Monday 17 May 2010

I Can't Decide Whether to Give Up

No, not with the band! I know it's a (life) long journey to get where I want to be; it's a journey that started off like the proverbial hare and has now slowed to the pace of a tortoise who has decided to go into hibernation.

What I'm toying with giving up is the daily weigh-in.

Reasons for giving up:
1) it's very disheartening to wake up feeling thinner and lighter and jump on the scales expecting great things only to discover that you actually weigh the same as, or maybe even more than, the day before
2) actually that's the only reason

Reasons for not giving up:
1) it sort of keeps me on the straight and narrow and reminds me what this is all about - losing weight!
2) I have 'given up' the scales before; I'm sure you've all read of these amazing people who proclaim "Just as soon as I stopped dieting and threw my scales in the bin, the weight dropped off". Well, I've tried it; it doesn't work (for me.) As soon as I've stopped dieting and decided not to use the scales in the past, it's like some sort of extra excuse to eat whatever I like because, apparently, that's the best way to lose weight!

Anyhoo, I decided to give the scales up for a few days as a trial run; I thought perhaps I'd have a weekly weigh-in on a Monday. So, today being Monday, I stepped on to the scales with high hopes as I felt that I had been (fairly) good since I last weighed myself. Well, guess what? I'm 2lbs heavier. Great.

Fill no.4 on Wednesday afternoon. Dear gods and goddesses of the band, please let this one work!

9 comments:

  1. I know exactly how you feel, I've often thought the same, the scales have the power to ruin my day which is ridiculous. Good luck with it.

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  2. Oh I've been thinking about this a lot too..I want to do just the weekly weigh in ..but I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to wait that long! :)

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  3. I still weigh each day but don't get upset at the ups and downs. Just want to see how a day of eating crap does. My weight fluctuates a lot during the week. I don't understand people who weigh two or three times a day though. Of course your weight goes up during the day. I say, step on them every day if you like because it will let you know if there is a downward trend. If not, then a fill is needed. I've been plateaued up and down the same 1-2 pounds since the beginning of April. Sucks but know it will start going down once I get some exercise in and another fill in 4 days. Don't let the numbers rule your world. That's all they are, just numbers.

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  4. I weigh in on a whim. It's working for me.

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  5. I struggle with this too. I've submitted to the philosophy that so long as I remember where I started, the minor steps back are easier to swallow. We knwo that the band is only a tool. If the tools in my garage remain untouched, no matter how many I have, the home projects are not necessarily going to be finished. But I forgive myself, the tools are not sitting around because I'm too lazy to work. Just too busy. So, when the slow leaky faucet gets worse and must be fixed, I go to the garage and get the wrench on as needed basis. Not the most proactive way to work, but it keeps my head above water. Hope this helps.

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  6. I weigh (and track my weights) every day. I like seeing my trend line. But... I strive to not let the numbers matter (much). I think like Sandy Lee on this. I just like to see the numbers. Weighing keeps me on track because I sure know what NOT WEIGHING can do FOR ME. (With my luck, if I chose to weigh weekly, it would always be on an UP day and I'd miss seeing my lows.)

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  7. yup..im in the weight every day camp. I only log the downs and I ignore the maintains and ups until the scale goes down again. I do use the stalling to help me judge whether it is time for another fill. So if the scale goes too long and I'm hungrier and eating more (although it is never that simple nor do i figure it out quickly) I schedule a fill.

    It sounds like you are on that..and getting in for a fill so your probably OK.

    I gained 60 pounds the last time i chucked my scale in the garbage. It is really a mental game though and if the daily weight in is messing with your head a weekly weight in is good enough I would think.

    Oh and by the way..I missed the last post but I am a super sweet tooth girl too. I have eaten sweets the whole way but much less of course. I'm sure I would be at goal by now if I had given them up but I feel happy, satisfied and not deprived by treating them with respect and having a bit of sweet in my life.

    Tina

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  8. I am totally with Tina here - I weigh in every day. I talk about the ups but I never log them. I figure it doesn't count when I lose the same pound twice so surely it doesn't count when I gain that same pound a couple of times ;)

    I had gotten to a point where my scale stopped reporting my weight because I was too heavy for the scale. I gained at least 50 or 60 pounds during that time. As soon as I had a scale that reported my weight, I was able to get my stuff back under control (or at least stop gaining). I am a firm believer in the weigh every day...but if it is dragging you down, take a break from it!!!

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  9. I was a slave to the scale. But I have been clean and free from its grasp for 1 week and 1 day now. The first week I gained a pound but I never went over 1000cals so I am letting it have that one. This week I feel slimmer but I have gone back to a mainly liquid diet so maybe thats why.
    I am looking forward to the weigh in on Sunday. It is HARD to give up the scale but the good side is it no longer rules my mood every morning. Now the mood is all up to me.
    Good luck with giving up. Its worth it.

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