Tali's Journey - Days 25, 26, 27 & 28

Haven't journaled in days, and I have not been conducting myself very well.  Not only was there a holiday but I was on vacation too.  Those two things together usually spell disaster for me.  I'm almost relieved that I go back to work on Monday and will be able to get back to my regular routine.  I have the toughest time following my game plan when I don't have a lot a structure and have too much time on my hands.  My only saving grace is the knowledge that I've been doing a lot better than I usually do when I have days off work.  I have been exercising on most days and although I have been eating off plan it hasn't been as bad as it usually is.  But, despite all that the scale showed a two pound gain which was no surprise. I'm not upset about it though, I just know that next week I'm going to really have to get back to my program, with no deviations.  I'm almost grateful that my next time off is not until around Labor day when I'll have a few days off.  So that will give me almost 2 months without a break in my routine, and that's a good thing. I have been getting a lot of sleep which is always good.  I've been doing a few errands and running around and on Thursday I went to see The Color Purple which was fantastic.  Afterwards we went out for dinner and a drink.  Other than that I've just been taking it easy and eating things that I shouldn't hence the weight gain, which I'm hoping is mostly from the sodium in the foods that I've eaten.  In any case, I start fresh tomorrow with no regrets. I've decided that from this point forward I'm only going to weigh myself once a month -- on the first day of each month.  I'm trying to take all the focus and power away from the scale and just concentrate on doing what I know I should be doing.  I know that if I make wise food choices most of the time and exercise regularly that the weight will come off.  I want my scale to play a very minor role in my weight loss journey -- a supporting role as opposed to a starring role.  So, I'm going to put my scale on a top shelf and just drag it down on the 1st day of each month.

Sorry things haven't been 100% what you'd hoped recently, but I must say your attitude regarding it is perfection! That's key. I, too, do much better when my days are structured. The scale thing isn't a bad idea. I am transferring my scale to a far away location ASAP, with a goal of weighing once every two weeks. Scales have definite advantages, obviously, but here's how I see it: take my binge last night. I don't need the scale to tell me that all that food was bad for me. If anything, weighing (which I didn't do) is going to make it WAY WORSE! Similarly, I know when I'm doing well. If you stay on track, less frequent weigh-ins = bigger numbers to celebrate! That's good for motivation. It really depends on someone's level of emotion with the scale and individual diet/exercise plan. Twice or at MOST three times a month is more than enough for me.

Those "binge" days do deceptive things to the scale, anyway. I gained 4.5 pounds one day after a chips and salsa binge-- ate nowhere near that much--- but the salt caused me to retain a PILE of water! GAHHH!

Shari -- yes, a lot of people don't realize that when the scale shows a gain that often times it's not really a weight gain but just increased sodium ingestion which causes water retention.  This water rentention can cause an otherwise rational person to freak out and respond with irrational and unfortunate behavior.

It might explain the body bags in the hallway. On my chips and queso binge Tuesday, I ate 8000+ grams of sodium. No, really! I did! On a typical day before and after, it was closer to 2000 mgs a day.  Today it's high again-- around 6000mgs-- even at 895 calories-- because of the broth. I like chicken broth a bit too much. Tomorrow I am gonna cut it in half-- I just figured maybe I needed it if I was exercising.

I always been surprised with the amount of sodium that broth has.  Even the low-sodium broth has an incredible amount.

Sonora, I agree, the scale thing is really tricky.  Everyone has to decide for themselves what's best.  Some people really can weight themselves every day or at least several times a week and not freak out no matter what the scale says.  But, if you're weighing yourself often and experiencing all kinds of stress and anxiety, you need to think about what you're doing.   It's a very individualized thing.

Hey Tali, Thanks for this post, it comes at a most wonderful time for me!!! I have been doing great with my food.  I had my down and depressing time and just decided to take control again, which I have.  Then my son decided he wanted to go work out all the time, so this week alone I went to the gym 4 days out of 5.  I have been upping my weights, my routine, my cardio, everything.  So I figure heck I've been doing GREAT, so i step on the scale.  Now mind you this was Wednesday and my new outlook only started over the weekend, and by Wednesday I was only at the gym twice.  So I step on and a loss of 8 points.  Wooooo hoooo.  That's great!!! I loved it even though I was a bit confused by it, LOL.  So anyhow the very next day I figure I'm on a roll, I'm stepping back on the scale.  It's up 8 pounds.  Suddenly thoughts of suicide flitted through my mind.  hehe, not really but you know!  Funny how I can accept an overnight "loss" of 8 pounds, but not an overnight "gain." So I started thinking and I realized I had been kicking major a** at the gym.  Working out almost every night, doing my weights, upping my cardio.  I also realized that my pants and clothes were fitting GREAT!  Nothing was getting tighter at all.  I could actually envision myself wearing something and it would fit like my vision.  (now that might not make sense to everyone, but I know it makes sense to someone!!!).  So I am going to do like you and weigh once a month.  I am going to follow my stuff like I have been, living my normal life, and on the first of each month I am going to step on and take whatever it says. Good luck to both of us!!!!

Good for you Donna!!  You know, I think going by how our clothes are fitting is a much better indicator of how we're doing.  Cuz when you've gained a couple of pounds you can feel it in your clothes -- those pants are just a little bit more snug than the last time you wore them.  Same thing when you've lost some weight or some inches.  And that's another thing.  Sometimes we don't lose weight but we lose inches, especially when we're weight training.  Some believe that the tape measure is a much better way to gauge progress than the scale.   The scale may lie (and it oftentimes does), but that tape measure doesn't.