Okay, I see a pattern and it's driving me nuts

Twice a month I have a meltdown. First part is near ovulation when I see the scale holding and holding...then this breaks, usually just after I emotionally lose it. Then I also "lose it" when I'm on my cycle. Seriously, just 2 weird days out of the month, but I'm consistent. So, I got home tonight and did weigh myself as I'll be putting it away in the garage and lo and behold I can tell by my evening weight that I'm lower. But it's always after a freak out.  I'd like to avoid the freakout altogether.  I'm sure my trainer would too.

Interesting -  what makes you crazy makes me sane... I have very similar issues regarding weight fluctuation, but because I DO track my weight daily and because I do chart my periods etc (for birth control purposes) I can clearly see what causes the fluctuations and I am not bothered by them...   I have an agreement with myself, when losing I never worry about the scale weight unless it goes up 3 days in a row....   when I am not losing I dont worry as long as I stay in my pre-determined range (in this case 5 lbs)

Well, not surprised we're opposites.  Mwah, ahh ah ahhh. I don't go up, but maintenance annoys the heck out of me, working as hard as I do.  Then after I freak out, there's the drop I was waiting for and it's usually significant. My trainer's whole thing about putting the scale away is that it's no measurement of fitness.  Judge by your clothes, not the scale.  And I understand that.  I mean, never in my life could I at 290something imagine I might go into a Lane Bryant and fit a 14/16

if i judged only on clothes i would be crying right now or probably quit. because so far i haven't went down a size yet. i suspect that is basically because i was so heavy i had gotten to the point that i was wearing size 28 elastic pants all the time. it had been years since i'd worn a pair of jeans. i did finally fit into an old pair of size 28 stretch jeans. but i still can't fit into regular size 28 jeans. and that alone drives me CRAZY! the only thing keeping me sane is seeing the scale move down at this point, however slowly it's moving.

too true.. 40 lbs got me into a pair of jeans.... but I can still wear all my elasto stuff from before just fine... I think it will be another 40 before anyone really notices that Ive lost anything..

Toss elastic.  Elastic is your enemy.  It lies to you.  Never buy it again!

The scale and i have a luv/hate thang. I simply do not get on it unless I can look at it with a scientist's eye. It is what it is, after all.  It is a snapshot in time. My bairatric doc has a saying:  stay away from the scale when you are on your game - you KNOW when you are.  Stay ON the scale in maintenance phase. I tell you, Jerz, your body and mine are so similar. I cannot be scale oriented; it drives me crazy.  I cannot NOT be scale oriented, for then I get too complacent. Unforutnately, numbers do matter. If not for numbers, i would be perfectly happy. I choose my emotions and reactions, the scale just sits there.

I have a scale that tracks body water percentage, body fat percentage and weight.  Of course all of this is approximate but it does provide a baseline.  I've found it quite helpful because I will be able to tell when I'm retaining water and such.  I very rarely freak out about the scale.  Sometimes I may weigh myself once in the morning and once at night but it usually doesn't bother me now because the three numbers have always reflected what is going on.  Obviously different things work for different people, but that has helped me. I hope you're able to learn to cope with the issues.  As you've said, your trainer says the numbers don't really matter.  If you prescribe to his beliefs then you should be able to get over this hurdle fairly easily.  Maybe a little vent about is enough

My scale does the same thing.  And sometimes I record all the numbers, sometimes I just get thrown by the lbs that I get off in a huff.

295 and a few ounces.  Not as much as I expected this morning, but a lb is a lb and that makes 25 lbs.  That's it.  Put away it goes.  It has to. Thing that's stuck in my mind is trainer saying, if you're on point you're going to lose consistently.  I don't agree that it's consistent in the short view, only in the long run.  10/21 I was 307.  12/10 I was 295.  That's almost 12 lbs in 5 weeks.  But according to regular logs, it was about -3.8, -2 lbs,            -4lbs,  up 4 (cycle),  -6, -1. Consistent in dropping, just not whether it takes a week or two to drop. I've just got to stop watching it and just let my body do it.