Scale!!
(you know, scale down = happy, scale up = to **** with it!)
