I usually weigh myself every single morning. I get up, use the restroom, take off my pjs, and jump on the scale. I use it as a check-in for how I did the day before and what I may need to do that day. I don’t let the number define my day either way, although when I see a drop I do get a smile on my face. I only record my weight once a week, on Sundays, because I know how much the scale can fluctuate.
This daily weighing may seem obsessive to some. And for some people, it can be unhealthy. But for me, I have used daily weigh-ins as a tool throughout my weight loss journey. Longtime readers will recall that I used to avoid the scale (and recording the numbers on this blog) at all costs. I’d go weeks without weighing in, mostly because I wanted to live in denial. I knew how badly I’d been eating, or how much I’d overindulged, or that I’d stopped at the drive-thru one too many times, and I didn’t want to face those effects in the digital number that would show up on the scale. At one point I moved to monthly weigh-ins, but that didn’t help my progress at all, in fact, it had the opposite effect. When I moved to daily weigh-ins, I started to notice the trends in my body and the weight loss. That I always gain weight right before my period, and then drop a ton the day I get it. That eating sweets doesn’t affect my body as much as eating salty foods does; too bad I crave salty a lot more than sweet. That getting in a good workout helps me shed pounds, but overdoing it can actually make me “gain” water weight. All of this info has helped me understand my body and the way things affect it. Daily weigh-ins have been priceless for me.
The scale offers me motivation on the days when the numbers move slightly up and inspiration on the days when I see the numbers drop down into new weight loss territory. The digital display offers me an accountability partner like no other. The numbers, whether positive or negative, offer me a bit of daily encouragement.
So you can imagine how out of sorts I’m feeling after being on vacation for 3 days and not weighing myself. It’s part of my morning ritual like taking a shower or having a cup of coffee. Without it I can survive, but things just aren’t as in sync. I missed my usual Sunday weigh-in because I was here. Which is totally fine. I know I’ve been eating well, have been getting in exercise, and have been staying on track. I can feel that my clothes are fitting fine, and in some cases, a few garments feel a bit looser. So there’s no reason to worry, and even if I come back from Hawaii up a couple of pounds, I know I can get those off quickly.
But this morning I awoke and just had to get on the scale in the second bathroom here at the house I’m staying on vacation. I’d just gotten my period and I knew I would see a loss. But how accurate was this non-digital scale? Scales can vary wildly, and who knew how this one was calibrated. Still, it lured me.
So I got on and saw a 3-lb loss! I did a little Hawaiian happy dance right there in the bathroom, and I’m sure Harvey the cat thought I’d lost my mind. I didn’t record the weightloss on MFP because as I said, I have no idea how accurate this scale is, but it did give me a little pick me up and a sense of normalcy. I’m such a creature of habit, and I really like my routines. While I’m having an amazing time here in Hawaii, one thing I’m really looking forward to about going home is resuming my daily weigh-ins.
What’s the lesson here? The scale is still a really important tool for me since I’m still in weight loss mode. More than anything, I like the reassurance I get from it. It’s like a trusted friend that I like checking in with everyday.
Bella on the Beach 