Weighing myself twice a day--afraid I'll turn into a pumpkin...

My Fairy Godmother

I'm really REALLY thin. I can put on any outfit in any store in a size extra-small or size zero or two and look great. I feel good about how I look.

Then tell me--why do I weigh myself 2-3 times a day??? What's the difference how much I weigh in the morning, afternoon or night?? What's the big deal if I do gain a pound or two?? I would still look great if I gained TWENTY pounds!

I think I just REALLY LIKE (love) BEING THIN and I want to make sure that I stay this way. I'm spending so much--(wait I should say INVESTING so much) money on tiny clothes--I would be upset if one day they didn't fit me. Actually, upset is not the word--pretty much devastated, I think.

On January 4, 2007 I had a visit from my fairy godmother. She used a surgeon as her wand and had him make me a pouch out of my stomach.

I watch the quantity of food I eat every day, like a human calculator, constantly adding up my calories. I don't restrict the foods I eat AT ALL, but I keep a count of my calories. Some days I only keep a ROUGH count. Some days I don't count at all. I feel like I will go out of my mind on those days. I feel content on the days I count like a scientist. I stayed away from counting at the beginning, because I was able to eat so little it didn't matter, and it gave me a break after 30 years of counting calories. BUT, now that I can eat an unlimited amount of calories each day, I have to count or I feel get an unsettled feeling.

I also feel like I need to constantly weigh myself (at least every morning and every night) to keep check that I'm counting the calories okay, therefore, not gaining weight.

I have to keep checks and balances or I feel LIKE I WILL TURN INTO A PUMPKIN AND BE STANDING IN MY OLD LANE BRYANT SWEATPANTS AND TEE SHIRT.

Cinderella promised to be home by midnight. I have my deals too. Nothing comes for free. There is always a price to pay.

As long as you are happy, don't worry about it.  Just think of it as keeping close tabs on the situation. However, if all this weighing, counting, and worry causes you anxiety or unhappiness I would talk to a psychiatrist about evaluating you for OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).  Don't get me wrong, I think you have done fantastic and you are very beautiful.  I'm just saying if you ever feel that it's gone too far that it's a thought. 

I understand where you're coming from and yes, I do suffer from OCD. It has taken on many different forms over the years, which my therapist said is completely normal, but since having wls I am pretty obsessive about weight daily, caloric intake, amount of exercise, etc. That is one of the reasons that I am so addicted to thedailyplate.com b/c when I log my stuff in, I can actually see how well (or how terrible as the case may be) that I've done for the day with my own 2 eyes, in black and white right in front of me. I am also obsessive about always trying to look my best. I am compulsive about different things~Like at 1.5yrs out I was hoarding food for the winter, not for myself, but for my family. If something was on sale I couldn't just buy 1 or 2 I'd have to buy 10 or 20 of it. The cupboards were overflowing, LOL!!!!! I do find at times that its completely exhausting to be so consumed with everything and my  mind rarely gets to take a rest. I assume (hope maybe) that some day I will just fall into a routine and not have to work and worry so much about every little thing, but at 3+yrs post op it hasn't happened yet. I feel like if I'm not hurting anyone, then what's the harm. If I was OCD with destructive behaviors it would be different, but really the only person that suffers at all is me and I'm ok with that. So far its working and I am very resistant to change when something is working. So, just know that you're not alone. We all have to do whatever it takes to be happy and healthy. Wishing you continued success!!!!!!!!!

Please be very careful.  Take a careful look at how much time and energy you are using keeping up with all of this.  Another thought....is getting fat a fear for you? It sounds like it is. "I feel like I will go out of my mind on those days".  Some of your "self talk" and actions remind me of anexoric clients. Sometimes eating disorders can be one end of the continuum or the other. People go from super morbidly obese to anexoric. Just please keep a check and balance on the other aspects of your life.  ie, having fun, enjoying children, cleaning house, working, gardening, sex.  Compare that with the time you spend thinking, calculating and obsessing on "thin".  If all is in line, great.  If it's way out of proportion please think about seeking help to get back in a place of balance.  Good Luck.  We are glad you are here.  We care about you and wish you the very best. Dancin'D

