throw the scales out !!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have been asked many times on "how do i judge if i am doing good " my answer is always do not judge it by weight loss for if you do...your tendency to always be looking down at the scale makes it hard to be grabbing life because as your head is looking downward life will be passing you by.....what this really means is that people who use the scale to judge everything they do tend to not live life till they get to certain weights....when i get to 200lbs that is the day i will join karate....when i am 190 i will start at the gym.....what am i doing wrong i am on a plateau again.....why am i not losing weight like anna is...she had surgery 2 weeks a head of me and i am 20lbs behind her........when will I be 130 according to the computer that should happen april 3rd........what do all these statements really say....they say i am in for alot of dissappointment.....you cannot start living life when you get to a certain weight....it might never happen...you cannot live comparing yourself to others because you are differnt, our bodies lose weight differntly...we burn calories differnt and we retain water differntly...so you will be sadly misguided to follow other's numbers......you go on plateau's because your body needs to shift fat....due to compensation for rapid weight loss your body will shift fat and you will not be losing weight but you will be losing inches,,,,if you have taken measurements then you will be happy...if you think that it is all in the number you will miss this "wow" moment.....it takes 7-14 days for your body to metabolize fat into weight loss....do not confuse this with water weight...this is true weight loss...retaining fluids happen for alot of reasons so when you jump 2-3 lbs up or down in a day or two this is prolly water weight and you need to relax and realize that.......fixatation on the scale is natural and hard not to do.....we been taught our whole lives that certain numbers mean happiness and it takes alot to undo what a life time has created....but if you can get a handle on it early it will save you alot of dissappointments later....now do not get me wrong.....losing weight is why we are here !! losing weight is good....but when losing weight becomes the total objective and their are no other goals in your journey then what really will you have accomplished......now you are losing weight and all kindsof personal goals are being realized as you travel along your journey then what have you accomplished...i will tell you...you have been a life grabber....living life to the fullest and being the best you can be everyday...that is what this journey is truly about...it is about you making changes inside and outside....you learning to be a part of society now...not when you lose the first 100 is the prize we strive for....living life and not missing a second is the true joy of this journey...for ifyou lose 200lbs and accomplished no personal goals....and you lose 70lbs and are totally changed and really involved in living life....who is the better you...yes you areright it is you 70lbs lighter and a real part of life with positive changes and things happening all around you....the other you is 200lbs lighter....accomplishing nothing in life and for the most part still trying to get to 210 pounds gone....head down eyes on the scale..that you has missed everything...and life goes by you once....once it is passed ..it is gone forever....be the you that never misses anything in life !!! i have created a formula to tell you if you are doing good...it involves everything even losing weight...........smile i call it my 33% plan and here how it works. : the first 33% is ther scale weigh yourself no less than once a week...judge how you are doing the second 33% is....how are you feeling...are you on track with your program...your blood test are all normal...you are exercising and seeing results...you are up and out of bed early...feeling energy and your outlook on life has really changed..your positive outlook is making you feel great......your judgement is a phyiscal one in this stage basically...general health the third 33% is life......are youliving life....you are getting involved in society, your confidence is growing.....you are losing your walls that you had when you were overweight...all the barrier that protected you are being torn down...you are out there making things happen and you are feeling like a million bucks...this is your emotional judgement of yourself the last is 1%...that is your smile...are you waking up with a smile.....are you smiling at work....overall happy about what you are accomplishing...that is what it is all about now grade yourself in all area's and come up with a total..........overall where are you at.............thats how you judge how you are doing......not in one area but the total over all you and when you do that you will see their is nothing you are missing when you are scoring to a grade that you believe tells you...you are on track, now if you are weak in one area then it is up to you to make improvements in that area....but not at the risk of destroying everything else you have created in the other area's. now you really see improvements and i hate to say it but the scale is but 1/3 of what is really going on with you and your life.....have it become more important then you will see other area's will suffer...this is just a guideline ...you can do your own......the important thing is that you are improving across the board when that happens....your goals will be achievable and the rewards will happen all through your journey not just at the end...we all do not make our goal weights....but if you follow a plan that tells you everything else what would you rather have....

Tom you make sense but the control mechanism for me is the scale. If I see it creeping up that means that we have to look carefully at what is going on....why are we doing the gain? Is it bad habits, water weight or something else going on. Sometimes it helps to keep in check with something other than the pants.....I have calmed down some with the scale but not a whole lot just because I fear the day I won't be able to use it again....Been there and don't want to go back.