Weighing In...On Weighing Yourself

Should you weigh yourself every day?  That is my question.  I know "fit" people who say yes and those who say no.  Those who say it is a great gauge to keep you in check and those who say you should go by how your clothes fit only.

So here is my question!  What is your experience.  Is the scale your friend or your foe when you are trying to get healthy and lose weight?

 

1. Fluctuation... yes, we all fluctuate.  I consider that.  Is it "that time of the month" or even temperature outside maybe.  
2. Muscle vs. Fat... When you are doing a new exercise program then consider that muscle weighs  more then fat.  So intense development or redevelopment of your muscles then can make you weigh more but trim down.  In my case... I can't imagine that is happening yet.  I mean I have only had a few days that I actually used the treadmill and/or trampoline for any great extent.  
3. It is not all about the weight!  Healthy living, right?  The man made chemicals of sucralose and High Glucose Corn Syrup are finding their way OUT of my diet, my body and our family life.  I am trying to stop machine washing plastics and hand washing them... and we will deal with Teflon later.  I need to remember that.  My frame can become skinny while my body remains unhealthy because I consume things that are bad for my body and future health.  I am trying to make a conscious choice not to live like that anymore.  I want to reduce my chance of disease, live longer and feel happier!

 BUT ... I do believe that weighing yourself every day can help KEEP weight off!  If I get on the scale and see a gain of a pound or two after I get to my goal weight, I might not flinch.  But I know that once I allow myself to gain 5 lbs then it becomes a very slippery slope!  And if I allow myself to only weigh in on a specific single day a week... a lot can  happen in that week on that slippery slope.  So I believe that weighing in every day keeps me accountable. 

What does that mean right now?  That I am feeling a bit discouraged that there was no loss for three days.  No gain!  That is the optimistic look at it.  Yes, optomism is the a great gift... but a gift that is harder to have when you are wanting to stay on a "healthy lifestyle plan."  Well, I stepped off the scale after those three days and finished up my week. 

I did notice I have not been going poop (is there a nicer way to put it then the way my father always said it... "moving my bowels" ... ugh, I hated that when he said it that way.)  I only eat one true meal a day and two small snacks but there should be more coming out of me then that.  So I worried about that.  Apparently, I am not drinking enough water when I take my IsaFlush at night.  And when you take that and don't drink water it can actually clog you up instead of what it is made to do and that is balance your digestive system and encourage regularity.  So last night, the night of my cleanse day, I took TWO of those pills and drank a bunch of water.  Today I stepped on my scale and was at 136.9.  That is nearly a 7 lbs loss from the start.  It is only a pound from last week.  Not super.  But better then when I stepped on the scale on Sunday.  So it is a pound from Monday to today. 

What about the other thing that measures success in this journey?


Measurements (I will only journal this once a week)
Arm - 11" (This is a 1" change and I think I actually saw that before even measuring!)
Waist - 34 1/2"  (down another 1/2")
Butt/hip - 40" (This is an 1" drop from last week!!!)
Thigh - 23" (same as last week)
Calf - 14" (same)

That lifted my spirits!  That change is no small thing!  Especially my Butt/Hips.  shew... let's keep that up!
Well, off to do a little treadmill time before getting work done and heading to the school to make paper mache globes all afternoon. 

Thank you for making this journey with me!