(edit to add ) -    i 100 % agree with what everyone has said here on your thread. *I don't restrict the foods I eat AT ALL* as long as you are not gaining any weight... then don't worry about restricting yourself with foods. Keep on doing what you are doing. However , since you don't restrict any foods. If I were you, I would most definitely keep my eye open on my weight. Because you never know....  your weight can change .... maybe not now ... but lets say at 4,5,6 years post op, your body decides to switch and change weights and work against you. EVEN though you are working out daily. If that happens go back to your Dr and nutritionist and they will help you get back on track again and cut out the foods that you are eating. Some, not all, but some patients do gain 10lbs back after 4 years post op. I have.  Well , i gain weight on purpose actually because I was too thin. My face was very thin... people actually did tell me and yes i've seen myself too in the mirror and said , oh my , you're too thin Lizzy, you should listen to everyone and gain alittle weight. and I did, and I am very happy that i did because now i am at a healthier weight. :-)   Anyhow , if you don't want to restrict your foods and If you aren't already, you should try to stay in a good exercise routine and do it everyday. So that your body can burn off the calories. if you keep active , you shouldn't have to worry about it. :-) Because You just don't know , if you are not exercising the lbs just might creep up on us if we don't stay active and exercise!! For me, i weigh every single day. mornings and night time. This keeps me on track and if I gain a few lbs... i can attack it right there and then and really get down to business and work my tail off. NOT that i don't, becasue I do every single day. I actually LOVE and LIVE to workout now - post op :-) I enjoy working out a lot. It helps me to focus and clear my head and gives me a lot of enegry throughout the day. I keep up with my daily exercise routines. I am NOT THAT strict with my foods. I do once in a while have pizza. but that is the only bad thing that i usually eat , outside of my normal dieting. I don't eat sugar free candy, protein bars,  cakes, ice cream, candy bars, carby snacks....etc. So, if I want pizza , i will eat it and be done with it. and then get back on my routine.... I absolutely LOVE pizza. I make my own pizza at home. My pizza that i make is very healthy. Vegie multigrain pizza. thats what I love to eat. It is actually pretty good for dieting. calcium, good carbs, it has vegies on it, and tomato sauce :-) Hey I'm italian, i love pizza! lol However , I do need to restrict my diet from other foods, like how i USE TO EAT - PRE OP... like i mention up above... simply because I know me and i will gain a lot of weight back ...if I don't restrict it all from my diet. And to be honest , I don't miss anything other then PIZZA! lol :-)  so I just eat my pizza and be done with it. So don't take away my pizza is all i ask. I let myself eat that and i am still maintain my weight loss at 4 years post op.  I am very happy and i applause you for keeping track of yourself and staying on top of everything because , don't ever say never ever.... the weight is not gone forever.... it can creep back up again if we are all not careful.... Jill ,you have done an awesome job on your weight loss... i really don't think you have anything to worry about. But , it is so good that you are keeping tabs on your weight. YOU look fantastic girl :-) Congrats to you...You're doing great. Keep up the great wor****ep on doing what you are doing! Because later on , long term post op... this is HOW you maintain your weight loss and stay on track! By doing everything what you are doing.... by counting calories, keeping track of what you put in your mouth and exercising!! hugss Lizzy

I obsessively weigh myself at least 4 times a day.. really anytime I'm in the bathroom, i weigh at the gym, at home, at my moms, at my clubhouse, at my mother in laws.. all different scales so I know it makes no sense!!! OCD? Yes a little.. but I don't weigh at a little tiny weight, I weigh at a woppin 220 and watch the scale go up and up and up. I wish I could change my OCD into somethign productive and actually lose weight while I weigh! lol.. seriously, extreme, yes..ocd? maybe a little..but you're keeping the weight off, and that is worth something too right? Where exactly is the happy medium of "balanced" and "normal"? I think more than us than would admit, weigh ourselves more than once or even twice a day. I agree with an earlier post, notice how much TIME you are spending worrying about it, compared to good things in your life,...I know my weight and my habits almost consume me, it is always on my mind and the topic of almost all my conversations.. (poor husband and mom!..and everyone else!!) I'm trying to transfer my addictive ways to something that helps rather than harms me. Congrats on the weight loss and keeping it off. So it's really possible to keep exact count of what you eat? My mom ALWAYS says i should journal what I eat..but I NEVER have...think it would really make that much of a difference? Leslee

first of all congrats to all of you and your awesome weight losses. but please dont become obsessed with that scale.  the scale, just like our pouches or bands, is but a tool.. it lets you know from day to day where u are on the weight scale. weighing more than once a day is pointless as your weight shifts up and down during the day depending on what you eat or drink.  also on whether you have pooped that day or not, i know TMI. the best time to weight is naked in the morning before you eat or drink anything.   but im sure you all know that already. i think a better focus for all of us is watching from day to day what we consume, our protein intake, water and so forth. over the course of our lives weight will go up and down, as it does for any "normal" person.  thats just the way it is.  once you have settled with your doc or yourself on an acceptable weight range, its ok to slide up and down within that range, heck its normal.!!!! good luck to everyone jacki

I weigh twice a day also. In the morning before I get dressed and at night when I get undressed.  I also am thin. Not really really thin (in my mind) but my family and friends think so. Other WLS patients say "I want to lose weight but not as much as you. I don't want to be as thin as you." I also had someone tell me they saw my expression change when I said my family kept telling me I was too thin. They observed that I seem to LIKE it when they tell me that. And I have to agree. That's a sort of drug for me. I feed off of their worry that I'm losing too much weight...If that makes sense at all.  I do expect to gain some weight and want to (theoretically) gain some weight but it's hard to let myself do that. I keep OCD track of the food that I eat because I (theoretically) want to gain but never end up doing it. I'm sure that if I gain that couple of pounds it's going to lead to a couple HUNDRED pounds and I'll be right back where I was before WLS or worse. It's happened before, so it probably will happen again.  So I can totally identify with your post. It's really hard to open up like that around here (or anywhere) because many many WLS grads are still struggling to lose that last bit of weight or bounce back. Like the doctor's told me, you can expect to lose 75-80% of your weight and the last bit is all you, not the RNY and that's HARD work. For you and me, we're over achievers, so to speak. I totally am supportive of all the ones who still have weight to lose.  At support group we lightweights (who are below goal) talked about the guilty feeling of being smaller than other WLS patients and the people who didn't reach goal talk about the guilty feeling of having people ask them when they're going to have WLS when they're a year out or more. It's hard on all of us. Now we just have to get mental with it and get that all sorted out.

I weigh twice a day and have since having my surgery.  For me it is accountablility.  I was not always heavy and when I really started putting on the weight I stayed away from the scales.  I knew I was gaining but if I didn't see it then I didn't have to deal with it....I don't ever want to go back to that again. 

This morning I had a bit of a gain from yesterday.  I know yesterday, I ate salty foods and had no where enough fluids for as hot as it was.  I know this mornings weight is water but it tells me I need to drink more and stay away from salt.  Like I said it does hold me accountable....

Oh and weighing at night just gives me a little insite as to what it might be the next morning.  I know it usually is always less but it is just something I do.

That's exactly like me--if I'm up one day--I'm not upset, I know it's not real gain--but i know to watch my salt/fluids, etc--I'm usually a little more careful the next day. My morning weigh is my "real weight" weigh, and at night I get an indicator of what "types" of foods I had that day. Usually I'm up one or two pounds at night--and that's normal. It's gone in the AM. If it's not all gone in the AM I get a little cranky for about 5 minutes LOL. I'm TOTALLY not OCD--seriously--I think I'm brilliant. (and modest, lol) I eat anything under the sun--hot chocolate every morning, bagels, chicken wings, you name it! SO--accountabliity has to come somewhere--and for me it's the scale, and making sure all the fun things I eat all day don't go over 1,500 or 1,600 calories. Some days I just don't feel like counting (okay lots of days) and that's when the scale is extra important. I lost a lot of weight--and that is a miracle I need to hold on to. My scale assures me that I won't turn into a pumpkin! When I say if I don't count the calories, I feel "like I'll go out of my mind" I'm sorta' kidding--I lost my mind years ago...